With many holes bordering wetlands, the Gray course tests a golfer’s patience. But the end result makes it well worth it.
GRAY – Despite blazing heat and weeks without rain this summer, Spring Meadows of Gray, in the middle of August, bore shades of deep green in the fairways, rough and even on the putting surfaces.
“I play in pro-ams every week during the summer,” said head golf professional Nick Glicos. “Honestly, this course is in better shape than a lot of the courses we’ve played. It’s just not drying out so badly.”
Built among protected wetlands, part of the charm of this new course (18 holes have been open since 2001) is its unique design that embraces the landscape.
Of course, building around wetlands has its disadvantages, too. Some holes force golfers to carry a marsh three different times before reaching the green.
This may cause some golfers to lose more balls than they care to in one round of golf.
Still, losing a golf ball or two is well worth the look at this creative William Bradley Booth layout. Booth also designed The Ledges in York.
“The course itself, and particularly the greens, is always soft,” said Glicos. “The ball will stop on these greens. You don’t see hard-as-a-rock greens out here.”
A panoramic view greets golfers as they tee up for their round, and the first nine meanders more through the swampland than the back. In fact, the front nine was actually built after the back nine. For part of 1999 and all of 2000, the current back nine was the only nine open while the rest of the course took shape.
“I think the back nine is a little bit easier, honestly,” said Glicos. “There is less trouble and less elevation.”
The front winds through several marshes and has plenty of trees to force long hitters to be honest with their accuracy. The par-3s aren’t too easy and the par-5s offer enough risk-or-reward opportunities to test golfers of all abilities.
The back, as Glicos said, opens up a bit, but is still difficult because some of the holes are wedges tightly into the wetlands.
“Overall, basically what we have here is a good course with a good location, the price is right and the conditions are good,” said Glicos. “We get pretty busy.”
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