Personable parkland sets
apart Cambridge course

As you start down the cart path at Cross Creek, you see the names of people. Thousands of them spread throughout the course, a sign of the personable-ness of the Cambridge course.

Cross Creek Golf Links never comes across as unapproachable, instead creating a personality grounded by simple and friendliness.

Wide open holes are highlighted by some of the best fairways and greens I’ve seen. About half the holes are parkland in looks. Tall trees border fairways and define approach angles. The other half are absent trees, lending themselves to more of a links feel.  

Having said that, Cross Creek is a very tough golf course. It plays 6,700 yards from the second
tees, 7,200 from the back.

The par 3s epitomize this particular strength of Cross Creek. The four holes play 193, 180, 194 and 160 from the second tees, which put golfers in a position of using a long iron or even fairway wood, depending on the wind. 

Cross Creek may not have the scenery to match up to its western counterparts, but its playability is very healthy.

Watch out for the Golf God on hole 12, a fitting reminder that the game controls you, not the other way around.

A closer look
There are dynamite holes that you will love at Cross Creek Golf Links. The final four are extraordinary. No. 17, with its split fairway approach, is a joy to play. Either you go right to a wide open fairway and forget about reaching the green in two, or you head left to a skinny landing spot with a lot more trouble surrounding.

Either way, four bunkers come into play when you get closer to the green. At 552 yards, No. 17 can be a score-buster. But it’s a whale of hole.

The last hole of any round should be a treat, and No. 18 at Cross Creek is just that. An average tee shot on this 424-yard, dogleg left, par 4 can leave you with a 180-yard approach that must carry water right up to the left edge of the green. A well struck tee shot can clear you of carrying water, but it’s still a big threat.

Nos. 17 and 18 cause you to look over your shoulder and dream of repeating the experience.

The back nine is full of opportunities to create your own scoring chances. No. 10, a 538-yard par 5, allows for a carry over a dogleg, bringing in the downsides of a bunker and trees. No. 15 is a personal favorite. Cross the gravel road and get transplanted into the rare elevation changes at Cross Creek.

Fifteen is a dogleg right, where your tee shot is of up-most importance in relation to your second shot. The approach can end up anywhere from 120 to 185 yards out or longer. To reach the green, you must carry a large valley that sits about 110 yards away from the green and spans about 80 yards to a green sitting at the highest point in the area.