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.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_v7LId2xo4QnRYrWOSGprv0KpjlGr3km52DwJWB9y8ONa1Z1Tl9dDuBweueMM3Vml7aTF_UeQaGGj7BG9fAaRYD1kOrYm4PpSImsdjg_Dl15ekX-G5B5AI99ga4laHAjMJT5e7b54ktX3al4obEzO-BfBcIG_ZmGtxF=s0-d)
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tkbhziyS3h7WFVg83PJtlgtMTo4FIFOPj4DKDNcGkl1IDVVFLfUNTd16kL1l97YE_5K4mt8jARVI-F4LkkJZ1mAEeKatze3z8t61kE9-JBpRCTiwcubdXolUm9ahwLfWSo6DtPWXPVN2DC8MiXwy88Gio92ZH6zuM=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_sPgzct-Ai2DFOQHkj8ogEXmS_UtngYFt2JgKJA5F-ThkxoqR659L0qGSHR0png3SRCHDijUi7GT0iMo8dkn4vdXsT2VLyRNI7YGE6yAviUmGODcPmPnAUEJZJvK4vAA_DaU37Id5lpvEjrhojx1hVRdlaCWnNspaNR=s0-d)
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t9cUG5A7mGJVVimvm9CG8-HEpkkmQzHHYyKciSs17GdabcZcFFzaDE8GaYvRXxW4hCCuSKiPkkHGbVkGB7UWXjXQGNDFG1sCkDwCchJxZJ31QW6WR00bJhSakEyDYT5lonFrELSVBAT5Y_ERBh51Ai9IkFsDqyVio=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_sZbmSrX561RJrt3DoVbSx2Y20DYhkNuuQf6S-ZoM9tcX8iVvTeEX3ARa9RexjBCHcR9jvWILFhI-JJCqpAIksLO4L0A16xX0WkX2I2-fRZeUe8A3Y6uwlIH2ScBXRIgcmZe_QBI50XVDD_eyxlzfEdTPwzGdp7BvSb=s0-d)
The 50-yard deep, three-tiered green at the par-5 7th:
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vQYNm_YLgqqFNsp64SMaIjbkRnA2xtBFLpju9tLkt4KFKE6B5NiOFlgKQJkL4I1nN0QnZfbs9a-AHAUGdgO1w0yt9frK1uN8oGer-dd8f55LxQYD2L5prLDUcXaLmtYV2mzK1CSnwXnz4Hlyh85WN-zFtgXKamS48=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_sbOFTt0GCAt3W28YuNLvTeOIodROnj1k0u92jsgL6uM0JLEBlcF5Qy-eFtOsEsyKrQeIUVmvBbTY0fy6d-lalVYSV5k_3HPBkUFCFh2feB4jBnaT7kJSkzWXlQ_AY0UG2gCObbCLnJq5D8F-dcsbNCWgA3PFBn_PU=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_scqrQa06RMuGDcBqG2MCTZC7qyt9bxeFj9eA94cDLjbYcdRP_Ddl36hLj3J50fFkKx_On80NMXRRzrGsnqJ3acO_UykxdHTuWn6Fdb7LA-hqDj5OV_kRojgILTiTknyeiHzXrX3hcwirR7VWH5Ud63G3oHcqWmfWR7=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_sfrojnbrDobIhr0iANJOnxfZLZ2UKS27CjD87tMebW8bo8r7CpFimyquYNdNVc0amBrKbNeizdEcjddFwzjMr1iBDiX2ObHx-jeIVMtK-g1vA2TfrmAqJsXZwfm_JCwcmLMoODAqdRMYH5SM-Um8o1voPafjpIdAx5=s0-d)
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tuacd2WNr9nu4eUrFUdeAJqyh5bHugowEZ3PS4SawE5DKcb8ir043lLYdA5lhX5VaIXCjoNWvfxnNeTyMkQ2z3nZdhWg_TpQBKG0wSjaOdhx_HS-uVgxhGqwCkEnTJJ_jP0dFrWdWOkkThtnAjve_K29ml60hnsdqf=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:
No comments:
Post a Comment