Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2008 - Player Comments about Martha`s Plantation

On this Christmas day, I got Georgia on my mind ! No, I am not talking about Ray Charles’ famous hit, but, instead, this gorgeous and very tough Martha’s Plantation, set somewhere in Georgia, with very narrow fairways, lots of water hazards, strategically-placed bunkers and trees, and small greens with more pot bunkers and deep grass (and rough) around.
Right off the bat, you will be faced with a dilemma on the par-4 1st hole, with two narrow fairways (separated by trees in the middle) to choose from, knowing that the camera shot follows the one on the left (the normal path) much tougher, as it is hugging a big elongated lake on the left, and with a delicate approach to the slightly-elevated small green.
The following par-3 hole is scenic and quite challenging too, with a tee shot over an elongated lake and a green, very close to it, with deep rough and a small rocky wall on the left, and continues with the right dogleg par-4 3rd, going the other way around, with another tee shot over the lake landing onto a narrow fairway with two big bunkers on both sides, midway, and with an elevated approach to the green over some deep rough across the fairway, not far from it.
The par-3 4th is another very picturesque and tough hole, with a slightly-downhill tee shot over plenty of deep rough, bushes and grass in a hollow wasteland, and a lone tree on the left of the green, with a wide bunker in front and the lake behind.
Then, after the nice right dogleg par-4 5th hole, downhill all the way with a blind tee shot landing near a wide bunker on the left, halfway, and a tough approach with another wide bunker on the left of the green (and the lake on the right), you will reach one of the toughest and most beautiful holes, the par-5 6th, with a blind and downhill tee shot, a narrow fairway between some deep rough and bunkers on the right and a big lake on the left (and in front), and an island green (slightly to the right) too far to reach on your second shot forcing you to play it safe by hitting your second shot on the right fairway before reaching the green and its two small bunkers in front.
The pretty par-4 7th hole is not easy either, bending sharply around a wide lake on the left, with a blind and slightly-downhill tee shot and a second shot over the water toward the green, with a big bunker in front and a smaller one on the right, just like the beautiful short (about 320 yards) and “unusual” right dogleg par-4 8th, with a fairway on the left and a green set on a small hilltop covered with plenty of deep rough and sand !
As for the straight downhill par-5 9th hole, you will need to hit a blind tee shot while avoiding a lone tree on the left (on the edge of the lake) and two big bunkers on a small slope (on the right), before aiming for the green, again, unreachable on your second shot, leaving you with no choice but to play it safe on the right, before hitting a short approach toward the green.
The back 9 starts with the same panoramic view seen on the 1st hole but, this time, you will not be tempted to hit your shot on the “wrong” fairway : instead, simply hit your tee shot on the par-4 10th toward the narrow fairway, before hitting your uphill approach to the small... downhill green (framed by trees in front), and guarded by a wide bunker on the left.
After the par-4 11th hole with its winding narrow fairway and downhill all the way, with a lone tree and a wide bunker on the left, halfway (and a couple of bunkers further on the right, next to the green), you will move on to the pretty right dogleg and quite tough par-4 12th, with a tee shot over the lake landing onto a peninsula narrow fairway, with plenty of tall grass and deep rough around, and a blind approach to the downhill green, surrounded by deep rough above.
If the par-3 13th is another scenic hole, with a tee shot over a lake and a green, surrounded by more deep rough and a couple of big rocks on the right, the short (around 290 yards) par-4 14th is a “do-or-die” hole, with a slightly-uphill tee shot, but with trees on the left and a little creek across the fairway ending in a big pond on the right of the green, you will sweat all the way if you want to go for broke !
Seeing the beautiful road all along the right side of the fairway on the par-4 15th hole will be a big relief as there is no water to worry about on your two uphill shots leading to the green, slightly to the left, unlike on the gorgeous par-3 16th, with the winding road above on the left (and a nice orchard further up on the left) where, with its downhill slope, you will need to hit a blind tee shot to reach the green, while making sure to avoid a small pond on the right.
You will finish with two right dogleg par-5 holes : the 17th is downhill all the way, with a tee shot over water and a long approach to the green, quite risky with an elongated lake on the right, and a big bunker in front (on the left) with plenty of deep rough all around ; as for the 18th hole, after a blind and slightly-downhill tee shot, with a big lone tree halfway on the right (with a couple of bunkers on the other side to watch for), you will face another big gambling decision if you want to reach the downhill green with unplayable deep rough (on the left) and a wide lake on the right !
With a nice green hilly backdrop, breathtaking views, lots of elevation changes and some very tough water holes, this par 72 is one of the best courses ever designed by Bullpupp2 and a perfect (Christmas) gift to keep (even if I finished only 1 under par...) !