9th Hole at Willow Point

By J.D. Cowart

The par-4 ninth hole at Willow Point Country Club is commonly described as the most difficult hole on the front nine by both club members and professionals. The 405-yard hole is one that provides both challenge and intrigue to frequent players of Willow Point.

Players need to be ready for an up hill battle on the ninth hole, as the majority of the course features an escalating fairway in which players will need to be accurate and have pin-point ball striking. Tucked along the right side of the fairway is a long and deep bunker that players will need to be sure to stay to the left of in order to have a strong and easily accessible approach shot. In the event that golfers find themselves on an uneven lie in the fairway, they are advised to stoke a long iron or fairway wood as straight as possible to prevent ending up in the bunker, or landing on the false front of the green. As if getting to the hole isn’t tough enough on the par-4, getting it in the cup might be even harder, as the green slopes continually downward from front to back all the way to the hole lying in the back corner.

“The ninth hole can be an absolute bear,” Willow Point head golf pro Rob Stock said. “The bunkers are not only large but very deep, and the green has several very good pin locations. A par is almost always a good score.”