Long shots, short chips count the same at Willow Lakes

Bellevue’s Willow Lakes, designed by world-renowned Robert Trent Jones, Sr., is a course open to long hitters and favoring to smart short-game players.

The once-private-but-now-public-course features greens that catch the balls with their back-to-front slopes. Two raised greens in particular, No. 1 and No. 8, draw attention to your approach shots. Correctly measuring your distance – with elevation changes included – can save you from some awkward chip shots.

The tall overhanging trees should not be touched. They provide (besides great shade) protection for the fairways, which generally allow room for shots not dead center. Even the rough can be open, but oftentimes, trees provide a partial or full block of your view to the green.

Water comes into play on 10 holes, and the course fairways are in fine shape. The greens are sure and generally small.

A closer look
No. 1 is a wide-open fairway finishing to a green near the top of a hill. It’s pretty simple, but also easy to misjudge the distance on your approach shot. Be aggressive with it.

The second hole is where the course starts to narrow down a bit. Trees hover right next to the fairway on the left, and a tee shot to that side makes the green hard to see, let alone reach.

The par 5 No. 4 and the par No. 5 are great examples of freedom and trouble. Water runs down the right side of both of these south-bound holes, and make consistency necessary.

No. 8 features one of the overhanging trees on the right side, just about the landing area of a good tee shot. The hole is on top of a hill with heavy trees to the left. Leaving your approach shot short makes for a bit of an awkward chip.

No. 9, a par 5, is a fun hole, as well. For your tee shots, you must work with a bit of a blind tee shot over a small hill and around a bunker. A long drive off the tee sets up a chance at reaching the green the two, but a bunker and steeply raised green are definite challenges. The lay-up option is a long shot to a landing area sitting left of the green, where a simple chip shot awaits.

The back-to-back par 3s on the back nine can really make or break your round. They are simple, a little longer than average, but you must be close to or on the green to take full advantage of scoring opportunities.

No. 18 is a great finishing hole, with a steep, two-tiered green pitched from back-to-front. Do yourself a favor and leave the ball below the hole, even if it means pitching on for your final approach.