First-time visitors tend to arrive looking for the water hazards. There aren’t many. Strawgrass defends itself the way the old links courses do — not with ponds and forced carries, but with firm ground, real fescue, and a wind that rarely takes the day off. Here is how to make peace with it.
The fairways are firm and the greens are built to accept a running shot. That means the bump-and-run isn’t a trick shot here; it’s often the smart one. When the wind is up, a low, chasing approach will hold its line where a high, soft one gets knocked down and spat sideways. Learn to land it short and let the ground do the rest.
The high ball is brave. The low ball is usually right.
The generous fairways are a trap for the lazy. From the wrong side, even a wide fairway leaves you a half-blind approach to a green that falls away. Pick the side that opens the green and you’ll find the course gives plenty back. Aim at the flag from everywhere and it will quietly take your card apart.
On a windy day, par is a brilliant score and bogey is no disaster. The fourth — our little par three over the hollow, the one we call The Sheaf — will tempt you into hero golf every single time. Club down, aim for the fat of the green, and walk to the fifth tee with your three. The eleventh, Long Acre, is the same lesson at twice the length: lay up with pride.
Do all that and you’ll understand the place by the back nine. Ignore it and you’ll have a wonderful time anyway. That’s the deal we’re offering.
