Hole 1
White Plains opens with a short par 4. It is approximately 220 yards from the back tees to the fairway bunkers. Do not try to drive your ball over the bunkers. Favor the left middle of fairway on tee shot. A shot to the middle of the green will leave you a good uphill putt to a back right or back left pin. Do not challenge a back pin as any ball going over the green is a definite bogey or worse.
Hole 2
The second hole gives you plenty of room to hit it left off the tee. Right of the fairway is OB and trouble. There is a small bunker left of the fairway that is a good aiming point from the tee. The green is open in front so balls can be run up to the putting surface. This is a very flat green that is easy to putt.
Hole 3
The longest par 3 on the course where the middle of the green is a good aiming point. This hole is bogeyed more than any on the course because players try to be too aggressive. Any short sided miss is difficult to get up and down. If the pin is on the back half of the green, make sure you stay below the hole.
Hole 4
This is another par 4 that requires a lay-up from the tee. There are two fairway bunkers with the right being blind from the tee. You can hit it 230 yards max from the back tees. If the tee box is on the right, get a good target and make sure you get it through the chute. A good tee shot leaves a short iron to a relatively flat green.
Hole 5
A three wood off the tee keeps you short of the bunker on the left but long hitters can benefit by ripping it past the trouble. Take what club is comfortable to you. If the pin is on the right side of green, play a little short and left of the hole. If the pin is back, do not challenge. Once again, any shot over the green is trouble.
Hole 6
A nice par 4 cut out of tall hardwoods. Only long hitters need to try to shape the ball from left to right on this dogleg. Be aware of the fairway bunker on the right that is blind from the tee. If you hit an errant tee shot, do not get too aggressive on your second. A par can be saved from short of the green. If the pin is in a corner of the green, play away from the pin towards the middle of the green.
Hole 7
A par 5 that can make or break your front nine. For those that have not played the course many times, I would have you be conservative here. To the corner of the dogleg, it is only 200 yards from the back tee. The ideal shot is to hit it 220 yards working right to left. If you are not comfortable doing this, hit a 200 yard shot down the middle. The second shot is played straight uphill. Let it rip. The only tough pin is back right, so be conservative to this point. Just because the hole is 495 yards, doesn’t mean it cannot jump up and bite you. Players that keep the ball in play here will have a huge advantage over those that do not.
Hole 8
Depending on the wind and pin location, this is a straightforward par 3. This is the biggest green on the course. Do not short side your approach left or long of the green. A shot with the correct distance on this par 3 will reward you with a makeable birdie putt.
Hole 9
This is the longest hole on the course. Listed at 595 yards from the back tees, it doesn’t play quite as long as the yardage. There is a hidden pond off the tee just right of the fairway (just right of the mound you can see at top of hill). Get a good target off the tee and let it rip. Favor the left side of the fairway on your second shot. If the pin is on the front portion of the green any putt from the middle or back of the green is very fast.
Hole 10
The back nine starts with a challenging par 3 to a very small green. A tee shot to the middle of the green always leaves a short birdie putt. Check the wind, get a good yardage, and trust it. There is no bail out on this hole.
Hole 11
The second hole on the back nine is a very good short par 4. Keep the ball in the fairway off the tee as approaches to the green are much easier. If you are hitting the driver well, you should hit it. An ideal tee ball is in the left side of fairway. Any miss right of the fairway makes it very difficult to keep the 2nd shot on green. If the pin is on the bottom tier, do not get cute. Get the ball over the bunker on the green. If the pin is in the back, be careful. The green slopes hard back to front and right to left. This is a very small target. Thereis nothing wrong with hitting the 2nd shot on the bottom shelf with a back pin. Pay attention to the slope of the green on any putt!
Hole 12
This is the longest par 4 that plays longer than its yardage. Get a good target and let it rip off the tee. The 2nd shot is very important. Unless the pin is on the front, short of the slope, hit the ball to the middle of the green. If the pin is in front of the slope, it is best to hit it just short/left of a front pin. The green slopes hard back to front and any ball hitting on the back of the green will roll back toward center. If the pin is back left, hit the ball short right of the pin.
Hole 13
Another good short par 4. Hit whatever you hit the straightest off the tee. Left off the tee is bad and right off the tee will leave you behind a huge gum tree. This green slopes front to back and to the right. Most players prefer leaving a full shot if the pin is on the front or middle. If the pin is back, a less than full shot is manageable. This green is faster than the others. If you get in trouble off the tee, take your medicine and get the ball back in play. You can get up and down for 4.
Hole 14
The first par 5 on the back nine is another long hole. This is a three shot hole with no bunkers. The tee ball should be hit down the middle of the fairway. The second shot should be placed between the trees on the right and the ditch on the left. The third shot is very important. The green has a huge tier that slopes from back to front. If the pin is back, any shot long will be very difficult to get up and down. If the pin is on the front, any putt down the hill will not stop. Be short on your third shot. If you can get the ball up around 100 yards or less for the 3rd shot, I like to hit a chip shot to the green that does not spin. Any full wedge will spin off the green.
Hole 15
Another scenic par 4. Hit your drive between the water left and trees right. There is room right off the tee, but you may be blocked out by the smaller trees. This green is smaller than it looks. Middle of the green is a good play. The bunker on the right is a difficult up and down.
Hole 16
This par 3 features a large green that is sneaky so pay attention. If the pin is right, any putt from the left side of the green is fast. Go ahead and go after the pin here unless the pin is back.
Hole 17
The locals will say this is the hardest hole on the course. This par 4 plays much longer than its listed distance as it is uphill and doglegs to the right. You must keep the ball down the left side off the tee! Any shot middle or right will be blocked out by the large trees protecting the corner of the dog leg. If you hit it right off the tee, don’t try to be a hero, take your medicine and chip out to short of the green. Once again, a shot to the middle of the green is the play. The only miss should be short of the green.
Hole 18
A great closing par 5. From the back tees, it is 280 yards to the water, and it is usually soft in the driver landing area. It is important to get a good target off the tee. For long hitters, hit the second shot just right of the trees across the water. If you want a full third shot, you do not have to hit a wood on the second shot. There is plenty of room on the second shot, so don’t try to bite off more than you can handle. The third shot is to an elevated green. If the pin is front right, go ahead and aim a little left and long. Hit solid shots on this hole, and you will have a good chance for birdie.