Course Review: Hawk’s Eye in Bellaire
By Tom Lang
For the past five years, I have made time to get up to Shanty Creek Resort at least once per summer – which still isn’t enough since the wonderful Up North property has five golf courses you could play all week.
The best part is if you stay overnight on site, most of the summer they run specials in which you can play all 90 holes for a total of $90.
That’s a buck a hole. Amazing. For quality Up North golf. A steal.
Thankfully, it’s all good golf – and Hawk’s Eye is one of Shanty’s best.
The opening three holes at Hawk’s Eye are as nice and attractive and as good of a skills test right out of the parking lot as you’ll find most anywhere. No. 1 is a dog leg left with water down the left side that the really big hitters can try to clear and shave off 50 yards on their next shot, but most people will keep to the right to keep it safe and play the hole longer to the green perched up on a hill.
No. 2 is also a dog leg left, but a par five. Water guards the outside bend in the elbow that usually can come in to play on the second shot if golfers are not careful. It’s a getable par five with a bowl-surround green, yet not reachable in two for most people.
Then you go to the third hole which is a longer par three playing 211 yards from the tips, all the way down to 116 yards for the forward box. The same water on hole 2 guards the par three on the right side and can come in to play, if your tee shot is too short or too far right.
On the sixth hole, you want to get the ball as far down the fairway as possible because there’s yet another valley (filled with grass that’s rough length) at the end to clear on the way to a uniquely L-shaped green. The green’s largest tier is the left side, but then a peninsula dives downhill to the right. Scoring can be very dependent on pin placements the superintendent sets out that day. Traps are found front and back of that peninsula part of the green, adding to the need for accuracy on the approach.
Hole 7, a par 5, twists and turns its way downhill, rolling with the natural topography to the green at the bottom that’s guarded on the left (and part of the front) by water. The remainder of the front is challenged by a huge sand trap. The risk reward in going for it in 2 is massive and could go either direction for scoring.
The 11th and 13th holes are par 3s that are top-notch and classically say ‘up north golf.’ Hole 11 is a carry over a deep crevassed water hazard to a green that’s about the same height as the tee boxes. Hole 13 drops off drastically downhill, estimated at least 100 foot drop off, if not more, to a large green protected by three bunkers. It has the look of some of the more defining holes at Threetops.
The back nine’s par fives both turn right to left. No. 15 travels uphill with a trap in the general landing area for most golfer’s second shot. Hole 17 is a direct flip in that it’s aggressively downhill and a draw off the tee for right handers will get an extra bounce or two and plenty of roll out. This par five is very reminiscent of hole 13 on the Hills course at Boyne Highlands.
Passive does not describe Hawk’s Eye. Virtually all 18 have some kind of a water hazard, trap, drop off, hill climb or challenge of another kind that will have you thinking on most every shot for proper attack angle and club selection for the entire round.
