North Strand Course Spotlight: Farmstead Golf Links

Over the years, Farmstead Golf Links has become one of the unsung stars of the North Strand golf scene. This popular Willard Byrd design has built its reputation on the popularity of its smooth, fast greens and a welcoming atmosphere.

Its collection of memorable golf holes includes three noteworthy holes.

Farmstead’s opening hole, a 420-yard par 4, kicks your adrenaline into high gear right from the jump. The pond on the right side helps provide the aesthetics, but the fairway offers ample room to hit driver off the tee. Despite its length from the tips, No. 1 is very manageable from the blue (387 yards) and white tees (367 yards). Avoid the fairway bunker, and a solid start is attainable.

Par fives typically tempt big hitters to get aggressive, but the 547-yard, par-5 ninth is every bit a three-shot hole.  The landing area of the tee is plentiful, and a nice drive and second shot with a long iron or fairway wood are essential to leaving you a short wedge approach for a chance at par or better. But the green at No. 9 is Farmstead’s smallest and falls off on the left side, so getting it close requires a precise approach.

You didn’t think we’d forget Farmstead’s finisher, did you? Everyone’s favorite hole here is the mammoth 767-yard, par-6 18th hole.  One of America’s longest golf holes, No. 18 tees off in South Carolina and concludes in the Tar Heel state. It is, without question, the hole people leave Farmstead talking about. There is plenty of fairway to land your drive, so players shouldn’t find much trouble off the tee. There is water that runs up the left side the last 200 yards, but the challenge at 18 is as much mental as physical. Take a par 5 approach to it, with just one more shot.

The PGA 5 is among our packages offering Farmstead as a course choice – and a $100 gift card for each golfer, valid at this and all courses affiliated with this package for food, merchandise, beverages and same-day replays.