Coto North Course Hole Number 1
Posted by Paul Eskildsen on Friday, August 6th, 2010 at 1:07pm.
Ok, let's just say it: Coto North #1 is tough. Very tough. It's not the hardest hole in the world, or the country, or maybe even in Orange County, but this golf hole is no slouch. A 601 yard par-5, it's rated number 1 in difficulty on the North, so it's one of the two hardest holes on a course that sports a rating of 75.5 and a slope of 147 from the back tees. I'm a mid-handicaper, ranging over the years from about a 10 to a 16 index. For the first year after I joined the club, I never made less than a 7 on this hole, and after 10 years of play I'm still more likely to make a 7 than a 5.
What makes it so hard? Lets start with the view from the tee!
View from the Blue Tees
(click the image to enlarge)
Can You Say "Intimidating"?
You can see the fairway, right? It's only about 150 to 170 yards away, depending on the tees, but as you're standing over the ball it's hard not to be thinking, "Crap, I hope I make it over."
Visual intimidation aside, the real difficulty of the shot is a combination of distance and accuracy. A push or a fade will likely end up in the hazard. A pull or hook puts you at the base of a swale about 10 feet below the level of the fairway, probably with a side-hill lie in the rough. The short hitter will have trouble getting out far enough to have a clear second shot past the trees on the right, and the long hitter runs the risk of going right through the fairway into the bunker or rough, depending on the tee box.
Tee Shot Landing Zone, and a Look Down the Fairway
The picture on the left gives a good view of the whole landing zone. The farther you hit the ball, the more likely you'll have a clear second past the trees in the right-hand hazard. The picture on the right was taken from the far end of the landing zone (CRUSH) where the fairway drops down 15 feet or so. If you hit your tee shot here, you're probably going for the green - about 250 yards away.
Those homes on the left? That's the Fairway Estates neighborhood of Coto de Caza.
Second Shot
The bunkers on the left are not a good place, but better than a drop from the lateral hazard on the right.
Goal for the ideal second shot is to clear that swale and land on the upper level of the fairway between 100 and 150 yards from the green.
Failing that, you'll hope to be in the swale with a decision whether to lay up or go for it with a blind shot from 175 to 200 yards.
The Approach
As with almost every shot on #1, the approach to the green calls for control of both distance and direction. The trees are looming on the right, deep bunkers and rough on the left. The green itself is twice as long as it is wide, so the difference between a front and back pin might be as much as two clubs!
Once safely on the large, undulating green, you'll likely face a long put with lots of break. Good luck!
By the Numbers
Coto North #1
Par 5 - Handicap 1
| Tee | Yardage |
| Black | 601 |
| Gold | 585 |
| Blue | 560 |
| Red | 429 |
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Share2 Responses to "Coto North Course Hole Number 1"
[...] Coto's Hole #3 on the North Course, a long Par 4 dogleg right. From the Tee You'll face a strategic choice on the tee - short and safe with a long second shot, or an aggressive drive with risk/reward. In addition, although it may be easy to hit the fairway, a mediocre shot will leave a very difficult second. The fairway is very wide, with the ever-present creek and oak trees on the left, and the farther left you go the longer you second shot will be. From the Blue tees, the fairway ends about 230 yards away as the creek bends in, so the ideal safe shot is a fairway wood or rescue club to the corner on the right edge of the fairway (near the lurking bunker), leaving about 150 yards up the hill to the green. The long hitter has the choice of cutting the corner - all up hill, over several bunkers, and flirting with the creek left and OB right. Minimum carry from the Blue is about 275 up hill to clear the trouble. High risk, big reward. The Approach - No Easy Task The gigantic green has several defenses. Anything but a perfect drive will mean a long up-hill approach, possibly a blind approach, or even from a hazard or blocked by over hanging tree branches. The green is elevated and surrounded by several huge, deep bunkers. The icing on the cake is the design of the green itself - a low bowl in front surrounded by a large upper tier running all the way from the far left to the far right side. A significant portion of the green is actually the slope between the upper and lower tiers.With the pin in front, birdie is always a possiblity - almost any shot will tend to feed back down to the hole.With the pin in back (left, right or center) par is your goal - almost any shot, including your put, will tend to feed back down to the front of the green. By the Numbers Coto North #3Par 4 - Handicap 3Tee Yardage Black 422 Gold 409 Blue 385 Red 308
Go back to Hole #2 Go back to Hole #1[...]
Posted on Thursday, September 9th, 2010 at 8:15 PM.
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[...]Number 2 North is a scoring opportunity. At only 323 yards from the Blue and 349 yards from the Gold, distance is no problem. Two relatively simple shots will give you a chance at birdie or an easy par, but as with most holes at Coto, a mistake can lead to real trouble very quickly.Off the Tee (click the image to enlarge)From the Blue Tees, the fairway is just a long iron or fairway wood away. The perfect shot is about 190 yards over the mound to the right of the large tree, straight at the green. Feel like going for the gusto? A driver will put you inside 100 yards – as long as you can hit a 15 yard-wide target. Right is bunker, steep hillside, and OB. Slicers beware - your ball may end up in the living room of a large custom home in the Masters neighborhood of Coto. Left the fairway ends in a creek bed full of of tall trees at about 220 yards from the tee.In the Fairway A good tee shot leaves just a short iron to the elevated green. The rough on the right isn’t too bad, but if you pull your tee shot to the left you’ll be left with a blind approach over a stand of 30 foot tall oaks. Fun! A Well Protected GreenEven though you’re second shot is a 9-iron or wedge, you work is not done. The green is well protected – elevated about 15 feet above the level of the fairway, with deep bunkers left, right, and behind. If you’re going to miss short, miss on the right – the bunker on the left is inhabited by a large oak tree which provides plenty of shade but makes for a very tough golf shot. The green slopes steeply from back to front, with three natural pin placements – back left, back right, and front center. Above the hole is not a good place – make your two putt and run away. On the other hand, a shot placed below the hole leaves a good chance for a 1-putt. By the Numbers Coto North #2Par 4 - Handicap 11Tee Yardage Black 363 Gold 349 Blue 323 Red 288Go back to Hole #1[...]
Posted on Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 at 7:33 PM.