Tobacco Road Golf Club. Located in Sanford, NC this golf course was the first stop of our trip during Degen Cup week. Playing 6,557 yards from the Ripper tees this course is truly a different layout for this amount of yards.
From the 1st to 18th hole every hole design is different and unique in its own way. Off the first t box this starting par 5 gives you a narrow valley through 2 large mounds of wasteland grass to a blind landing zone. Don’t come up short as this hole is full of blind shots. With swooping fairways and elevated greens there are plenty of shots that we like to call the, “hit and hope” or “hit and pray”. Many of times I was pacing off yards and when I approached to hit my shot there was complete confusion. So much you can’t see made shot control that much harder and more important.
With wasteland everywhere your eyes can see there is trouble everywhere if you struggle with target golf. Everything outside of the fairways is played as wasteland where you can ground your club. With blind shots all over the course this Mike Strantz design gives no reprieve. Their staple 13th hole par 5 was one of my favorite hole designs I have played. A long dogleg right off the t swinging back to a dog leg left with a tree lined belly of the fairway and the coolest approach to a green I have seen on a golf course!
The kidney bean green surrounded by a wall of grass is truly amazing. With a walk up shoot to the green surrounded by a wall of wasteland, depending on the pin placement you might not even see the pin for your approach shot. With the Entire hole surrounded by wasteland this made 13 my favorite hole of the course. Be sure to walk up to the 14th top t box and look down. The elevation change from 13 green to 14 t box is incredible.
Finishing into 18 was one strange but incredible ways to finish this round of golf. With a towering wall of sandy wasteland your carry is 225 through a narrow window with a swooping dogleg left fairway. Be sure to hit it straight as there is no relief left or right of the trees. Approaching into the skinny elevated 18th green you must stick the green as it shears off on all sides making it a tricky up and down if you miss. But be sure to grab a drink and sit on their chairs that face the 18th green just off the clubhouse patio.
If you get out near the southern pines area it’s a 25 minute ride and worth every bit of the drive. Make sure you bring extra balls and every golf shot in your bag. You are bound to need them all!! Also check out the clubhouse and be sure to snag a pimento cheese hotdog at the turn. Those did not miss either. I would give this course a 7.8/10 as some things could have been better but also could have been the season, timing and day of the week. We really enjoyed Tobacco Road and can’t wait to visit again soon! If you are in the area be sure to check them out!
