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.