The Legacy Golf Club - Des Moines, Iowa - Hole-by-Hole Description

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HOLE BY HOLE DESCRIPTIONS - Click thumbnails to see full size images

		Hole 1: 368/348/322/250 yards - Par 4 The Legacy opens with a short, forgiving Par 4. The tee shot should get near, but not through the end of the fairway about 275 yards out. O.B. is far to the right and should not come into play. The fairway is very wide but you should try to avoid the steep drop off on the left that could create an awkward approach shot. The second shot is to an elevated green that slopes from a high point in the back right to the front left. The approach must carry two pot bunkers in the front and avoid another deep bunker on the left. The first is a tame starting hole that should provide a birdie chance. Back to top of page.

		Hole 2: 434/386/362/336 yards - Par 4 This is one of the most difficult pars on the course. An elevated teeing ground will make the tee shot requirement much shorter. However, this is one of the higher points on the course where you may encounter large wind gusts. A tee shot hit down the left side has about 60 more yards of fairway length to work with. A tee shot to the right may drop off towards the hazard at the 240-yard mark from the championship tee. The forced carry across the water hazard for the approach shot can look scary. However, the hazard ends 20 yards short of the green. If you avoid the 3 bunkers, (two to the right and one to the left rear) your work is not done. The green is wildly contoured, where you can encounter a variety of putts. Back to top of page.

		Hole 3: 408/386/360/309 yards - Par 4 A slight dogleg to the right requiring a tee shot that avoids the low-lying hazard on the right. The second shot is to a moderately elevated green. Club selection can be difficult depending on prevailing winds. A grass bunker will catch many approach shots that are short and right. The green slopes from back to front making recoveries from over the green very touchy. Back to top of page.

		Hole 4: 429/389/331/283 yards - Par 4 The fourth hole is routed between bluegrass mounds on the left and large bunkers on the right. A straight drive allows you to focus on the more demanding approach shot over a large bunker. Only a precision short iron will allow an aggressive putt for birdie. The green is divided into three distinct sections. A large ridge splits the green in half and a small shelf in the back right section can be especially tricky. Back to top of page.

		Hole 5: 214/196/173/120 yards - Par 3 The fifth is the first Par 3 and it is a good one. It runs slightly downhill to an ample target with a wide front entrance. The trick is avoiding the massive steep bunker on the left. The hole definitely favors the player who can shape their shots from right to left. A shot landing at that angle can run onto the mildly contoured green. Back to top of page.

		Hole 6: 517/493/443/443 yards - Par 5 The sixth is the only Par 5 on the front nine. The tee shot needs to be placed as close as possible to the fairway bunker on the left in order to give the best approach angle. A drive lost to the right will be blocked by a grove of trees surrounding the hazard forcing a chip out. A long drive may enable a player to go for the green in two. The shot must be straight to avoid the massive bunker on the right and then the pot bunker on the left corner of the green. A lay-up shot should carry a hazard crossing the fairway 150 yards from the green. This will leave a short, uphill 3rd shot of 80 to 130 yards. The bank just right of the green will kick balls toward the hole. The green slopes from right to left and should offer up some good birdie chances. Back to top of page.

		Hole 7: 168/145/120/92 - Par 3 The shortest Par 3 on the course looks simple enough, but it can jump up and surprise you. Club selection is difficult because of the depth of the green – almost 50 paces from front to back. Four to five club differences can happen day to day, depending on pin positions and wind. Tee shots out to the left will kick towards the green off the large mound. Tee shots to the right have to deal with a large, moderately deep sand bunker. The green has a large ridge that separates it in half. A front half hole placement will have to deal with a severe slope from the back left of the green segment to the front right. Although much smaller, the rear half of the green is also flatter, offering birdie opportunities. Back to top of page.

		Hole 8: 469/437/398/352 - Par 4 The number 2 handicap hole gets most of its bite from its length. This uphill Par 4 can stretch to over 475 yards from the back cut of the championship tee. The tee shot landing area is wide, but you must guard against the left rough. Approach shots from that side can be blocked from the green by a grove of trees. The open front area of the green allows a shot to be rolled onto the surface. It is only fair, considering you may have a wood in your hands for the approach. Large, sculpted sand bunkers line the hill on the right side of the green. The large putting surface does have some slope, but it is not a severe as some others considering the length of the hole. Back to top of page.

		Hole 9: 466/437/402/325 - Par 4 Another long Par 4 completes the front side of The Legacy. This one, however, is all downhill. With a high teeing ground, including a beautiful view of the clubhouse and surrounding area, the ninth hole has a dramatic elevation change down to the landing area. The tee shot needs to be placed between the large bunker on the right and the grove of trees on the left. The fairway is interrupted by a bluegrass drainage area about 150 yards from the green. Optimum tee shot position will be as close to the end of the first fairway as possible. The approach shot will have to contend with an area surrounding and including the green that slopes from right to left. The best place to putt from is the fairway side of the pin. The ninth green is underestimated for its slope and grade. A two putt here is a good thing in most situations. The front nine plays to a maximum of 3500 yards but that length is packed into a Par of 35. Back to top of page.

