12 and 7 On The Loop At Forest Dunes

My favorite hole on The Loop — in either direction — is the Black’s (clockwise) par 4 twelfth. The hole measures 381 from the back tees, and 321 from the middle. Bunkers left and right some two hundred yards out force a decision: Try to sail the bunkers, threat a shot between them, or lay up short. From the bunkers, the fairway tilts right and downward to a green surrounded by bunkers.

The same fairway serves as the seventh for the Loop Red (counter-clockwise).

The Seventh measures 362 from the back and 319 from the middle. The green here is tucked back on the far right side of the fairway, and behind a swale. Tee shots need to favor the left side of the fairway to take advantage of the long side of the angled, oval green. Shots coming in from the right side will need to stop more quickly to avoid rolling off the side.

Bunkers which feature so prominently in the play of the Black’s twelfth are a complete non-factor in the play of the seventh. In fact, because of their facings, and the angle, the two bunkers are all but hidden.

As an experiment, I’d love to be able to play a hole or two at The Loop in one direction, and then immediately turn around and play in the other.