The walk to the first tee at Beacon Hill Country Club is often met with
stunning views of the New York City skyline, Sandy Hook, the Atlantic
Ocean, and probably the stakes you’re playing for today. Hole
number one is the first of an opening stretch with four par-four holes,
each of which play as narrow as they look. The tee shot plays downhill,
with out of bounds tightly down the left hand side, and the right side
guarded by large mounds and a fairway bunker for longer players. The
approach plays into a triangular-shaped green that is well-guarded by a
large bunker short and right, and a native wood area and out of bounds
long. An expanded collar left of the green provides a tempting bail-out,
but it won’t make par easier for most players. The green slopes
back to front, and slightly left to right toward Sandy Hook, as members
well know.
The par 4 second hole plays directly up Beacon Hill, making its distance
play much longer than the card. The hole was straightened and lengthened
in the course renovation completed in 2021. Shorter hitters must avoid a
right fairway bunker, while longer hitters must stay right of the left
bunker, but most every player will want to stay clear of the right
treeline, which blocks most approaches to the green in regulation.
Around the green, a steep drop will carry most short approaches down the
hill, while the left, right and rear greensides are well-guarded by a
series of bunkers and fescue. The green itself is a two-tiered green,
which rewards a well-calculated distance and well-executed approach, and
punishes most approaches to the wrong tier with a three-putt.
The third hole is par four which plays downhill off the tee with a
slight dogleg right on approach to the green. Longer players will want
to play less than driver, unless they want to take on the pond in an
effort to drive the green or greenside fairway beyond the treeline. Most
will settle for hitting this narrow fairway well short of the pond,
avoiding the right fairway bunker and treeline, leaving between 100 and
150 yards to a new green installed in the recent renovation. Hitting the
fairway is a major advantage, as the green is one of a few at Beacon
Hill which does not slope back to front, and is therefore difficult to
hold out of the rough. The green is well-guarded to the left by the
pond, to the right by a deep bunker, and to the rear with thick rough,
but the wide fairway area running up to the green leaves a very playable
option for higher handicappers.
The fourth hole is the last of this punitive opening four-hole stretch,
and it’s another that plays much longer than the yardage on the
scorecard as you play directly up the hill. Players will try to avoid
the trees on both sides off the tee, leaving an uphill lie approach. The
wind almost always plays a factor on this approach, but the American
Flag in the background will give the player a hint as to which way
it’s blowing. This green is well guarded by a bunker short left,
fescue further to the left and behind the green, and on the right a
large bunker which stretches behind the third tee to the second green.
Because of its height and exposure, the green is often among the fastest
on the course, often tricking players because of its flattish
appearance. Through these tough four holes, most players are thrilled
with a net score of even par.
The fifth hole is a welcome change of pace, as the course begins to open
up while offering its first good scoring opportunity. It also begins a
unique routing feature of Beacon Hill, as the fifth through ninth holes
have pars of 5-3-5-3-3 to finish the front nine. The par 5 tee shot
plays downhill to a fairway that slopes steeply from left to right at
the beginning, then flattens out as it reaches the distance of the
fairway bunkers and mounding along the right side. From there, longer
players can choose to go for the green in two, but most players will
strategically lay up, avoiding several bunkers on the right and left. A
lengthy trough bunker located approximately 40 yards in front of the
green can make for a very tricky approach. The green, which was enlarged
and squared off in the recent renovation, is surrounded by an extended
fairway cut which causes many borderline shots to run off the green,
especially on the left and right sides.
The sixth hole is the first of five par-threes on our golf course, and
is located at the lowest elevation on the course. For a course which
often is affected by wind, the sixth can be difficult to judge, as the
hole is guarded by trees and elevation. The tee shot must carry two
fescue mounds to a wide green, newly built in the recent renovation. The
green is guarded to the right by a bunker, on the left by a greenside
mound and short grass, and to the rear some greenside rough and ridge
separating the left and right sides of the green. This rear ridge, and a
thumbprint on the bottom left portion of the green separates the green
into three distinct areas. An accurate shot to the correct area is
rewarded with a very makeable birdie, and while landing in the wrong
area often requires two very good putts to secure par.
Our seventh hole is the second par-five on the course, subtly playing
back up Beacon Hill. The tee shot demands accuracy, as fescue lurks both
right and left, along with left fairway bunkering. The longest hitters
can reach the green with two very good shots, but this is a three-shot
hole for most. The layup is a safe one, with a wide fairway area made
wider by the left dogleg layout. Whether you approach the green in two
shots or three, the green is extremely well guarded in all directions
with a false front and bunkers on all four corners. The green itself is
one of the most steeply-canted, back-to-front greens on the course,
making putts from behind the pin and even pin-high a major challenge.
Beacon Hill’s eighth hole is the first of a back-to-back par-three
finish on the front nine, a unique routing feature owing both the to
limited land on which the course was originally built and the lack of
strict routing rule during golf’s Golden Age. The eighth is nearly
an Eden hole template, with a newer and less severe back-to-front green
that was installed in the recent renovation. Playing steeply uphill to a
triangular green, a tucked back right pin can be hidden behind a large
hill on the right, but a tee shot which carries the front greenside
bunker can use the slope of that hill to gain a birdie look. Danger
lurks in a cavernous left greenside bunker, especially for left hole
locations. Par is the objective.
