Rock Hill’s Back 9

I previously gave my experiences on Rock Hill’s front 9. Here comes the back. The good news is, if you struggled on the front, the back 9 feels like you are playing a different course. I generally find it easier, though it is far from easy.

Hole 10 has the nicest view on the course. Looking out from the tee box, you can see out to the Atlantic Ocean. If you miss the fairway off the tee, there are a few bunkers to catch you. Miss left and the ball is lost in the woods. The hole is 415 yards, and plays long for me. Usually it takes me 4 shots to get on.

The 11th hole is the easiest on the scorecard. It plays like it. It is a sharp dogleg left, and you can cut the corner, though there are 2 traps to discourage it. The approach shot is reachable, cutting the corner or not. For a fun memory, I got pared with some guy. My drive was ok. I didn’t see where my 2nd shot went, and was looking for it short. He turns to me ‘Ummm, what are you doing?’ ‘Looking for my ball…’ then he points at the pin ‘’you are right there 3 feet away.’

The 12th hole is a nice par 5. There are woods along both sides, so it is hard to cut the corner at the end. Stay too far left and it is a long approach shot. The green is tiered, so if they position the pin right, it can be a nightmare if you miss long. 13 is a nice little par 3. There is water on the left, so for me it rarely comes into play. It is a good birdie/ par opportunity. This is the only hole people have complimented nice up and down putts for me.

The 14th is a dogleg left. Hit the tee shot to the right, and it turns into a really long 2nd shot. The two bunkers in the landing zone make ths hole a little difficult, especially as 3 more bunkers surround the green. This is a realy nice hole on the occasions I miss the sand. 15 is a 489 par 5 that can play a lot longer. It tends to take me 5 to get to the green. It is a nice wide hole so you can just let your swing go.

16 is another dog leg left. This is another hole that always plays long for me. I am known for hitting a fair way bunker, getting out, then hitting the bunker in front of the green. 17 is another par 3. Miss left or right and there are traps there to catch you. It isn’t a hard hole, but it can be humbling.

Most places I play have an easy-ish 18th hole to keep you coming back. Rock Hill doesn’t, it is handicap 2 on the card. The tee shot is up hill. If you don’t clear the hill, the 2nd shot is blind, either way, it is still a long shot in. I can occasionally sneak my 3rd shot on the green, but it is more the exception than the rule. This hole can crush a good score.

Now the hole I excel at, 19! The bar has the same view as the 10th hole tee box. I like all of the bartenders. The staff will pop in and out, they are all very nice. The biggest issue I have playing here is there are a lot of outings, so it can be hard to hop on. I did hop on after an outing as a single, and put in a 2 ½ hour round, for an 88. I would never have expected this course to be where I put up my best score.

By Sebastian Wyczawski