Sharon CC was my 51st course in my quest to play them all. And my first ten hole course…⠀ Yes, ten holes. ⠀ ⠀ The first eight holes on the course are the same on each loop you play, but the 9th and 18th are two different holes. Voila! You have ten holes. ⠀ ⠀ The course has a nice mix of holes that offer some options off the tee. Small, sloped greens and some rather large bunkers offer most of the challenge as you plot your way around. ⠀ ⠀ Hole 3/12 was the hole that grabbed my attention first. It's a short hole with a creek running across the fairway. The approach is uphill to a severe green guarded by two big bunkers in the front. Trees on both sides of the fairway make hitting the fairway a must to really have a good look at the green. ⠀ ⠀ The best stretch of holes is 6, 7, 8 in my opinion. ⠀ ⠀ 6/15 is a tricky dogleg left that is protected by a water hazard on the far side of the dogleg. Straight shots with too much juice might never been seen again. Two good shots are required on the 6th to have a look at birdie but the sloped green with some back-to-front slope makes it a tough spot to make a putt. ⠀ 7/16 might have been the best use of two tee boxes on the course. When it was our 7th hole, it was a driver and gap wedge. But when it was the 16th hole, the tees were about six yards back and tucked along the tree line. Driver and 6-iron were required to reach the green. The green is massive, in stark contrast to the rest of them on the course. I didn't understand why until I played the hole from the second set of tees. It has to catch mid to long irons. ⠀ ⠀ Eight is a reachable par 5 with two good shots, but a pond in the front will make you think hard about a lay up. On the first time around I laid up, but the second time from a forward tee, I was able to hit one up on the green.⠀ ⠀ It's sometimes tough playing a nine hole course as 18 holes, but Sharon CC does a great job moving tee boxes around so there's variation. I hit different clubs off a few tee boxes, so it wasn't a mindless second trip around. And the 9th and 18th being different, while is confused the hell out of me on the tee box, was a clever touch, too.
THE FACTS
Date: June 2021
Playing Partners: PJ, Ned, and Mike
Tees: Blue/White mix
Game: None… but watched a ladder match (match play)
Birdie Count: 1 (55 total)