The Preserve · Hole 7
Back
125
Forward
105
A blind par-3 where the green is entirely hidden from the tee by a natural cliff-edge rise in the terrain. You aim at a marker post, commit to a distance, and trust the swing — you will not see the result until you walk forward. The hidden nature of the green makes wind reading particularly important because you cannot see the flag at all during the shot.
Shot-by-Shot Strategy
Tee Shot
Use the marker post as your aiming reference and confirm the yardage from the tee marker or a yardage placard. Without the flag visible, reading wind is done entirely from grass movement around you and experience with the prevailing conditions. Play to the center of the green as indicated by the marker — do not try to aim for a phantom pin you cannot see.
Putting
Because you arrive at the green without knowing where the ball is, walk the entire putting surface before assessing your putt. The green on this hole has a left-to-right slope that is best observed from behind the hole looking back toward the tee. Read the slope from both sides before deciding on a line.
⚠Gotchas — What Kills Your Score
- •Blind holes tempt players to either wildly over-swing (trying to force distance) or tentatively under-swing (uncertainty). Make a routine, committed swing.
- •You cannot see the result until you walk forward — resist the urge to follow other players up immediately. Stay behind until everyone has hit.
- •The natural rise that creates the blind is often where short shots die. Make certain you have enough club to carry the crest fully.
Wind Intelligence
Wind reading without a visible flag is an art. At 125 yards, observe the fescue grass on the hillside below the marker — if it is bent at a 30-degree angle, add a full club. Also watch any visible flags from adjacent holes to gauge direction. Because you cannot correct visually, being slightly over-clubbed is the preferred mistake here.
Hazard Map
- ▲Natural cliff-edge rise that creates blind — steep falloff short
- ▲Fescue rough hidden behind the rise that becomes visible only on arrival