Hole #1

Hole #1 Hidden Valley starts with a dog-leg right, Par 4.  A tee shot landing at the corner will put you approximately 100 yards out.  Your second shot will be to a lower green, measuring 35' deep.  The green is surrounded by a bunker to the front right and adjacent to the left.

Member Tip – A shot landing towards the corner will feed down towards the green and middle of the fairway.

Hole #2

Hole #2 is a dog-leg left, Par 5.  You can play either a straight shot or a draw (fade for lefties) around the corner to be between 220-270 yards out.  Long hitters can then go for the green in 2, but a short shot could land in the front bunker.  The safe play is the an easy 150-170 yard shot to be between 70-100 yards for an easy wedge shot into the green.  The green, measuring 40' deep, is sloped back to front, and is protected by a pot bunker on the left and a bunker on the right.  ​

Member Tip – You want to be beside or to the left of the bunker on your tee shot, which is the only fairway bunker on the course.

Hole #3

Hole #3 is a dog-leg right, Par 4.  You can choose to either lay up to the dog-leg, try to cut the corner, or fly is over the trees.  Your second shot will leave you between 100-160 yards (depending on your tee shot selection).  You will then be hitting into an elevated green.  Green is 20' deep, and protected by a bunker on the right side.

Member Tip – A lot of members find it safe to play your ball long into the green.  It is protected by a hill behind the green, and anything short will roll up to 40 yards into the fairway.

Hole #4

Hole #4 is the first Par 3 at Hidden Valley.  Tee shot will be into a green sloping
left-to-right, and protected by a small bunker on the left and the right sides.  The slope is most severe on the left side of the green.    ​

Member Tip –  A smart miss is to be short of the green on your tee shot.

Hole #5

Hole #5 is the most difficult hole on the course, being the longest Par 4 on the course (measured 450 yards from the Tips).  A tee shot in the fairway is required on this hole, as the left and right side are lined with pine trees. The green, measuring 25', slops severely from back-to-front, and is protected by bunkers on the right and back sides.

Member Tip – You want to be below the hole; putting downhill can be devastating to your scorecard.

Hole #6

Hole #6 is the second-longest Par 4 on the course, and bends slightly to the right.  You want your tee shot to be to the left side of the fairway, as being on the right side will cause your approach to be over a deep-faced bunker and into the shallowest part of the green.  The green measures 29' deep.

Member Tip – Have that tee shot on the left side, even in the rough is okay.

Hole #7

Hole #7 can be a very challenging hole.  Your tee shot starts down a tree-lined fairway to a dog-leg right that is almost 90* turn.  The risky, and long hitters, can try to fly over the trees along the corner to the fairway, and successful shot will be very rewarding.  If you lay up to the corner, you are between 250-200 yards to the center.  But the elevated green will make the shot 280-300 yards. The green, measuring 27' deep, is the most undulated green.  And the bunker in the front right is the deepest bunker at Hidden Valley.

Member Tip – Need to be long off the tee and be the center of left side of the corner.a

Hole #8

Hole #8 is the second Par 3 on the Front 9.  Hitting into a lower green that is sloped back to front, measures 31' deep, and protected on the right side by a bunker.  Miss right and you're in the bunker, miss too far left and you are behind natural mounds protecting an easy recovery shot into the green. 

Member Tip – The method of hitting it in the front and rolling it up does not work well on this hole, you need to try and hit the green.

Hole #9

The finishing Hole to the Front 9 is two completely different holes depending on which tees you are playing from.  If from the Blue or White Tees, your shot is into a dog-leg left over a hazard.  You want your shot to be in the middle of the fairway, as there are trees on the left and right sides leading into the green.   

If from the Yellow or Red Tees, you have a straight tee shot.  You want to be in the center to take the trees on the left and right sides out of your next shot.    Both approach shots go over a water hazard, with our newly built fountain. The bunker in the front right is a deep-faced bunker.  Anything long behind the green can leave a difficult scramble to the green.  

