No. 2 at Caledonia: A traditionally-designed par 5 with an emphasis on distance, putting
Not often will you find a Mike Strantz-designed golf course that does not include a true, three-shot par 5 for all players, and according to Caledonia Head Golf Professional Marc Guertin, No. 2 is “pretty much that one” at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. So, the next time you travel to play Caledonia with Caledonia Golf Vacations, be ready for a real challenge at No. 2. Here’s what you can expect to encounter:
No. 2 is a long par 5 measuring 571 yards from the tips. The hole is fairly straight off the tee and then gently turns to the right for the next two shots — the layup and the approach — which are straightaway after the tee shot. Off the tee, Strantz introduces a large waste area to the right, as well as one of his very deep, large bunkers on the left side of the fairway. Guertin said, “You have to hit your tee shot in between those two.” Meanwhile, the second shot is tree-lined down the left and the landing area is flat at around 150 yards.
The real challenge at No. 2 comes on the putting surface, as Guertin explains: “The green is in three sections: There’s a small bowl in the back left corner. It’s relatively flat through the middle. And then it slopes away and to the right in the back right corner.” Guertin added, “That back right section of the green is protected by a very steep-faced bunker. And the left side of the green has a large mound that comes into the green surface that is used to separate the bowl in the back left of the green from the middle and front.”
For Guertin, this separation is characteristic of Strantz’s design philosophy: “He just continues that slope right into the putting surface, so it kind of sections it off … He has very large putting surfaces, but they don’t play very large because you have to be in the right sections, or you’re penalized.”
To succeed on No. 2 at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, you’ll need to hit the long ball, find the correct section of the green and putt like a pro – all easier said than done. So, be sure to bring your best on your next Caledonia Golf Vacations trip, as No. 2 awaits!