Ohoopee Match Club
April 2023 – What a treat Ohoopee is! I rank courses by the overall vibe: of course the course itself, the clubhouse, people, etc. and Ohoopee not only tops out as a great course, it is a unique match play “only” 22-hole course with multiple half-par holes, a separate whiskey routing (with complimentary whiskey shots about half way through), overnight cabins, great clubhouse and it’s super duper exclusive – I think there are only 70 or so members. Ohoopee is upper strata! What a great golf experience. We had a two-day, one night visit with a stay in the cabins. Our host was the course founder who gave us the history and how Gil Hanse exceeded his expectations from what he first envisioned the club to be. I honestly can’t give it justice but will say it is the most unique and fun club I’ve played.
You start with the ride in. I think the “Hoop” is literally in Bumfuck, GA! Above was the welcoming committee! “Look Bubba has a girlfriend, indeed!” The property was an onion farm, then reimagined as a Formula One track/golf resort (which went belly up though you can still see the routing for the Formula One track on Google Earth) then back to an onion farm. Michael bought it to create a match play course for him and special invited guests and since Hanse walked the property for the original concept, he was the natural to bring back and be given instructions to do what he wants to create a great match play course. – convention be damned!
They don’t really care about score here, it’s just match play. BTW, 99% of all weekend golfers (I made the stat up) play match play tourneys not stroke play – so a course designed around match play makes sense, right? Two par threes in a row? Who cares. A par 5.5? Who cares. In fact nowhere on the card will you see rating and slope. There is one set of tees for the Championship routing (7.325 yards). There are no other tee markers, our caddies just put the bags down and that’s where we played from. I’m guessing we were somewhere between 6,700 to 7,000 yards- which is an ass-load amount of course for me. I shot a 94 but again, who cares what you shoot here, it was all about the match.
So there is not a lot on the club out on the web, so I’ll do my best to give a good description, but as we were staying on property, there was all kinds of boozin’ going on so I may fuck up a few holes. The routing below is from Claire W Designs found on Etsy. Order from her, she has great stuff.
The unlabeled holes are the “Whiskey” routing. You skip two-through-five and play the alternate four holes (including the par three 10th which criss-crosses the regular 10th).
The first is pretty straight away par four (we played it at about 400 yards). There’s a little room right but I aimed for the bunkers and faded the drive for perfect positioning. On and two putt for a par net three and +1. Things would just get worse from there. All the greens are crazy and one is no different. Listen to your caddies – we had Eric and Doug (who knew my late Pine Valley buddy Billie) the first round and Grey and Doug for the Whiskey. Great caddies.
Two is a par 4.5 and we played it from probably about 500 yards. My partner – Joe who is a great golfer – 3 handicap – got a “Pardie” or whatever they were calling a four on a par 4.5, Two up! I got a six/five.
The third is a par 5.5! We played from over 600 yards. Lots of room but lots of length to cover. Thrilled with a six net five, but my buddy David got a Pardie and the match was back at +1.
Four is a short par four and finally a birdie chance. We played it from about 320 I’m guessing. Forget how I played but assume I was in the bunker as I was in pretty much every bunker on the course. Everyone got net fours.
I think I missed the par three fifth. Both sides parred and that means Good Guys won the first five. We played new partners every five holes and for the final three holes the biggest loser to date could call the bet and the teams. That’s how I went form up to down in a hurry. This is six, another par 4.5 and over 500 yards. Now it was me and Lexi getting a ton of candy. My six/five put us up one.
Green at seven. Another 600-yard par five though we played from just under that distance. Bad guys took this one as we finished net 6 to Joe’s par.
Eight is a 200+ yard par three. I think we played 220-ish. I think this is the hole I yanked it left but my partner dropped a long putt for net par and the match was still knotted. Love the par threes here. Just talked to my buddy from Aronimink and said he couldn’t really remember the holes here except liking the par threes. Agreed it was one of the most fun clubs he’s ever played.
The ninth is a par 3.5. We played from about 300 yards. I got no candy and my 4 lost to my buddy David’s Pardie three. Bad Guys up one.
The tenth from the halfway house. You’ll see the pic below of the halfway house. I forget the hostess’ name but she made her own caramel brittle and jerky. Fucking fantastic! And of course another screwy for good luck. They had courtesy coolers every five or so holes and all were chock full of cold Miller Lites. Did I die and go to heaven? My girl Lexi parred the l-o-n-g par 4 tenth (440 yards or so from where we played). All square.
Is this the perfect halfway house for this course or what?!?
I think I missed 11 and this is 12? Maybe? Eleven is another beast of a par five. Over 500 yards. Michael brought zebras and gazelles out and they are to the left here. I didn’t see them on my first round but did when we played the Whiskey routing the next morning. It was me and David (a 10 handicap) but he just got through Chemo. About two years ago they gave him 6 months to live. For me to be able to play golf here with him two years later was the highlight of the trip. But I think he was tiring out a little. Had to get him a cart for the back. Joe started really firing and we were down one with net bogies.
Twelve is another 4.5 par, 480 yards. My five for four pushed Joe’s Pardie so still down one. Thirteen features a Biarritz green and is a 250 yard par three. Ach der Lieber! All pars but me- a double, but Lexi got a pop so we were now down two.
Fourteen. Very Pine Valley-ish (especially on the back). The last half par hole; 3.5 and about 300 yards. We all shit the bed here, but me worse (6) and Lexi getting a stroke (5/4). Stymied going down three.
Fifteen played over 450 yards for us. Felt great about my par net birdie but too little too late.
Maybe sixteen. Who knows, I may be fucking these all up. If it is 16, a 139-yard par three. David’s call, picked Joe and doubled the bet as he was down $20 but we pushed thanks to Lexi’s 4 for 3. Staying alive despite another double!
The approach on 17? The 16th? I don’t know. If it was 17, a 350-yard par four. It was Joe and David again and again $40. This time my net bogey didn’t hold up and down $40.
Maybe 17 or maybe 18. Just a very pretty golf hole either way.
Definitely 18 with the clubhouse up and to the left. It was Lexi’s call and she went for $50. Hit an awesome drive. An awesome approach but a three putt for net par did not beat Joe’s closing birdie. Grr but what an enjoyable day!
Here’s the clubhouse from our cabin.
Me, Lexi, Joe and David.
Golf Scrapbook 