Round 8: Black Swan and its Forced Carries
I travelled up to Georgetown, MA to play Black Swan. I've played Black Swan a handful of times because it's a great deal and a decent enough golf course. The price is right and I enjoy walking the course.
Overall, the course is a good challenge. It might have some of the most forced carries and cross-hazards of any course I have played (it has a bit of a Florida vibe to it). There are not a lot of spots to hit driver, and the par fives are rather frustrating because 3 of the 4 of them take driver out of the player's hand.
The front 9 is rather pedestrian: set on a flat piece of property. The par 3 third hole is a good challenge with a narrow green and a forced carry over marsh. The eighth hole is the best on the front side, a slight dogleg left that wraps around a thirsty body of water. A good drive between the water and a right fairway bunker will give you a look into a tough green. This part of the course always feels like the wind is turned up just a bit, making it tougher to find the green. The ninth is another tough hole with an awkward second shot over a marsh. Overhanging trees like to catch balls and toss them into the marsh. Penalty shots abound.
The back nine is certainly more interesting. 10, 11, and 12 meander downhill into a low corner of the property. The par three 12th is a cute little par three (not pictured because... I'm an idiot...). The rest of the round you climb up from that physical low-point on the course. The 15th hole is a tough dogleg right par four with a marsh hazard lining the right side of the hole. It requires two good shots to find the green.
The course was in pretty good shape, some patchy greens, but with the incredible heat we've had recently and the heavy traffic the course has had, it's hard to complain. A bonus is the Flatbread Pizza Co. that lives inside the clubhouse, a good spot to add up your score and enjoy a slice and a beer post-round.
THE FACTS
Date: July 20, 2020
Tee TIme: 8:33am
Playing Partner: Pat and Doug
Tees: Blue Tees (6450)
Game: No Game.
Score: 78
Birdie Count: 2 (11 total)