Hole #15

517 yard par 5. The second double dogleg on Lacoma’s Blue course, number 15 is regarded by many as Lacoma’s most intimidating hole. The fairway is forest-lined for virtually its entire length. The first dogleg bends through the forest at nearly 90 degrees. The left side of the second leg – adjacent to the landing area for your second shot – is guarded by a large fairway bunker. The green, if you play your approach from the apex of the second dogleg, presents a narrow deep target that slopes toward a bunker on the left and mounds on the front right.

Tips from the Pro
To play it safe, play your tee shot to the apex of the first dogleg – marked by a flag. Precise placement is important, as being long or short of the flag will result in poor angle for your second shot. A more aggressive play is to try to hit a fairway wood or long iron over the tall trees on the left. If successful, you can take 30 to 40 yards off your second shot. The risk to this strategy is being in the deep woods on the left. If you play the back most-elevated tee, trees surrounding the tee make this strategy untenable. Play your second shot directly at the large mound that marks the back of the fairway. For most pin placements, the angle to the green improves as you get closer to the mound. Be advised that going for the green on your second shot is virtually impossible. The forest on the right ends with a few feet of the green and the green itself is very shallow from this angle, and it slopes away from you. The front of the green slopes directly to the sand on the left, so it is easy for chip shots to end up in this bunker, especially if the pin is in front. If the pin is back, play short or risk being the woods behind the green.