LOUDON COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 6 – Par 4
Distance: 359 yards (blue tees), 355 yards (white), 336 yards (gold), 293 yards (silver/red)
Loudon’s sixth hole is one of the club’s prettiest – and one of its trickiest. From the elevated tee box, players can see parts of the second through seventh holes, as well as the 17th green and 18th tee box in the distance. Their focus should be straight ahead, however, where a tight fairway that slopes downhill leads to a pond that protects the green from short approach shots. The tee shot doesn’t have to be perfect, but it can’t be too long or wild, or else it invites the woods and hazards that flank the fairway.
Club Pro Ian Landry further discusses Loudon’s sixth.
Q: What stands out to you about the hole?
A: “You can get rewarded for a good shot. If you hit one in the fairway, you’ve got good yardage and you can usually get a pretty good shot on the green. It’s challenging. Everything’s challenging, from the tee shot to the second shot to the chip on the green to the putts. I think it’s a good golf hole.”
Q: Where do players struggle?
A: “Probably that second shot. Whether it’s the fact that they have the water in their heads, golf is a psychological game. If you don’t think you can carry over water, you’re not going to carry over water. I think that has a lot to do with it.”
Q: How do you play the hole? What’s your approach and advice?
A: “I use a little over 200 yards off the tee or so. … I would say, don’t just grab driver. That’s probably the worst thing you can do on that hole. Even if you do hit a good one, you’re down on that downslope, and then you have to be real precise.”
Q: Is that a trap inexperienced players here fall into?
A: “Oh yeah. That’s absolutely the case, and that’s the case with a lot of holes here. A lot of holes have some hazards that run across the fairway and you’ve got to lay up to certain yardages. You’ve got to play target golf here, for the most part.”