Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Architect: Bo Danoff
7,202 Yards, Par-72
Rating/Slope: 73.0/131
My Quick Review: Despite a two thumbs down customer service experience, the golf course is good enough to warrant a return visit.
As much as I hated the experience, I actually enjoyed the course. Designed by the largely unknown Bo Danoff, the golf course is certainly strategic from the tee.
The golf course starts with a 330 yard par-4 that offers some blindness from the tee, an angled green and a rear portion of the green that slopes away from the line of play -- a clear sign that Dragon's Fire may be outside the box, at lease compared to many of the CCFAD designs.
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![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_suxEc7HTuodLedz3-apNwHKWflFIVyjF9XrjsWQ7NXVuPO50ltdU8M1DwPMDQlI-_BISQi-Lug5j8ue70N_OCVpta-6s4wg9GPH11cll1zvqIboLnlh8mwlZwmWlueGIgx6a4rFL09mT6CaqEHXnjuhJUD2xWuC6A=s0-d)
At the third carry bunkers protect the ideal line into the green, though a shortage of fairway width makes a bailed out tee shot a little more than a half shot penalty.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s4Utuqf_WeuWAUBG9259Mfuk5bnARweNwqZ76tnv9kX9EA7PZEWQ_EzMwKB8mVVvZIKWaLyS0_wjz1L-mVCRIujXSG8NArsEQ3o8sIQ35_MY9jS25vORD5krHc8Fs7MMj17xsWmcD-79dQhCHXdnAdttS0uCscGx-N=s0-d)
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tZy5SlUfr_kzk5dIOhRIeR1YQCDTmWXkD_rRc4wkR4JGbp0JB41LCdhxEn08cvIR6D6o8oRbc2PjgdJANDiaZtnaipGn5Oi8aX56EVdzCYqDVf9VXj4WIwXOM7tiyz1XHq8ZZG7jX0nQ28wvmZIdF0rzAdjtM4BQI=s0-d)
I was a big fan of the stretch from holes 6 through 8 as Danoff used well-placed bunkering from the tee (and in the lay-up areas on the par-5s) to protect the ideal angle for the next shot -- perhaps a tad repetitive, but strategic design is never boring.
The tee shot at the 430 yard 6th:
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sC-uSqyk0XhumMJnMM-P04t6_RH4EFfigvGgaxZ0mDmCbRRDWwOhWi9QHySu_WBgTzVoc6WjiK0Gco8P4FB-4S2sjf72K3lmud67MuIq_17vksR_6qQ4y6HnUNu5G6GH3ItvEViuQK5rvQcpammO0qZzN9cEyF2FHy=s0-d)
The 50-yard deep, three-tiered green at the par-5 7th:
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vww3tfUT8R5mBqr5IV9ohxbdjiAmJj2eEGcvXgWAgOMtVylCh97QB8zkUV9lqwamaCJNXerxmNddncf83ou2TqEo1p1NVXmb-SUz5y8s4pCyaajbP10KqxOt_CWMwPICNECVdH35tp1fPJAtlCCGjn3t0jZWJ2xHk=s0-d)
I don't know that any of the five par-3s at Dragons Fire are great holes, but the 210 yard 12th was my favourite with its sharply back-to-front sloping green:
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vLSTTX2WLTdgRkRqpam23OWuoDIXIPtAzOjkrrbct5nkCS2-hxWwM3eSLedMeAbAZsZeXWGedJesSj9Y_0JNklkKV0YcA_ViW-OxCBZE9ASBZIWi2aLyCkQmhLyhiVSSLvYc28jsOZL4VbiiQWfgMDHDynPwK2CXc=s0-d)
At the 13th, an uphill(!) par-5 measuring 633 yards, the importance of challenging the bunkers on the tee and lay-up shots is paramount as doing so successfully will leave a shot that need to carry a hazard.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_soPWaiCQxlRMHTd-87bwuHMRAxcXuTXpvAG-FIw2-B8Oq7ngdz4pEjO0sc0DZt5KRF4vBBC9kqJDGE_J3JGFJRFSytJfD58VJ_P4svLe_-m4tA80TNtzshOPy9Mk8k6Fa-o3Ge1Dp4Dttd74sWDRWtsB_voQJq11vs=s0-d)
Almost a carbon copy of the par-3 9th, the 17th requires an all-carry tee shot over water:
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uViCfx6eVbJ_4iGbLK8-AbydAOjLzueEGniF5i35MYR-AuM80gELvLDwx6wOYU79Con1I7iEZ6Cp8g_j3UlqxOfqYTaMu6YnFW9LszEg2f7gkFEiQzOqUtuT7VSHwlBlMmz7cQB8s4peJVi7Zl-34U-RcxxoKwPEjy=s0-d)
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tGbGbOxcDora1O1XIyXg6v4p85yvH11Ca5Y1bElz-aMPrYI-JY8VWhdEoQGAA74I42NIRtyxkr1iW_CBqxT1DZbep2vBgabYEG-0aA6dxYA6JdCQ8KItzct4tXmByqxQSimQ5-NdfTomI09m5CaKQibn_fkhoT7Mzo=s0-d)
At the third carry bunkers protect the ideal line into the green, though a shortage of fairway width makes a bailed out tee shot a little more than a half shot penalty.
I was a big fan of the stretch from holes 6 through 8 as Danoff used well-placed bunkering from the tee (and in the lay-up areas on the par-5s) to protect the ideal angle for the next shot -- perhaps a tad repetitive, but strategic design is never boring.
The tee shot at the 430 yard 6th:
The 50-yard deep, three-tiered green at the par-5 7th:
I don't know that any of the five par-3s at Dragons Fire are great holes, but the 210 yard 12th was my favourite with its sharply back-to-front sloping green:
At the 13th, an uphill(!) par-5 measuring 633 yards, the importance of challenging the bunkers on the tee and lay-up shots is paramount as doing so successfully will leave a shot that need to carry a hazard.
Almost a carbon copy of the par-3 9th, the 17th requires an all-carry tee shot over water:
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