A steep walk toward the clubhouse will lead to the ninth tee, which
looks back down on the ninth hole, the second of back-to-back par
threes. A classic “short hole” template, the hole requires a
only short iron. Danger lurks nearly everywhere, with water long and
right, bunkering surrounding everywhere but a narrow front-center
corridor, and even out of bounds left. The classic design emphasizes
accuracy with a short iron, distance control with a wind-exposed tee
shot, and a deft putting touch. With a proper tee shot, players often
have an excellent opportunity to make birdie, but missing the green
makes for an extremely difficult par save.
A difficult stretch of holes opens the back nine, beginning with the
par-four tenth hole. Off the tee, players absolutely must avoid the
water along the right. The hole’s signature tree on the right side
of the fairway prevents hitting the green even from a lateral hazard
drop. Longer hitters must also avoid fairway cross bunkering off the
tee, a nod to the original course’s cross bunkering on the current
fifth hole. Keeping the ball in the fairway is critical, as the approach
typically requires at least mid- to long iron into a green that slopes
slightly away from the player. Hitting out of the rough requires an
approach short of the green which runs up. With accurate play from the
tee and fairway, the green’s curvatures still usually forces two
good putts for par.
The par four eleventh hole is Beacon Hill’s road hole, a classic
golf design template originating from the 17th at St Andrews. Bounded
along the entire right side by Beacon Hill Road, the dogleg right
eleventh hole offers two options off the tee – either cut the
corner and risk out of bounds, or take the safer route further left,
leaving a much longer and far more challenging approach. The green is
well guarded on the left and rear by mounds, and on the right by a large
bunker and the road itself, but the green itself is relatively tame,
offering many makeable putts no matter the hole location. This hole is a
true tee-to-green test.
The twelfth hole is the first of two consecutive par fives. An uphill
tee shot between fairway bunkers is required, with out of bounds lurking
left. But from there, the hole is even more challenging. The green is
located 50 yards past the top of the fairway’s hill, created a
completely blind approach for those going for the green in two. A
well-executed layup will land short of the left and right bunkers,
offering an unobstructed view of the green guarded by bunkers and the
steep left-to-right slope of the green itself. Players will want to stay
below the hole, as any downhill or sidehill putt on this green will
force a defensive two-putt at best.
The thirteenth hole is the second of the back to back par fives,
contending with the opposite wind of the twelfth hole. A downhill tee
shot must avoid the left creek, but otherwise a well-hit drive will
offer the longer player to reach the green in two. Those laying up
instead must navigate three fairway bunkers and an old carriage road
creating a deep fairway trough 40 yards from the green. The green,
surround by front a rear bunkers and a native area along the right,
often draws players to bail out left into the fairway collar between the
green and 14 tee. The green offers several gettable hole locations and
provides a good scoring opportunity for players of all distances.
Consistently one of the most difficult holes on the course, the par
three 14th hole at Beacon Hill typically requires a mid- to long-iron,
or more, to a narrow, well-guarded green. Left of the green is a popular
bail-out location, thanks to out of bounds, marked by Beacon Hill Road,
which runs the entire right side of the hole. Two front greenside
bunkers require approaches to carry the full distance to the green. The
oval-shaped green generally slopes from the back right to front left,
and it is more severe than it looks. Whether an up-and-down or a
greenie, par is an excellent score on this difficult par three.
On the par four fifteenth hole, players must thread a drive between
fescue on the rightside hill and fairway bunkers down the left side.
Many players hit less than driver, preferring fairway accuracy over
distance. The approach to a shallow, steeply-elevated green requires
precise distance control. While the green is guarded only by elevation
and frequent wind exposure, on the green itself, players must navigate
longer putts through a thumbprint in the front-center area. Remember to
look back from the front of the 15th green for a memorable view of the
Freedom Tower in downtown Manhattan.
The par-four 16th hole is often where matches are won and lost. A
driveable par four for longer hitters, players often go for the green
off the tee, risking out of bounds long and left, as well as greenside
bunkers built into the hill beneath the elevated green. The safer route
is an easy and unguarded downhill tee shot downhill, and then a short
iron uphill to the large, two-tired green. Approaches to the correct
tier are critical for scoring opportunities, thanks to a steep ridge
that runs diagonally the entire depth of the green. Landing on the wrong
tier of this green often results in a three-putt.
The 17th hole is a par four that plays uphill, back across Beacon Hill
Road. A safe and short drive just over the road will provide a flat lie
but much longer distance to the green. A longer drive risks bunkers on
the left and right and a severely sloped fairway, but a much shorter
approach distance. Regardless of the club chosen, players must avoid the
cavernous right greenside bunker and the steep hill behind the green.
The green is a subtle punch bowl, funneling most putts toward the
center, while the overall back-to-front tilt rewards approaches that
stay below the hole.
Beacon Hill is one of many classic golf courses to end with a
challenging par 3. Located below the hillside where members often watch
tournament matches, it can be a nervy finishing hole as well. At nearly
two hundred yards from the back tees, players must hit a demanding tee
shot to a green that is well-protected on the right by a deep bunker and
creek. Visually, the eighteenth hole is a reverse redan, but not every
tee shot to the left hillside will roll down to the green, and most tee
shots that hit the green will hold it. On the green, a diagonal ridge
requires well-judged lags to secure a two-putt, while shorter putts are
makeable birdies.