		Hole 10: 581/561/521/455 - Par 5 The first of the Par 5’s on the back nine gives the golfer a prelude of what is ahead. Water hazards or lateral water hazards come into play on every hole on the back nine. Number ten is no different. The tee shot must be threaded between two large cottonwoods to the fairway. The left half of the fairway slopes steeply to the right towards the waiting water hazard. Regardless of your position off of the tee box, you will have to pay attention to the creek down the right side that cuts across the fairway as it gets closer to the green. This creek makes even a lay-up second seem difficult. The more aggressive you are with your lay-up, the less fairway is available. If you opt to try and carry the hazard with your second shot, aim for the extreme right side of the fairway. The carry across the hazard is much shorter. The grade of the tenth green slopes hard from right to left. There is also a flash of putting green towards the back of the surface that assists the golfer with depth perception. This large rear slope also allows shots to come into the green softly. While the slopes actually help the approach, putting on them is a different story. Only players with the best touch will negotiate a par or better on the tenth. Back to top of page.

		Hole 11: 525/497/470/455 - Par 5 Back-to-back Par 5’s are a rarity, but The Legacy’s back nine begins with that scenario. The elevated teeing area allows the golfer to see exactly what they half to accomplish. Hazard runs the length of the right side of number eleven. A penalizing fairway bunker on the left awaits the golfer trying to avoid the hazard. A well-placed tee shot really opens up the options for the uphill second shot. The long hitter may opt to go for the green in two. If this is to be done, they must carry three scattered bunkers that split the fairway into two distinct portions. Favoring the left side fairway may be a better option as it runs all the way up to the green providing a bent-grass collection area left of the green. The more conservative player might want to lay up straight ahead taking the bunkers out of play in order to have a full swing into the green. The green exhibits some minor contours that will allow some aggressive putts. Back pin position can be tricky though. Back to top of page.

		Hole 12: 442/427/379/298 - Par 4 One of the more difficult tee shots on the course awaits you at number 12. The downhill drive must be threaded between hazards on each side of the fairway. An iron off the tee to avoid the hazards is not a good option considering the length of the hole. The uphill second shot is a challenge because of the large change in elevation. The fairway cross bunkers look daunting but they are 50 yards short of the green giving you plenty of room to carry them. Balls landing short will generally stay below the green. The front part of the green is fairly steep requiring long pitch shots. Approach shots to the right will kick back towards the green. Shots lost to the left will have to contend with some native grasses and a large slope. The putting surface is very deep with gradual slopes throughout. Putting from back to front on the green can be testy. It is best to be below the hole. Back to top of page.

		Hole 13: 350/305/259/237 - Par 4 If the wind is right, this can be a go-for-broke situation off the tee. Big hitters can reach this green off the tee and be putting for eagle. However, the area around the green, and the green itself, are an adventure. Two deep bunkers await the tee shot up the left side. Hazard runs all the way down the right side. A huge slope guards the green on its right side also. The putting green features two distinct plateaus….front and back. Between the shelves is a punchbowl like feature that catches many incoming shots. A pin placement in the middle can be easy however, a hole on the plateaus is difficult. Back to top of page.

		Hole 14: 189/170/151/131 - Par 3 The first par 3 on the back nine is all carry. Shots left short will be swallowed up by the hazard. Swirling winds over the pond can also cause havoc off the tee. Hitting the green with your tee shot is of utmost importance. Chipping and pitching to this dangerous, two-tier green is difficult. The fourteenth is one of the toughest pars on the course. A par is a great score here. Back to top of page.

		Hole 15: 350/327/297/274 - Par 4 This par 4 of only 350 yards from the back tee may not require a driver off the tee. The drive must carry a large depression with hazard at the bottom. Those that do not make it to the top of the hill are faced with a substantial uphill lie. Tee shots lost to the right risk rolling down a steep bank to some thick bluegrass. The green is slightly elevated and sits in a bowl-like area guarded by trees on the left and right front. It is an advantage to putt or chip from below the hole on this green as it slopes sharply from back to front. With a well-placed drive, this is a strong birdie chance. Back to top of page.

		Hole 16: 468/452/427/406 - Par 4 The number one handicap hole on the course is the sixteenth. Out-of-bounds stretches down the left side of the entire hole. Trees on the right make sure that there is no bail out on the other side. A hazard crosses the fairway at the bottom of the landing area. Any tee shot in the fairway is a good one. The second shot may be off a slightly downhill lie. A long iron to wood may be needed on the approach. The wide opening in front of the green accepts a rolling shot. Again, it is a good idea to try and be below the hole on your approach shot. The green is sculpted into the hillside and slopes dramatically from the back to the front. Par is a good score on the sixteenth. Back to top of page.

		Hole 17: 210/166/135/120 - Par 3 The last Par 3 on the course spans the same hazard that Hole 14 did. The seventeenth, however, gives you a little breathing room left of the green. Aiming at a back right pin position is a risky situation. That type of direction will require you to carry the entire hazard. Chipping from short and left of the green is not a bad place. One of the flatter greens on the course rewards a good tee shot with a relatively easy birdie putt. Back to top of page.

		Hole 18: 611/602/554/506 - Par 5 The finisher can be a monster of a hole even in perfect conditions. One of the longest finishing holes in the Midwest, the eighteenth has a wide landing area for the drive. Optimal lay up area is from 100 to 140 yards from the middle of the green. Only perfect wind conditions and firm ground will allow the longest hitters to get home in two shots. Club selection is made difficult on the third shot by the 50-yard depth of the green. The front of this green has a false front that will catch short approaches. Grass bunkers lay left and a greenside sand bunker lies right. If you can negotiate the massive length of this hole with precision shots, you will be rewarded with a reasonably mild putt. If you play the back cut of every championship tee, the back nine stretches to over 3800 yards and has a Par of 37. Back to top of page.