9. My favorite part of the Monument was its trio of short par-4s — the 4th, 6th and 15th. The 4th played 370 for us and has the widest fairway you’ll come across, but the approach gets tougher with a big green surrounded by two large bunkers. (I three-putted from 12 feet. Sigh.) The 6th is about 100 yards shorter than the 4th — we played it from 295 — and also has a large fairway that’s pinched by bunkers 75 yards short of the green, forcing you to lay up or go over them, but a deceiving bunker sits in front of the putting surface. You won’t need much more than a wedge, but that lone bunker plays with your head, as the front of the green sits several yards behind it. Make sure you use enough club.
As for 15, it’s another shorty at just under 300 yards, but the fairway tightens severely at the green. If you wanna muscle up and try to roll one on, don’t miss, because it’s nothing but desert surrounding a narrow green, save for a few bunkers. (Oh, and if you’re long, those bunkers might save you, as they did for one of my playing partners who then chipped in for eagle.) Short par-4s are the best holes in all of golf. The Monument, with three great ones, is greedy in a good way in that regard.
10. One of the most daunting tee shots of the round — you are sensing a theme now, aren’t you? — comes at the par-5 11th. From an elevated tee the fairway looks minuscule, and from there you continue uphill to a green that favors a draw approach.
11. The 541-yard par-5 14th hole is a tough one for first-timers. There’s room off the tee, but it’s difficult to figure out where to place your second shot. The approach is one of the most picturesque you’ll find, as a huge outcrop looks over the green that’s guarded by deep bunkers. If the pin is tucked to the left, good luck. One of the best pictures you’ll take all day will be from around that green.
