Sunnyvale Golf (1-9)

Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course is located where highway 101 and 237 meet. It is an 18 hole regulation length course, par 70, 6,255 yards, 70 rating, and a 121 slope. This is my home course so if you are the same skill level as me, I will beat you 9 out of 10 times.

The following is a course guide for the front nine...

Hole #1 - Par 4, 375 yards

Bust out your driver and hit it right down the middle of the fairway. Unless you hit it 300+ yards, you should stay out of the back rough. If you hit it like John Daly, you might want to think about using a 3-wood.

If you slice your tee shot, you will be in the water so hit it straight… no pressure. Straight down the middle of the fairway should leave you with a 125 yard pitching wedge to the center of the green. Green slopes back to front.

This hole is easy. A lot of golfers try to get cute and use an iron off the tee. That will leave water, sand and trees in play for your second shot. Just hit the driver and hit it straight.

Hole #2 - Par 4, 370 yards

Again, tee off with a driver. I like to aim just to the left of the fairway trap on the right. You need to hit it 230 yards to clear the trap if you miss hit. If you slice your drive, you will most likely clear the water on the right unless you hit it really bad.

A 250 yard drive will leave a 125 yard pitching wedge to the center of the green. Green slopes slightly back to front.

Hole #3 - Par 5, 480 yards

This hole bends ever so slightly to the right at the first sand trap. Hit your driver just to the left of that first fairway trap. If you have some power, aim over the trap. It will take 240 to clear the trap and 250 to reach the fairway.

It is pretty easy to reach in two. A good drive will leave you between 200 and 220 yards to reach the center of the green. A bad drive is not a huge problem. A slice puts you in the fairway on hole #9. There are a couple of trees but nothing to worry about. A hook is a little bit more of a concern as there are trees to the left of the fairway to deal with.

The green is protected by a trap to the right and in the rear. Not much slope on the green so a two putt or one putt is expected.

Hole #4 - Par 3, 150 yards

Use your 150 yard club. For me, an 8 or a 9-iron. Stick it close and putt for birdie. Not much to this hole. Sand on the left and in the back. A pretty big, receptive green. Easy hole.

Hole #5 - Par 4, 300 yards

Keep your driver in the bag. The trees to the right of the tee box are way too tall for a "reach in one" attempt.

Use 4 or 5-iron, tee it up about 1/4 inch higher than normal, and aim along the trees to the right. This should put you right in the middle of the fairway about 90 to 110 yards out. You want to tee it up just in case your line if off. Your trajectory will allow you to clear the trees.

If you slice your first shot, you should be able to find your ball in the trees on the right. Your second shot will be tricky because of the trees and the first sand trap. The trap is pretty big and slopes up to the green.

The green is pretty big and slopes from back right to front left.

Hole #6 - Par 4, 360 yards

This hole has the appearance of a par 5 because you can't see the hole. The fairway takes a 45 degree right turn after the first 200 yards. It is not a good idea to tee off with your driver, which makes your second shot pretty long. Again, feels like a par 5.

If you use your driver off the tee, you can expect to hit through the fairway if you have any power at all. It is only 210 yards to the end of the fairway if you hit it straight. There is also hidden water 250 yards out. If you insist on your driver, hit a fade. A slice is not going to cut it because there are some very tall trees guarding the right rough.

A good drive is a 3 or 4-iron hit straight to 200 yards. That will leave you with a 7 or 8-iron and 160 yards to the center of the green. Getting in trouble on the right is messy with three sand traps and foliage that should not be called grass. The green is higher than the fairway and relatively flat. Don't overshoot the green or you will be talking a long walk.

Hole #7 - Par 3, 135 yards

Club up so you don't land in the water. This green is huge and slopes from back to front. There are two traps on the right and towering trees on the left. Hit it close and putt for birdie.

Hole #8 - Par 4, 320 yards

I hate this hole. On average, I lose 2.4 balls to water. That's based on my last 10 rounds. As you can see in the picture to the left, there is a crap ton of water on the hole. Before you decide to putt from the tee box, relax... don't even think about the water. Just hit it straight.

You can use your driver on this hole. I hit my driver straight 17 out of 18 times. Unfortunately, that 1 time in 18 comes during the 8th hole at Sunnyvale. A slice goes in the water to the right. A hook goes in the water to the left. Use an iron.

A 3, 4 or 5-iron will put you between 120 and 135 yards out. This is a good, manageable position to be in considering there is water in front of the green. A wedge will bring you home.

The trick to the second shot is to imagine that you are hitting into one of the two sand traps behind the green. There is a sneaky wind that will blow your high flying wedge shot into the water. Aiming for the sand will put you in the middle of the green. Worse case, you'll be in the sand. The sand is not the water. I hate the water.

Good luck on this hole. Actually, good luck on holes 1 - 7 and 9-18. That is where you will make up for the 8 that you will score on 8. Green slopes slowly toward the water.

Hole #9 - Par 4, 400 yards

This hole is immediately adjacent to the par 5 3rd hole. It feels a lot like a par 5 but you only get 4 shots to get home. Hit your driver straight and long or you will feel a little depressed (especially after the 8th hole).

A hook will put you on the 3rd hole fairway. A slice will put you in short rough will very little trees to deal with. Hit the ball straight, aiming for the left side of the sand trap (220 yards to carry).

A 250 yard drive will leave only 150 yards. Hit your 8-iron and stick it close. A birdie will put you back on track after carding a snowman on the previous hole.