Hole-by-Hole Tour
This tour provides a brief description of each golf hole. Yardages shown here are from the Championship Tees. For all yardages, click here to view the course scorecard.
The yardages shown on the sprinkler heads are to the front edge of the green, while the markings on the cart paths and the monuments on par-3 tees are to the middle of the green.
Hole #1 - Par 4 - 422 Yards
The fairway has a hillside and fairway bunker on the left and a series of ponds on the right. The best tee shot is left center of the fairway. The green slopes from left to right, and there is a small bunker in the right front.
Hole #2 - Par 4 - 364 Yards
This is a wonderful short par 4. The fairway initially slopes right to left towards a creek that runs along the entire left side of the hole but flattens out by the bunker that is on the left side of the fairway. Your drive should be hit down the right center of the fairway, missing the trees that grow along the right side of the fairway. The green is elevated with a deep bunker in front and a creek in back. Select your club carefully and play for the middle of the green.
Hole #3 - Par 4 - 388 Yards
There is a large waste area stretching across the fairway which is in play off the tee. To lay up short of this waste area, your tee shot should be hit to leave a 140-yard shot into the green; otherwise just hit into it and have a short iron to the green. There are bunkers on the front left and the rear of the green and a creek behind it. Check the pin position carefully, as the green has a ridge running down the middle, and shots on the wrong side of the ridge can be very tricky.
Hole #4 - Par 3 - 195 Yards
This hole is perhaps the easiest of our par-3's. A large tree guards the left side of the green, while the right side slopes sharply away. A creek runs in back of the green. The tee shot plays half a club longer than the yardage. The green is narrow in the front and wider from the middle to the back, so it its best to play your tee shot into the middle of the green.
Hole #5 - Par 5 - 544 Yards
The par-5's at Cross Creek are fairly short but present significant risk/reward relationships for golfers going for the green in 2. This tee shot should favor the left side of the fairway, but avoid the fairway bunker that is located on the left in the landing area. The real problems on this hole are up by the green. The fairway falls off steeply to the left, and the large oak trees on the right block off almost half the fairway. Any drive hit right of the middle of the fairway will have to contend with the overhanging limbs of these large oaks. The green falls away sharply to the left, and there are several nasty bunkers on the right. A lay-up shot to 50 yards short of the green takes these hazards out of play and leaves a lob wedge to the green. Check the pin position carefully, as the green slopes from front to back and right to left and long putts are difficult.
Hole #6 - Par 4 - 376 Yards
This hole is another short par-4 that is harder than it looks. The green opens up from the right side of the fairway, so a drive played to the right of the fairway bunkers, or, for longer hitters, over the right bunker, will leave a short iron to the green. The green has bunkers front right and back right, and anything hit short, left, or right will go down a steep embankment. It is best to keep your approach shot in the middle or left portion of the green.
Hole #7 - Par 4 - 475 Yards
This long par-4 can play shorter than the yardage, as a drive hit over the crest of the hill will hit the down slope and kick forward. The hole is a slight dog leg left, so the drive should be aimed just to the right of the fairway bunkers on the left. The green is long and narrow, with grass bunkers on each side.
Hole #8 - Par 3 - 249 Yards
Watch out for this hole. The large pond has to be carried and is very much in play. There is out of bounds across the path on the right and a doughnut shaped bunker, also on the right. The bail out area is to the right of the green. Take enough club to carry to the green, as any shot that lands short will stay short.
Hole #9 - Par 5 - 512 Yards
An uphill, slight dog leg to the left. You can try to cut the dog leg but may find a down lie in the Bermuda rough. The real trouble on this hole is on the green. It is elevated, narrow in the front, and has a large hump on the right. The approach shot is uphill, so take extra club. Some say this is the hardest green to read on the course.
Hole #10 - Par 4 - 322 Yards
This is another good, short par-4. The drive must clear the deep valley and be between the very deep bunker on the right and the two smaller bunkers on the left. The right center of the fairway is a good aiming point. This green has a deep grass bunker on the left front and a deep sand bunker on the right. There are four distinctly different hole locations on the green, and putting from one to another can be very tricky, so check the pin sheet carefully and hit an accurate short iron approach.
Hole #11 - Par 3 - 184 Yards
This hole is much harder than the yardage indicates. The green is very wide, but shallow with a severe slope from right to left. Any ball hit short can run down the steep slope into the large bunker in front. In addition, there is a smaller bunker on the front right and a deep pot bunker in the middle rear. There is room for error when the hole is cut on the left side of the green, but a right placement requires a very accurate tee shot. The hole also plays a half club longer when the hole is on the right.
Hole #12 - Par 5 - 513 Yards
This hole is a sharp dog leg right with out of bounds on the right. The safe tee shot is to the left of the fairway bunkers that are on the right. The long ball hitter can either hit a fairway metal left of the bunkers, or cut the corner by hitting a driver over the bunkers, risking the out of bounds or getting a side hill lie. The green sits on top of a hill and has a large deep bunker on the left front and a grass bunker on the right. Avoid the trees on the right on the second shot. The conservative play is to lay up in the valley in front of the green, leaving an 80 yard uphill shot.
Hole #13 - Par 4 - 424 Yards
This is a very distinctive hole that can play easier than it looks, provided the drive is down the left side of the fairway. Long hitters should hit less than a driver, since at 140 yards from the green the fairway falls off sharply and doglegs to the right. The green is set well below the fairway, and it has a bunker to the front left and a creek on the right. A good rule of thumb is to use the distance to the front of the green as the distance to the middle because of the elevation change.
Hole #14 - Par 4 - 459 Yards
A creek runs across the fairway off the tee, then continues along the left side of the fairway, making for a drive that has to be correctly placed. The green is located behind the hill on the left, and the pin is often not visible from the fairway, so check your pin sheet. The green is very undulating and requires a precise iron shot.
Hole #15 - Par 3 - 191 Yards
This hole is an uphill shot, where the green surface is hidden by the hill and you see only the flagstick. The green is long and narrow and falls away on the left, on the back, and on the right toward the creek. Club selection is critical, as long putts are very difficult on this green.
Hole #16 - Par 4 - 341 Yards
This hole is the last short par 4. The drive should be left of center since the fairway slopes from left to right toward the creek that runs along the entire right side of the hole. A good drive will leave a short iron to the green, but club selection is very important because of the elevated green. A large hump in the middle of the green makes putting from one side to the other difficult.
Hole #17 - Par 4 - 430 Yards
This wonderful hole doglegs left around the large pond. Drive toward the double tree, and you will have a mid to short iron in. Anything right of that may have an awkward lie on the hillside. Shorter hitters may have to contend with the large fairway bunker located short of the green. Again, check the pin location carefully, as you can leave yourself a nasty putt if you put the ball in the wrong spot.
Hole #18 - Par 4 - 466 Yards
This terrific finishing hole plays uphill to a long and narrow green. Any drive in the fairway is good. Club selection for the approach shot is very important, as any approach shot right will roll down the steep hill, and anything left will end up in a grass bunker. The green is significantly above the fairway, and the second shot will play one to two clubs longer than the yardage. Just hit a good shot to the middle of the green, and be happy to finish with a par.