RISK vs. REWARD A Gamble Sands great — the 473-yard 7th hole in Brewster
Gamble Sands Hole No. 7 Par 5 473 yards (Orange Tees)
BY SIMON DUBIEL • SALES/MARKETING MANAGER & TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
The Setup
The Risk
The Reward
The rumors that you can make birdies at Gamble Sands are true, and if you have navigated the first six holes in decent shape, the 7th tee is where the fun really begins. Holes seven through thirteen have no less than four “birdie” holes, and this dogleg right is daring you to get home in two. It is defined by a deep, large bunker that runs along the entire inside elbow of the dogleg and serves as the border between the wide fairway and the desert death land. The uphill approach needs to favor the left side of a tight opening to the green or must cover the massive greenside bunker that will eat up all shots that are short right. If you do carry the bunker, good things can happen. A steep hill leading to the 8th tee can be used as a back stop for any shot long right. Sometimes big birds roll down that hill.
How good is your bunker game? Many-a-golfer has watched in horror as his or her tee shot, or approach, spins from left to right and down into the sand, shattering all hopes of making four. Miss right off the tee and you are hoping the bunker snatches your golf ball before the wasteland seals its fate. At best, you are taking the stairway to hell, down into that same spot almost moments before you were saying, “just don’t hit it there.” If you do split the fairway, hitting the bunker short and right with your approach is no way to make a living either. Additionally, the large and sloping green can lead to some very long and challenging lag putts.
Find grass with your tee ball and you are without question in the “go zone.” Take an extra club, or two, as the approach plays slightly uphill and most of the trouble is short. Middle of the green is always a good spot to aim, but anything long and right off the hill can be a fun roll of the dice as well. On a windy day, there is enough room left of the green to run something up and watch it trundle right onto the large, back-to-front, sloping green.
Final Call Several pieces go into making Gamble Sands the magical place it is. This undoubtedly includes the forgiving nature of the course and the ability to put a birdie on the scorecard — sometimes several. At only 473 yards, and perhaps less if you have the nerve to cut some of the corner of the dogleg off, we like these odds. In fact, we can’t wait to get our chips into the middle. Driver to a wide fairway, 6-iron, putt, putt, bird. Some days, golf can be that easy. Now go back it up with another birdie on eight!
PRESENTED BY
22
DECEMBER 2023
cascadegolfer.com
