Hog Neck Golf Course
Sometime looks can
be deceiving; and sometimes names can be deceiving; and no other
name is more deceiving than that of the Hog Neck Golf
Course in Easton Maryland.
In 1972 Mrs. W. Alton Jones
donated the land, originally Hog Neck Farm, as a gift to the county
to build a championship golf course. This gift is as vibrant today as the day it
first opened and is a true "gift" we can all enjoy.
The course is
a "polar opposite" of nines. The good ball striker should be
able to take advantage of the front and be in good position before
making the turn. With some short par 3s and
a couple of reachable in two par 5s the front nine welcomes you
giving plenty of scoring opportunity.
Once you reach the tee box on the 10th a new precedent is set,
the
friendly front nine seems like a distant memory as the back presents
a greater degree of difficulty. Like the story of Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde the course turns from friend to foe with little
to no warning. The width of fairways narrow, hardwood trees encroach
and those birdie opportunities on the front slowly turn into par
saves and bogeys.
 The
smart player must capitalize on the scoring opportunity presented by
the front nine. If you’re still spraying the driver after making the
turn take our advice and hit a fairway wood or long iron off the tee.
Stuck searching for your ball in
the woods off the fairways on the back nine can make for a long day;
trust us on this one.
Swallowing
your pride by keeping the driver in the bag is an excellent plan to
attack at Hog Neck.
Putting
the ball in play
is paramount to protecting
that good score started on the front nine.
Amigos
favorite Hole:
The hole we
like best at Hog Neck was the 398 Yard Par 4 Number 10. As
you make the turn this hole introduces you to main stay
characteristic of the back nine, “tight”. With only 45 yards of
width to work with, this fairway is a must hit to have any chance at
Par.
 Depending
on which club you choose at the tee, those who have faith in hitting
the driver straight should be warned that a small stream does cross
the fairway at the bottom of the hill at about 280 yards out.
The smart play on this hole is a low iron or fairway wood to make
sure your safe and in the fairway. Your shot into the green is to a
slightly elevated green that has traps guarding both sides of the
front.
Review Date:
05/22/2004
Course review ratings are conducted on a five point scale. ( 1 = Double Bogey 3 = Par 5 = Eagle)
Tees:
Nicely groomed tees with a variety of lengths for all skill levels. Just a few staggered boxes but most were long with two or more tee sets on each box. Also one quirk about the course is that the tee markers display the length of each hole in "meters". Pay attention to your scorecard for the length of each hole in "yards".
Fairways:
In really good shape and easy to hit irons from. The wide open fairways on the front give you plenty of room to tune in the driver before you make the turn.
The fairways on the back nine are considerably narrower making it necessary for accuracy off the tee. The tight tree lined fairways of the back nine are a great test of shot making ability.
Rough:
Two cuts of rough with one only noticeable different from the fairways. The thicker second cut can take its toll around the greens and when you stray further off the fairway.
Traps:
Well placed fairway bunkers effecting shot decision from every tee length. The green side bunkers will affect your target based on pin placement but the nice fluffy thick sand makes a good environment for well played sand saves.
Greens:
The greens were in very good shape with medium speed and subtle undulation. Some of the larger greens make reading slope a bit difficult so take our advice and walk on both sides of your putt to truly read the correct break and slope.
Amenities:
Nice clubhouse well stocked with all the goodies. Range, chipping green and practice green are all available.
Staff Services:
Everyone was very nice during our round from the starter to the beverage cart attendant. The starter did a great job giving us plenty of information about the course and strategy recommendations.
Pace of Play:
Our round was just slightly over five hours with a slight backup of pace on the back nine. The ranger made many trips around the course trying to assist with speeding up pace when needed.
Overall Average:
4.3, Birdie Course
Nice Course, to play recommendation
We would like to thank Mr. Mike Kaminskas the PGA Golf Professional at Hog Neck for welcoming us out to conduct the course review.
CLICK HERE for additional course information...
Location:
10142 Old Cordova Road, Easton MD 21601
Tee Time Phone:
800-280-1790
Course Type:
Public
*The opinions expressed in this course review are those of the individual reviewer(s) and do not reflect the editorial opinion of
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