Member Tip – Your miss into the green is short or to the left, leaving you with the easiest chip shot.

Hole #10

The Back 9 starts off with a dog-leg left Par 5, with water lining most of the left side of the hole.  A tee shot to the corner will leave you with just over 200 yards to the center of the green, which makes this hole a very reachable Par 5.  The green, measuring 33' deep, has a narrow front and widens to the back, and is protected by sand traps on both the left and right sides.    ​

Member Tip – Left off the tee is better than right with OB being on the right side… but too far left will be in the pond.

Hole #11

Hole #11 is a shorter Par 4 that bends slightly to the left.  Some choose to use a 3-wood off the tee, as a 200 yard shot from the tips leaves you only 170 yards to the green.  The green measures 30' deep and flows to the back right corner.  It is protected by bunkers on both sides.   ​

Member Tip – Left side of the fairway is better, there is a hazard that cuts in on the right side in front of the green that you will have to approach over if on the right side.

Hole #12

Hole #12 is the second-longest Par 4 on the course, measuring 434 yards from the tips.  From the tee you will hit to a wide-open fairway.  Your approach into the green, measuring 35' deep, needs to be an accurate one, for this green is also protected by greens on the left and right sides, with a  deep faced bunker on the right side.  The green also slopes back-to-front and plays fast back downhill.  ​

Member Tip – Have your shot on the green below the hole, as it can be a touchy chip/putt back down the green.

Hole #13

Hole #13 is a straight ahead hole that can be trickier than it looks.  An ideal tee shot would be to the right side of the fairway, as an approach from the left can eventually be a very challenging shot.  The green, measuring only 25' deep, runs perpendicular to the fairway.  It is protected by bunkers in the front left and back right.  The green will run towards the front corner.  

Member Tip – Be on the right side of the fairway, even in the right rough is okay. Approaching from the left not only is typically over a bunker, but also into a very shallow green from that angle. 

Hole #14

Hole #14 is a prestigious hole not only here at Hidden Valley, but in all of Columbia! Measuring only 116 yards from the tips, it requires accuracy from the tee over a hazard.  A shot too short or to the left could end up disastrous. There is a bunker in the back left, as well as a pot bunker to the right of the green.  The green measures 37' deep and feeds to the front.  ​

Member Tip – Take a second to look out from the green to the Gaston/Columbia landscape!  You feel like your in the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Hole #15

Hole #15 is a dead straight Par 4.  With one of the widest fariways on the course, you should easily be in the fairway and have a good approach shot. The green is also one of the flattest on the course, and protected by a bunker on the front left.  The green measures 36' deep.  ​

Member Tip – Members claim that the ball travels further than normal on the approach and that you have to club down or your shot will be long.

Hole #16

Hole #16 is a reachable Par 5 for some of the longer hitters.  Your tee shot will land you between 180-220 yards to the green.  Longer hitters can go for the green, but have to hit to a narrow front that is guarded by bunkers on both the left and right sides.  The green can be hard to hold the ball on. The green measures 27' deep.  ​

Member Tip – The right side of the fairway is better to be in, the left side can cause you to have to deal with some of the sand washout.

Hole #17

Hole #17 is the last Par 3 on the course and it is another long one.  Your shot will be over a small river hazard, as well as a bunker to your left before the green.  There is also a greenside bunker to the left of the green.  The green measures 33' deep and is another flat green.  

Member Tip – A good miss is to miss right, the hill will usually feed the ball back down to the fringe if not on the green.

Hole #18

Hole #18 The finishing hole at Hidden Valley is a picturesque hole that can be very challenging.  The second-longest Par 4 on the course and the second hardest hole, although it is debated to be the hardest.  Your tee shot is to a tree lined fairway.  If your tee shot is not long enough, your approach shot can be very intimidating.  The green measures 30' deep and slopes back-to-front.  It is protected by water in the front and bunkers on the left and right.   ​

Member Tip – If you aren't sure you can make it to the green, lay up in front of the pond and then hit over.  A shot in the water can ruin the hole, and it will be the last one you play.