Hole 13 -- Where the Deer and Golfers Play
Another challenging par 4

Posted October 9, 2008
© 2008, Herbert E. Lindberg

This is the view down the fairway from the lower white tee. It is a wide open shot, but aim for the left edge of the fairway because balls hit to the right of center roll down a hill into the grove of trees on the right. Errant shots left of the cart path often roll down the hill and land near the cart path. This makes the lower tee more forgiving than the upper tee (shown next).


The upper tee offers a more striking view of the fairway and green than does the lower tee (the lighting is different from the above picture because it was taken on another, and overcast, day).  From this tee balls hit only slightly too far left have a good chance of hitting the tall oak tree. Balls hit only slightly too far right roll down the hill into the grove of trees. Still, there's plenty of room for a straight or slight draw shot down the middle of the fairway.

The red tee is only ten to twenty yards in front of the white tee, and a blue tee on the lower level is well back of the white tee to give young bucks an opportunity to let out some shaft. The black tee is well down the fairway to give senior citizens an opportunity for a second-shot approach to the green with a mid or short iron.


Modest hitters from the white tee face this second shot toward the green, which is out of range for them. The best lay up is a shot toward the right of the green, so the next shot is a short lob or chip without having to go over the front bunker.  But don't go so far right that you wind up in or too near the clump of juniper behind the oak.


If you are not able to stay right of the green, your approach is up this steep hill and over a bunker to the green.  Take plenty of club because it up hill, all carry, and the uphill lie increases the effective loft of your club. Also, take note of distance marked on a nearby sprinkler -- the green looks closer than it is.  This is another Lake Wildwood bunker with a steep, high lip, caused by years of golfers hitting sand onto the lip.


Deer are invariably wandering around the valley in which holes 13 and 14 are carved.  In late afternoon and early evening they come in herds. These are five deer in such a herd which have just been startled by a barking dog.


The herd soon moved away from the dog, and me, heading back toward the lower 13th tee.  If you count carefully you will see 16 deer in this picture.


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