We really wanted to do something special for this hole in honor of E.C. Coppola who founded Echo Valley CC in 1969. In addition to adding very useful area all the way around the perimeter, we added a large area in front that is what is termed a “false front”. That means that even though this area is technically part of the green, it has a slope such that a ball will not stay on it without rolling off the edge.

I am sure most of you have experienced a similar situation on #9 green, where an approach shot hit just a little too softly will roll up the front of the green and back off into the fairway. The good part of this is that the revised green will encourage players to use either an accurate length pitch with high trajectory or roll an approach shot up the slope with a low, running shot.

As with the other greens, the expanded area allowed us to bring the greenside bunkers more into play. The newly expanded putting surface on top of the mound and behind the bunker on the left will present a real challenge if you want to be a pin seeker. For a green that was expanded by 1,760 feet and is still less than 6,000 square feet in area, placing an approach near the flag will require a well-hit shot and some nerve.

Installment #7 – By the time you get the next edition, some of you will probably be saying – “Mom, are we there yet?”

Rick Robbins, ASGCA