Blackhawk Forest G&CC
Loosly based upon the area where I grew up in Central Ohio
Course is spread across some 200 acres of land in a peaceful setting
yardage: 3601 + 3549 = 7150 yards 
par: 35 + 36 = 71
HC rating given = 74.2
Designer: Mike Edwards

- Due to the small size and slope of the fairways and greens, and 
structure of the greens themselves, medium wind should give you 
plenty of challenge.
-Maybe I'm not that great at this game but on most courses I can score
-20 to -30 pretty easily on medium or even strong winds, this course I am
very happy to shoot even par maybe even 5 over for 4 rounds.
- My philosophy since the game gives you unlimited control over the 
course layout is to provide 18 unique and well designed holes, leaving no weak 
holes.  No one hole should stick out in your mind nor should one be a hole to 
quickly forget (unless you hit a bad shot!) You should find everything
straight forward while being challenging at the same time.
- Hole Tips and Strategy 
Unfortunately the wind direction cannot be maniputed as in JNSE, I
am stuck with 1 wind direction which limits the strategy of every hole.

Hole 1 - par 4, 437 yds HC 8
Dogleg left hole off the tee, with any amount of wind the bunker 280 
yards away on the outside of the dogleg is easily reachable with a 
wood.  Approach shot is quite difficult to get close, par is a very
common score on this hole.

Hole 2 - par 4, 365 yds HC 14
Dogleg right hole should be an excellent opportunity for a birdie 
if you can find the fairway off the tee.  Approach shot is with a 
short iron to a 3-tiered green surrounded by bunkers.

Hole 3 - par 3, 214 yds HC 10
Anywhere on the green will do on this long par 3.  Take your par and 
run to the next tee.  Water lurks well left of the green.

Hole 4 - par 5, 536 yds HC 16
Should be another good chance for birdie as long as you play the hole
intelligently which may take a few trys.  Tee shot must avoid the 
large bunker to the right or lay up short of it.  Second shot is 
blind up and over a hill with a second fairway guarded by a large
tree at the bottom.  Green is crowned with a few difficult hole 
locations.

Hole 5 - par 4, 410 yds HC 4
Probably my favorite hole on the golf course.  Tee shot is usually into
the wind and you tee shot must be placed as far left as possible 
however a creek lurks close by, to open up an angle to the green.  
The green is guarded by a closely mown enbankment leading to a stream.

Hole 6 - par 4 459 yds HC 6
Another difficult par 4 into the wind.  Largest fairway on the golf 
course however only the left half provides you an angle to the green.
The green is quite small, falls off in back and is guarded by three 
bunkers.

Hole 7 - par 5 550 yds HC 12
Possibly the easiest hole to birdie on the golf course.  If you want 
to reach the green in two, choose the left fairway.  Second shot is 
downhill with a pond right of the green.  A shot left in the left
bunker leaves a simple up and down.

Hole 8 - par 3 160 yds HC 18
Shortest hole on the golf course with a very shallow green.  Trees
overhang on the right side, a shot riding the wind can end up close.

Hole 9 - par 470 yds HC 2
Very difficult par 4 into the wind.  Tee shot much avoid the two
bunkers at the corner of the dogleg.  Second shot is downhill to
a large green angled to the left.  Chipping area to the right is
a good bailout area.

Hole 10 - par 5 582 yds HC 15Longest hole on the golf course.  
Tee shot is downhill, downwind to a fairway bisected by a stream.  
It is possible to carry the stream on your drive.  Second shot is 
almost always a layup through the trees.  Third shot is compouded 
by the left to right breeze as the green is long and slender, while 
falling off the sides into a chipping area.  Probably your best 
chance for birdie on the back nine.

Hole 11 - par 4 415 yds HC 11 Medium length par 4, large bunker 
is left off the tee, the difficulting of the hole lies with 
the steeply sloping fairway.  Thus,your second shot will come 
from a severe hook lie to a green uphill, guarded by bunker.

Hole 12 - par 3 189 yds HC 9 Nothing foolish on this downhill 
par 3 over water should secure you your par 3.  

Hole 13 - par 4 466 yds HC 7 Downwind off the tee, fairway narrow 
around 290 by a small bunker with a pond left off the tee.  After
a drive in the fairway the second shot can by run up to the green,
the contours of the green make it difficult to get the ball close.

Hole 14 - par 4 435 yds HC 5 Difficult left to right tee shot around
a grove of trees.  Second shot is uphill over two deep bunkers, to
a green with a false front.  Watch out for the back left bunker as 
well.

Hole 15 - par 3 179 yds HC 13 Downhill Redan style hole, several hole
locations will found quite difficult, the challenge is to leave
your tee shot in the appropriate position.

Hole 16 - par 4 440 yds HC 3 Straight away tee shot.  Second shot is
over water to a green that simply doesn't set up well.  Many a player
will hit a solid shot only to find his ball in the back left bunker.

Hole 17 - par 4 379 yds HC 17 Easy hole on paper.  Tee shot must avoid
the three bunkers left off the tee.  Second shot is uphill from a 
hanging lie, over a deep bunker to a severely contoured green.  Birdies
should be rare.

Hole 18 - par 4 464 yds HC 1 I usually save the toughest for last and
this hole is no exception.  Tee shot must find the fairway or you must
lay up.  From there it is a long iron over a deep bunker to a shallow
green angled to the right.  Par will be a good score on this hole.

Bio: I am a college student at the University of Toledo. I am majoring
in Geography.  
Favorite Golfer : Fred Couples
Favorite golf course to play : World Woods Pine Barrens Course, wish
list includes Pacific Dunes now.
Handicap : 6 if I could putt.
email : freddiecfan@aol.com
Software packages available there such as ERDADS and ArcView could 
assist me if I were so inclinded to design a golf course from aeriel
photographs.  Aerial photographs found on the web in .jpeg format are 
too pixelated or at a small scale.  Using those programs, digital
orthoquads (DOQQ) in MrSid file format, which are free to download 
for most states can be analyzed in those programs. Or if you're so
inclined you can download an image viewer from lizardtech.com
I have a high quality image of Toledo, which is home to Inverness CC.  
That could be a future project to work on.  I'd like to 
play the course too first!

Design philosohy: I only design golf courses, If I find a texture or 
object I like, I use it.  On my courses you will see the basics, no 
fancy objects or 1000 plants on one hole, just what I think are very well
designed golf holes. Go elsewhere if you want to look at the flowers.

Textures came from Goldenbearsden.com I believe.

BTW - Hole one disappeared from the course layout screen when I 
last saved the course, I wonder if this is a common occurance.


 


