The first time Silver Bay Golf Course and I crossed paths
was in 2004. However, I truly became smitten with this nine-hole layout set in
the hills just a few miles from the coast of Lake Superior in 2011 when I
played it for a second time. I was smitten not just because the course is in a
beautiful setting, but because it really is a well-kept, solid test of golf.
Since it had been a few years since I had played Silver Bay, I decided that it
was time to get back to there.
Much like The Retreat in Floodwood, Silver Bay Golf Course
doesn’t seem to be overly busy, which always makes for an enjoyable round. The
first hole is a solid par four that bends just slightly to the right. The best
play on this hole is to aim down the left side of the fairway as the right
rough slopes steeply down and to the right making for an awkward lie and
stance. The par three second requires a well struck mid or short iron to a
green that is guarded by bunkers. There is a steep slope behind this green that
propels any shot hit long into the woods. So, when in doubt, choose the shorter
club. After the second hole a golfer needs to take a little bit of a walk past
the clubhouse and first tee to get to the third. The third tee box is set well
above the fairway for this par four that bends from right to left and provides
a beautiful view of most of the rest of the golf course as well as of the
surrounding hills. The bold play is to cut the corner of the dogleg with a
driver, which requires one to hit over a pond. A well struck tee ball could
give a golfer a chance of driving the green. The safer play is to hit an iron
or fairway wood down the fairway. With this approach off the tee, a golfer needs
to be careful to not go down the left side of the fairway because this could
leave one with an obstructed view of the green due to trees on the corner of
the dogleg. The fourth is what I would call a “quirky” par five. It is only 432
yards, which is just seven yards longer than the fifth, a par four. But, it
plays well up hill and bends to the right at almost a ninety degree angle. To
be able to advance a ball reasonably far on the second shot, a golfer needs to
hit his tee ball down the left. The right side is not terrible though since it
is such a short par five. On my second nine, I found out first hand that one
can only hit a short pitch shot up the hill from the right rough, but this
still leaves a golfer with only a short iron or wedge in hand. As was alluded
to before, the fifth is a somewhat long par four at 425 yards. It plays
downhill though and bends from right to left. The ideal play is to hit over the
trees on the left and shave off some of the dogleg. Long hitters need to be
careful not to hit their ball too long as the Beaver River, which meanders
through the course crossing initially in front of the fourth tee, cuts across this
hole about 273 yards from the tee. (The really long hitter might be able to
carry the river though.) The sixth is a straight par five that plays uphill.
The Beaver River cuts across this hole as well. However, as long as a golfer
puts a halfway decent strike on the ball, the river should be carried easily.
The seventh hole is a straight par four that runs parallel, in the opposite
direction, to the previous hole. It is not too long. So, the best play is to
hit an iron down the fairway which leaves only a short iron or wedge approach.
The eighth is a shorter par three that plays over the river (Barring an
absolutely terrible shot, the river should not come into play here either), and
has a green that is guarded by a couple of bunkers. With a short iron in hand,
a golfer should be able to attack the pin on this par three. The finisher at
Silver Bay is a stout par four that plays straight away. It is also probably
the tightest hole off the tee, which can make club choice difficult (Not for
me, as I automatically choose the safe route of iron off the tee. During my
last round it didn’t hurt me though as I went birdie-par on my two nines. I should
mention that it was playing down wind and my birdie was a chip-in, but
nevertheless). However, a finishing hole should force a golfer to prove his
merit one last time, and the ninth at Silver Bay certainly does that.
When all is accounted for, I have to say that Silver Bay is
my favorite nine-hole course. Not just because of the beautiful setting which
includes the surrounding hills as well as the Beaver River, but because it is a
well-maintained layout that examines a golfer’s abilities both physical and
mental. It has holes that are tough, holes that give a golfer a chance to
score, and holes that present risk-reward opportunities. It really is the
complete package. So, if you ever find yourself playing golf on the North Shore
with Superior National presumably as the focus of your trip, make sure to make
stop at Silver Bay Golf Course. Also, if you live in the greater Duluth area, a
day trip to just play Silver Bay is not a bad idea either.
Course Statistics for 18 Holes (Blue Tees):
No comments:
Post a Comment