Richland County Golf Course Review: Trouble lurks on back 9 of Twin Lakes

MANSFIELD — Hopefully you made it through the front 9 of Twin Lakes with a decent score.

You are going to need every birdie you can get because the back is a bit more challenging than the front. Let's see if we can get you in around or under par.

No. 10: 247-yard Par 4

The back 9 at Twin Lakes begins with a gift. A short, drivable Par 4 at 247 yards and the fairway is pretty open. There are some trees and a utility tower to the right, but if you use a nice left to right fade staring down the left side, you could roll onto the green off the tee. Let the big dog eat here. It may be one of the very few time you can really let a drive rip. The green is protected by sand so be careful when attacking. The sand stretches across nearly the entire front of the green. You second shot will need to land soft on the green. The green has a bit of a U-shape to it making it a difficult putting surface. 

No. 11: 475-yard Par 5

Now is when the back 9 shows its teeth. The longest hole on the course is the No. 11 475-yard Par 5 with a blind tee shot. Right is out of bounds so start your drive down the left and let it fade back. If you happen to pipe your drive, your second shot is a bit of a challenge. To the right of the green is out of bounds, deep of the green us out as well and left is a deep valley. There is sand on the right front edge so if you can control your 3-wood, you can land it between the valley and the sand and let it roll up to the cup. The green is flat with a slight left to right so if you can find the green in two, eagle is a possibility here.

No. 12: 388-yard Par 4

This one is rated the fourth hardest hole on the course, but it offers an opportunity to score well. It is pretty open, but tightens a bit down the fairway If you can approach the green from the left side, that is best for your ability to score. The green makes this a tough hole with a left to right, front to back terrain. No matter where you are on this green, it is going to be a tough putt. If you can get home in two, birdie is achievable here.

No. 13: 154-yard Par 3

No. 13 is a nice 154-yard Par 3 back towards the clubhouse. Sand is to the left of the green so worry about flying to the green and you will be just fine. Depending on the pin placement, the green can be easy or very difficult as there is a ton of different elevations and curves. It slants back toward the fairway but also features some dips and valleys on the left side. 

No. 14: 291-yard Par 4

No. 14 is a very fun and challenging hole. You are forced to make a decision as you stare down the fairway. If you can hit a draw, you could find yourself in very good position as the dog leg left is a tough navigation. There are trees to the left of the tee box making cutting the dog leg a bit of a challenge. You can use a 3-wood and hug that left line and put yourself in great position for your approach shot. If you use driver and go too far left, a pond comes into play. Go right, and you find yourself with a long approach shot. The green has a severe break from right to left with sand on the left side and a pond to the back. Pin placement will dictate a lot here. The back end of the green is pretty flat, but if it is anywhere near the shelf, you could find yourself in trouble. Go right at the flag and just trickle your putt as close as you can.

No. 15: 399-yard Par 4

A near 400-yard Par 4 is difficult enough. You have a blind drive so playing a strategy is tough. Left is out of bounds but the right side is really open. You will need a solid long iron shot into the green and with a smaller green, it will be tough to hold. The green slants from the back to the front so you will want to be below the hold, but again, a long iron shot makes that placement kind of difficult. Says it is the eighth hardest hole on teh course, but plays more like Top 5.

No. 16: 306-yard Par 4

Another blind shot off the tee makes playing strategy difficult, but with it being a short Par 4, you can recover no matter where. As long as you don't go too far left or right, your approach shot should be harmless. The green does slant back to the front left side of the green, but flattens out towards the back making pin placement the key to attack again. Without being able to see the pin from the tee box, it makes this a difficult hole to navigate. But it does have one of the best scenes on the course with the stone steps down to the tee box.

No. 17: 309-yard Par 4

A shorter Par 4 makes this a nice hole to try for birdie from the difficult back 9. It is another blind tee shot though, but at least it is open for you to let it rip. The trail to the green does take a slight right turn so coming in from the left side of the fairway would be ideal on your second shot. There is a bunker to the right of the green and the downhill lie off the tee shot makes the approach difficult. The green slants from right to left so attack from the left side on the green.

No. 18: 342-yard Par 4

On of the best holes to finish with because of the wide fairway. It is another blind shot off the tee. You could also have a blind shot into the green depending on where your dive lands. Keep it to the middle or left side of the fairway and on the left side of the green for an easier approach and putt. Great hole to finish your round strong and hopefully make up for some mishaps on a tough back 9.

jfurr@gannett.com

740-244-9934

Twitter: @JakeFurr11