Course Breakdown: El Dorado holes 10-14

#10

The back nine starts with a straightforward par 5. There’s no trouble off the tee as long as you keep it on the planet. The lay-up shot doesn’t require much thought either, but you do have some bunkers on the right that come into play starting at 110 yards from the hole. If you’re going to lay up, I’d suggest staying short of this distance because the entire fairway slopes from left to right, and a slight miss to the right could lead you straight into bunkerville.

If you're considering going after the green in two, be aware of the severity of the green’s slope from left to right. Expect a bounce to the right, but any shots that land left of the hole need to be carefully maneuvered to avoid hitting through the green. Sadly, it’s easy to do—especially if the pin is in the front-right position. A miss to the right is a better angle, but the terrain is so steep right of the green that it makes for a tough chip shot. The green complex is certainly this holes major defense.

#11

This is one of the coolest tee shots on the course. The hole offers the most elevation change on the course, with a 33-foot drop from tee to green. The fairway is at its widest between 235 and 260 yards from the tee, but I usually hit my driver here. There’s a tree about 270 yards from the tee box, and if you don’t get past it, it will impede your angle toward the green on the left side of the fairway. In my eyes, this is a tough tee shot with any club, so I want to try and get as close to the green as possible.

You’ll have a downhill lie for any shot inside 120 yards. With your worst miss being long, don’t be afraid to aim for a distance closer to the front half of the green—especially with a back flag.

The green slopes from back to front and doesn’t offer too many pin locations. I usually see it on the back flat spot or in the front corner. If it’s in the front, be cautious of the false front.

#12

The 12th is a tough son of a gun. From the Power tees, this hole plays just under 200 yards and requires golfers to carry the ball at least 180 yards to clear the hazard area. Not only does your shot need to carry 180 yards, but it also needs to fly pretty straight to avoid the trees on both sides. I really struggled with this hole as a kid, mostly because I thought I hit the ball further than I actually did. I can recall my dad telling me to aim for the back bunker. Once I did this, my issue of missing short seemed to go away. I’d vouch that as solid advice for everyone. Can’t argue with the idea of missing long if the trouble is short!

Like most of the greens at El Dorado, it slopes from back to front. I wish I had more tips and tricks for this hole, but it’s one where you just have to execute. And if you don’t, take your drop and fight for that bogey.

#13

Going into this breakdown, I was the most clueless about what the best strategy for success on this hole is. I’ve hit anything between a 5-iron and a driver here and haven’t had much success with any of them.

The uphill tee shot leaves you somewhat blind, but you can certainly see the trouble. The right trees continuously cut into the fairway until they end 245 yards from the tee box. There’s a pond behind these trees at 270 yards. Trees line the left side until 170 yards, where it opens up into the next hole/teeing area. The issue is that beyond these trees, the terrain is very undulated with moguls. I’ve hit over here and been completely fine, but I’ve also had situations where I could barely make contact with the ball. Russian Roulette is not a good game to play on the golf course. Not to mention, the angle from the left to the green complex is not ideal for success.

It’s really easy to say, but I think the play is to hit a shot 210–220 yards and aim for the left-center of the fairway. This leaves a wedge into the most steeply sloped green on the course. Plus, the left side doesn’t get too severe until you’re past the 220-yard mark.

Since we’re talking about the green, it’s crazy. It’s 28 yards in depth, and within that 28 yards, it drops 8 feet from the back edge to the front. This creates an average slope of about 7%. Make sure not to miss long or left on your approach. Don’t worry about the pond short-right; there’s plenty of rough to keep your ball from rolling into it if you come up just short of the green. That’s a much better option than flirting with missing long.

#14

Man, I’m just talking about the 13th green, and I’m a little sweaty. Luckily, the 14th hole is a bit more tame. This downhill tee shot narrows the fairway more and more until it ends at 260 yards. The widest part of the fairway is between 200 and 220 yards.

This hole plays downhill and usually downwind. I plan on hitting a 210-yard club in hopes of leaving myself around 130 yards or so.

The green is much wider than it is deep, so it puts a premium on distance control. The back-to-front sloping green means you’ll prefer a miss short versus long.