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Golf on Cape Cod Course ReviewSandwich Hollows Golf Club
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Photography by George Peet
The road leading to the Sandwich Hollows Golf Club winds through the center of Sandwich across from the Mid-Cape Highway. A twist there and a turn here, and suddenly the Hollows clubhouse shows itself tall and rectangular on the top of the hill overlooking the 1st, 10th, and 18th holes respectively.
No drivable road can prepare a golfer for the twists and turns, the dips and rises, crevasses and ridges that lie in wait to challenge the oncoming Hollows golfer. No sir. No road indeed. In fact, there aren’t too many golf courses that could prepare a golfer for the Hollows, particularly the golfer that opts out of the golf cart luxury. With well-placed drives (length is only important on a couple of key holes) and a strong low iron game, the Hollows can be tamed. Offer yourself up to the rigors of the layout, though, and the Hollows becomes an impenetrable beast.
The Sandwich Hollows is a trip into the back woods of the town of Sandwich, which occasionally feels like a trip north into the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire because of the hilly terrain. Along with that terrain come golf holes with character and identity. Each hole at the Hollows has a memorable feel, due in part to the fact that nearly all holes are separated by thick woods, creating the enjoyable illusion that each hole is carved out of its own forest without any other holes around.
Formerly known as Round Hill and built back in the mid-1970’s, the Town of Sandwich gained control of the course in 1999, making many improvements, most notably a well-designed 12-acre, all-grass practice facility, the removal of many trees across the entire course, and seven newly constructed tee boxes. At 6,307 yards from the blue tees, par 71, with a 70.4 course rating and a slope of 122, the Hollows is on the shorter side of 18-hole courses on Cape Cod, despite the hills.
It wouldn’t be out of the question to leave the driver in the bag for the majority of the holes at the Hollows, except on the par 5 sixth hole that measures in at a monstrous 592 yards and requires every bit of a long drive off the tee. Tiger and Daly-like hitters need not worry; you’ll most likely be hitting driver, 4-iron, or some other ludicrous two-swing combination to the green. For those of us “human” golfers, expect to hit driver and two long irons.
The first three holes, a consecutive par-5, par-4, and par-3, are a flat, moderately easy introduction to what lies ahead. The following two par-4’s are unassuming and provide the golfer with a clear view of all the obstacles. The fifth hole is a simple rendition with picture possibilities, straight-away with a slightly elevated green 366 yards from the tee box. The tree-lines on both sides of the wide fairway make the driver seem like a wise choice, but the slightest err of the swing will bring the trees a little too close for comfort. Then comes the sixth hole – did you eat your Wheaties for breakfast?
The last three holes on the front side, a par-3 followed by two par-4’s, have their own style. The 7th is a lengthy three that plays uphill and can be difficult given a headwind. The par-4 eighth hole has a green that sits well below the fairway 357 yards from the tee, a rather unique feature. About halfway down the fairway, before the trek downhill to the green, sits a small stone chapel, big enough to fit maybe 10 people, complete with a bell in the top of the steeple, a three-tiered stone staircase leading up to a beautifully engraved what-looks-to-be brass door, and a story that’s found its way into the history of Sandwich folklore. What was that again? A chapel? That’s right – a mini chapel.
As the story goes, the land that the Hollows was built upon was formerly owned by a Sandwich family whose name will be left out to protect the innocent. Evidently, the purchase of the land to construct the golf course included a stipulation that left standing a small chapel the family wanted to be buried beneath - a tomb of sorts. The rest of the story, as well as that story’s legitimacy, will have to be left to inquiring minds. Ask any of the members of the Hollows about the mini chapel and many different versions of that story, like any good folkloric tradition, will inevitably arise. The chapel’s inside is rumored to have gold-laced paint and heat during the cold season.
The par 4 ninth ends the front nine with the No. 1 handicap hole, uphill the whole way to a green that sits roughly 50 feet above the fairway. Ending strong here is important, because the back side doesn’t leave much time for relaxation – on the scorecard at least.
The first three holes on the back side, two par-4’s then a par-3, begin the walks deep into the valleys of Sandwich and high onto the peaks from which Cape Cod Bay is occasionally visible.
The par-4 13th reveals Sandwich’s rocky terrain. The slight dogleg right, with an elevated tee playing down to a medium sized green, must be played in the fairway. Only feet from the fairway lay pebble and rock, ready to make a hardpan shot to the green difficult. And watch out for the gigantic boulder that sits to the left of the green.
The next four holes wrap around each other like puzzle pieces that could be placed no other way. The 14th and 17th holes are separated by a row of tall evergreens that provide a somewhat mountain-like ambiance. The 15th and 16th, a par-3 and a par-4, require accurate irons, or else deal with the rocky woods and the hills that will swallow any erratic shots.
The 18th hole is a nice finish back to the clubhouse on top of the hill. At 408 yards, the water hazard down and to the right is barely noticeable from the tee. What is noticeable, however, are the two big trees that will wreak havoc on any approach that doesn’t acknowledge their presence. Once on the green, a couple of putts will, hopefully, be accompanied by the pleasant feeling of a well-managed round.
A not-so-well-managed round, particularly if the iron game led you into some precarious places on the back nine, will evoke a sigh of relief and the determination to face again the challenges of the Hollows.
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