Who doesn't like a good comeback story?
There are plenty of sports movies, books and general life lessons that involve the down and out team that never wins or the individual who has nothing but bad luck but finds a way to over come an insurmountable trail.
But as the story unfolds the underdog team wins and the individual beats the odds to triumph in the end.
We love these stories because we can identify with them. At some point in our lives we've been on that team...we've been that individual. The ability to overcome life’s lessons are a part of the human condition.
Well today’s comeback story is the resurgence of the Links at Challedon in Mt. Airy Maryland.
A few years ago the course fell on hard times and was bounced from one management company to the next trying to squeeze every penny out of the operation without much consideration for the course or the golfers who enjoy playing there.
After a few of years of a steady downward decline Pure Golf a subsidiary of Troon Golf took over management operations last year and have done a tremendous job resurrecting the course.
The course resides in a housing development and is a crossbreed between a links and parkland style course. With open fairways and quick greens the course is neither overly difficult or a straightforward municipal.
Golfers of any skill level will enjoy a round at the Links at Challedon.
With the many improvements made by management the most impressive is the many areas that have been cleared making the course more player friendly.
For the seasoned golfer the course design is a step up from your typical municipal. With a few blind shots and plenty of risk reward holes you have to stay on your game at all times. If you don’t give the course the appropriate respect and use good course management skills it can and will punish just as quick as it rewards.
All in all the great conditions from tee to green and improved overall experience make the Links at Challedon worthy of a visit if you haven't played it before or haven't played it in a while. Like most comebacks in life it's time to reward a course deserving of our patronage again.
Amigos Favorite Hole: We choose the 537-yard Par-5 No. 17 as our favorite at the Links At Challedon.
The hole starts with a slight blind shot. If you have the time, ride up before hitting to see the shape of the fairway and the ideal target. We choose a house off in the distance as our target. Your tee shot should favor the left side of the fairway.
The fairway does slope from left to right. Any shot that goes right will likely end up in high grass that lines the right side of the hole but you really have to slice the ball or block the shot as a right handed golfer to end up in the hazard.
If you can hit a good shot you’ll likely have the opportunity to cut the left corner of the hole and go for the green in two. Your approach will be a shot over small pond to the green.
The green is long and guarded by bunkers in front and behind the green. Most of us mere mortals will choose the cautious route laying up to the left side of the pond leaving a wedge to the green.
Depending on pin position you should still have a good chance a birdie with a good wedge shot. The green has a plenty of slope from back to front so stay below the hole to have a good chance at birdie.