The Third At Washtenaw Golf Club

The Third At Washtenaw Golf Club

The third at Washtenaw Golf Club is a fun par five that requires three straight shots to the green, but has just enough elevation changes to keep it from being routine.

From the blue tees, the third stretches to 511 yards. I play it from the white tees, which measure 483 yards. There also are tees at 469 and 456 yards. This is the #17 handicap hole on the card, but it is by no means easy.

The tee shot is tight, with little room on either side for error. A straight line out from the tee box hugs the right tree line. It’s easy to clip a branch. For slicers, it’s also easy to end up with a ball in the adjacent fairway to the right (the second hole).

On the left, there is a little more leeway. In particular, the trees are more widely separated, offering opportunities for productive recoveries. There is, however a bunker on the left that pinches the fairway and could catch a ball that rolls out.

The first 220 – 250 yards of the hole play slightly downhill, reaching a nadir on a line with the left fairway bunker. Balls get a good roll down the hill for some extra yardage.

The second shot on Washtenaw Golf Club’s third hole is uphill to a crest that reaches its apex around 100 yards to the green. You can’t see the green or flagstick on this shot, so the main goal is to send it up the middle of the fairway.

If you’re going to miss, though, miss left. There’s an opening in the the rough on that side that still offers a good view of the green.

A miss right, on the other hand can put you in the second fairway bunker, or leave you open to interference from a tree.

The green is downhill from the crest. There’s a large bunker on the left side, while the right and rear roll off down a small hill. Also behind the green are bushes and the rear of the driving range. The front of the green is wide, and open. Landing a ball short and letting it roll out is a good strategy. I’ve seen too many fly the green, and then take several shots to extricate themselves.

A tip: when walking up the first fairway, check to see where the flag is located on the third hole.