Over the past decade, I have had the great honor of photographing some of the world’s grandest golf courses and I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to showcase these amazing venues with my photography. Some jobs are more exciting than others and to be selected as tbe photographer for Siwanoy’s 125th anniversary celebrations is one of the great honors in my career.
Designed by Donal Ross, Siwanoy Country Club had made a strong enough impression on the golfing public that it was selected as the venue of the first PGA Championship in 1916. Over the next century, Ross courses would go on to host over 125 national championships, but this was the very first. Even today, it is easy to see why the site was selected for the tournament. Siwanoy presents a varied challenge of golf holes. From a great mixture of distances, to compelling slopes, Siwanoy will test all aspects of a player’s game.
I found that it also tested all aspects of my camera game. Please enjoy this photographic ride through all 18 of Siwanoy’s golf holes in celebration of 125 years.
Hole #1 - Par 4 - 379 yards
Siwanoy opens up with a modest par 4 and a great preview of what to expect. The tee shot plays to a plateau in the fairway and the approach shot plays to a green perched upon a high point. This will be a consistent theme at Siwanoy and the strategy creates a bunch of interesting green sites and approaches.
Hole #2 - Par 4 - 467 yards
You better be ready to hit the gas on this long sloping par 4. The hole is banked into a side slope which promotes a nice draw down the right hand side to find the fairway. A difficult and lenghty approach shot then awaits into this difficult 2 tiered green.
Hole #3 - Par 3 - 214 yards
The first par 3 at Siwanoy plays along the edge of the property line and shorter than the yardage indicates. The deeper the pin location gets on this green, the smaller the target becomes. A pair of bunkers will gobble up and off line shots.
Hole #4 - Par 5- 519 yards
The first par 5 at Siwanoy starts off from an elevated tee box and unfolds as a right to left dogleg that is reachable for most good players. There are a pair of hazards in the fairway that provide the majority of strategy for this golf hole. Avoiding them should give you a good look at finding birdie or better on another elevated and well bunkered green site.
Hole #5 - Par 5 - 539 yards
Back to back par 5’s on a Donald Ross design reminds me of Seminole Golf Club. If that wasn’t interesting enough, the view from the tee box should keep you engaged. The strategy here revolves around a small stream winding its way through the fairway. You will have to navigate the stream on both your drive and anything laying up around 110 yards. Another elevated green provides a solid challenge from any approach distance.
Hole #6 - Par 3 - 178 yards
You can always expect a glorious short little par 3 from any Donald Ross golf course and the 6th hole is exactly that. Tucked into a hillside and bunkered extensively well, this one should get your excitement levels up a few clicks.
Hole #7 - Par 4 - 456 yards
A straight forward par 4 that presents itself invitingly from the tee box. Left is dead and a grove trees will block you out on the right. The stream that we first encountered on the 5th hole has found its way through the middle of the 7th and a big drive will clear the creek and leave just a wedge into the green. A lay up with offer more of a mid iron approach.
Hole #8 - Par 4 - 343 yards
The 8th hole is my favorite hole on the golf course by a good margin. The tee shot is partially blind but Ross has placed an aiming bunker in view. With a creek fronting the green at 65 yards out, the ideal shot leaves 130-140 into the green. The approach shot is one of the most fun at Siwanoy with a beautifully bunkered green tucked into the hillside next to a grove of trees.
Hole #9 - Par 4 - 319 yards
The recurring theme at Siwanoy presents itself once again, A tee shot that plays slightly downhill and then a dramatic rise to a green perched upon a high point. The clubhouse looms in the background of this beauty. Two bunkers will challenge most golfers to avoid them. Even after finding the fairway, this uphill approach is the grandest on the golf course.
Hole #10 - Par 4 - 369 yards
The back nine starts with a beautiful view that was previously blocked by trees. After some tree removal by Mike Devries in 2015, the golfer can now see a large portion of the back nine and half of the front nine. You will need to avoid the trio of bunkers and from the fairway, your approach shot will play to a glorious infinity green.
Hole #11 - Par 3 - 189 yards
This mid length par 3 plays pretty straight forward. A pin in the middle doesn’t offer much trouble or interest, but some pin positions closer to the hole’s 3 green-side bunkers are capable of generating some short game nterest.
Hole #12 - Par 4 - 355 yards
I always look out for ‘em and it is a treat when you actually find one that provides some interest. The totally bunker-less golf hole is a design strategy that Ross would use regularly. The visiting golfer might not even notice that there aren’t any bunkers… some downhill slope and a stream 40 yards short of the green pick up the slack.
Hole #13 - Par 3 - 224 yards
The most demanding of the par 3’s at Siwanoy is also one of the most photogenic. In addition to its length, this hole also plays uphill which adds even more distance and visual challenge. The green slopes from back to front and the ideal play is the the right hand side which has a tendency to feed balls back towards the center of the green.
Hole #14 - Par 4 - 392 yards
The theme at Siwanoy continues with another downhill tee shot featuring an uphill approach. A miss to the left is far more likely to face trouble than one to the right. There is also a creek crossing this slight dogleg at the end of the driving area.
Hole #15 - Par 4 - 482 yards
The fantastic finishing stretch at Siwanoy starts on #15. You can almost feel the gears shifting as you step onto the tee box and look at the challenge in front of you. This long and bold par 4 presents a series of obstacles. There is an upslope that needs to be carried on the drive and a diagonally winding creek presents danger for those failing to execute on their strategy around the green. A par here can feel like a birdie heading into 16.
Hole #16 - Par 4 - 408 yards
If there is a signature hole at Siwanoy, this one just might be it. Richter Pond to the front right and the rocky outcroppings to the left present the perfect frame for the 16th hole. A series of fairway bunkers should be avoided for an ideal approach into this uphill green.
Hole #17 - Par 4 - 396 yards
If the 16th hole didn’t feel like your signature hole, the 17th might just do it. The rocky outcroppings and beautiful fescue around the teeing areas reveal the natural beauty of the terrain on which Siwanoy was created. It is one of the most fun tee balls at Siwanoy. A big bold tree looms large up by the green on the right hand side. The tree, paired with a right to left sloped green makes the approach from the left hand side of the fairway ideal.
Hole #18 - Par 5 - 542 yards
If the 16th or 17th wasn’t your signature hole, the 18th will undoubtedly take the title. A trio of big beautiful bunkers in the fairway will go a long way towards shaping your shot making decisions here. A big drive beyond them will allow for a chance at the green and anything in them will require a lay up. The green finishes up by the clubhouse and with any luck, some friendly members will cheer loudly as you roll in a 6 footer for a closing birdie.
