Holey Terror: Hole No. 2 at Royal New Kent
Royal New Kent • Providence Forge, VA • royalnewkent.com • 804-966-7023
Hole No. 2 • Par 5 • 605 Yards
Imagine, if you will, plucking up Royal County Down or Ballybunion by their roots and transplanting them — bunkers, dunes and fescue included — to a 282-acre plot of land just 20 or so miles west of Williamsburg, VA. Do that and you’ll have an idea as to what Royal New Kent is like. The course is a testimony to architect Mike Strantz’s vision 30 years ago to create the truest representation of an Irish links layout this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Hand-stacked rock walls crisscrossing the fairways, target rocks on windswept mounds, wispy native grasses, and 105 deep and menacing bunkers will have you dancing a jig. And much like the great courses of Ireland, a bit of misfortune often awaits around the next turn or over the next hill. Flowing across 7,440 yards of rugged landscape, Royal New Kent can be one of the most difficult courses in the country. However, it should be noted that most golfers have long realized that our favorite sport, like life, was never meant to be easy or entirely fair.
The Irish have a saying: “Enjoy your round and may Good Luck be your friend.” And while that’s true at Royal New Kent, Strantz was also kind enough to incorporate a little good fortune of his own into the layout’s design. The landing areas are actually quite wide and forgiving. It is the approach shots that require focus and concentration. The Bermuda greens are very large and provide inviting targets with bold swales and ridges. However, they are often hidden behind bumpy knolls, tall grasses or the aforementioned rock walls, or sometimes perched precariously just a few feet from deep chasms and ravines.
Royal New Kent was Strantz’s third solo effort after working hand-in-hand with noted golf architect Tom Fazio for years. His layouts are well-known for being unique and memorable, witnessed by the fact that all seven of his courses (Strantz’s career was cut short, losing his battle with cancer in 2004 at the age of 50) have at one time or another been ranked among the country’s “top 100” by Golf Digest. Royal New Kent most closely resembles his masterpiece at Tobacco Road near Pinehurst, NC. If you’ve played that course, this week’s Holey Terror will seem very familiar.
At times, many of the holes at Royal New Kent come close to going over the top, but ultimately never ask the impossible from a golfer. The second hole certainly pushes the limit. It measures just over 600 yards from the Invicta (back) tees and is very similar to the 11th hole at Tobacco Road.
This breathtaking, boomerang-shaped, dogleg-right par 5 is the ultimate risk-reward hole.
Golfers face an intimidating, uphill tee shot over the first of two ravines. To avoid the deep fescue grass devouring the right side, golfers should aim to the left. The ideal drive will land in the “bowl” area of the fairway, which sets up the best angle for the second shot. Here, you are faced with a crucial decision. The hole bends sharply right, resembling an upside-down fishhook. Long hitters may dare to pull off a 225-to-250-yard carry directly over a second deep hollow/ravine to reach the green. However, for most, laying up to the 100-yard marker on the bending fairway to the left is the more strategic option. This leaves players with a short iron or wedge into the green, which is surrounded by traditional Strantz hazards like deep bunkers and tall fescue.
Number 2 at Royal New Kent sums up all the holes at Royal New Kent: beautiful, brutal and unforgiving. And a ton of fun to play. It’s little wonder why locals and visitors, alike, are convinced Irish Eyes are always smiling at this incredible course.
What is the most challenging hole at your favorite TeeTime Golf Pass participating course? Let us know! We would love to feature it in an upcoming issue of our weekly newsletter. Submit your Holey Terror to [email protected].
