Course 148: Sterling National

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Sterling National CC opens with a series of holes that require players to keep their ball safe. Like a great defense, Sterling will rip at the ball to try to force a turnover.

How does it do this? Trees, dense forest, marshland, and tricky doglegs.

As the round progresses, the course opens up a bit and gives players a chance swing more freely.

While the greens were slow, they did have some engaging slopes and tiers. The 17th green was the most striking, a massive, deep green with various sections. The driveable ninth hole has an incredible elephant hump guarding the front. There's a nice mix of approach shots over bunkers or through wide openings. Hitting shots to greens with wide openings always feels a bit more uncomfortable than it should.

The five par 3s were excellent. They weren't varied as far as distance, but they all had their own character. The 11th is a great entrance into the final stretch of holes, as it offers a lovely vista view after playing through a lot of trees.

The back nine is the superior side, by a wide margin. The second hole is a disaster from the left tee box that we played from. Hole Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 6 all have individual trees that block playing angles and are, frankly, in the way.

The back felt more playable overall with fewer awkward doglegs and more opportunities to score.

Along with the 11th hole, the 12th hole was another standout. It's a downhill par 4 with a bunker on the left side of the hole. Water guards the left side of the green, which creates extra doubt when choosing a club, especially from the rough.

While Sterling CC is a private course, it isn't presented as one in a lot of ways. The tee boxes were in rough shape, and many were uneven. The bunkers were disastrous and unplayable in some instances.

Additional Thoughts:

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