Course 159: Eastward Ho!

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Over the course of a round at Eastward Ho!, players are challenged with blind shots, uneven lies, lovely views, and wild greens.

Plainly put, Eastward Ho! is brutal and beautiful.

A Kyle Franz renovation has created some different visuals. Sand scrapes and waste areas have replaced trees.

The first hole is an introduction to a lot of what lies ahead over the round - A rather generous tee shot, tough bunkering, a blind approach shot, and a severe green.

Add in a touch of wind, and all the Eastward Ho! ingredients are there in the first 15 minutes.

Franz's work included expanding greens, and the first has some new spots that can truly break someone's soul. The greens also have larger false fronts and run-off areas. It's the type of course where you can't stop watching your ball. It might roll an extra 10 yards after you've slid your club back into your bag.

While holes 4, 6, 7, and 8 are on the water and many holes have water views, there are inland holes, and they are very good. The par-5 11th is a nice introduction to the inland set of holes on the back nine and one of the standout inland holes on the course.

There are massive swales and bowls that catch and reject shots. The greens are a bit smaller and a little less receptive because the wind plays less of a factor.

The standout holes are the par-3 4th, which experienced a big alteration. The green was expanded to feel a bit like a Biarritz. It's a partially blind shot with a stunning view.

The sixth is probably the most pictured hole on the course and maybe the toughest.

However, the 8th might ignite the imagination more than any hole on the front nine. It's short, but a pot bunker in the middle of the fairway, along with a set of bunkers cutting in front the left will create a discussion on the tee. A 180-yard shot is safe and easy, but there's a temptation to take on some risk.

On the back, the 14th and 15th are a stunning pair of holes.

Eastward Ho! is golf on a razor's edge. Balls can tumble toward or away from the hole. It will challenge your patience while smiling at you with ocean eyes.

It's a course you pull strings to play and never turn down an invite.

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