Live From: The Fulton Open -- Silver Creek Holes 7 - 12

With over forty rounds of competitive play in the books, each hole at Silver Creek has seen it's share of memorable shots during the Fulton Open.

Today we will take a look at holes 7 - 12 to see where the players will try to pick up ground, and where par is a good score.

We'll also take a look at the incredible ebbs and flows of the tournament, by measuring the players' attitude on a Biorhythm Meter.

Hole 7 -- Par 4, 375 Yards



The middle six holes at Silver Creek begin with one of the most challenging on the entire course -- the long par four 7th.

A dramatic dogleg left, the fairway runs nearly perpendicular to the tee box. A large pond forces players to carry the ball at least 200 yards to reach the fairway. Large tress and a bunker guard the left hand side to penalize those whose angle is too aggressive.

Players are faced with options off the tee -- a fairway wood to the open part of the fairway is the safest play, but leaves a 200 yard second shot. Players looking to pick up a stroke will play their tee shots toward the fairway bunker on the left with a slight draw to try and cut off the dogleg. A successful tee shot will leave the player 100 yards to an elevated green. Errant shots will find the woods on the left, or the spectator mounds guarding the right hand side of the fairway.

Biorhythm Level: 3
Disaster looms on the 7th hole. Whether it be Fulton's aversion to water, Koch Jr.'s inability to hit a draw when he needs it, or Koch Sr.'s frustrations with bunker play -- each player's demons come into play on the 7th. By this point in the round, one of the three men has uttered the phrase "it's over."

Fulton Open Memory: The infamous 13. Second round, 1999 Fulton Open. Fulton, in contention and trying to claim his third Fulton Open, deposited his tee shot in the lake fronting the 7th fairway. Unaware that he had yet to use his mulligan, Fulton proceeded to re-tee, and deposit several more balls in the water.

Frustrated -- not that he'd made a 13 but that his playing competitors hadn't sufficiently explained his mulligan options -- Fulton picked up the flag, asked the rhetorical question "what's that, thirteen?" and then flung the flagstick far enough that it qualified him for the 2000 Olympic Games.

Hole 8 -- Par 3, 160 Yards



Home of sunken balls and sunken dreams.

A medium length par 3, the 8th hole's main feature is a large lake protecting the right side. Usually played into the prevailing wind, the hole can play significantly longer than what the scorecard shows.

In recent years, although unnecessary, Fulton has used as much as a 3 wood on this hole -- utilizing the Fuzzy Zoeller/17th at Sawgrass theory of blowing the ball way past all the trouble.

Although there is room on the left hand side, players choosing to bail out are faced with a difficult pitch over a bunker, to a green sloped from back to front.

Biorhythm Level: 5
Much like the second hole, someone is bound to hit a ball in the water on the 8th. Also like the second hole, Fulton receives two strokes, so he could hit a pitching wedge to the ladies tee, chip on and two putt for a bogey, net birdie, and still pick up a shot.

Fulton Open Memory: Second Round, 1999. Fulton, coming off his legendary 13 on the 7th, approached his tee shot with a focus and intensity we haven't seen from him since his afternoon at the Golfin' Dolphin.

Usually a hole which gives him fits, on that day Fulton could only see the pin. His 45 second pre-shot routine was condensed to a mere 40 seconds. He lashed a majestic five iron into the overcast Carolina sky, and the ball landed a mere five feet from the cup. When he tapped in for his 2, net 0, the legend of his 13-2 was cemented in Fulton Open lore forever.

Hole 9 -- 470 Yards, Par 5



A short par 5 where players can pickup ground.

Like the 7th hole before it, the par 5 9th can be a great scoring hole with a solid drive. The hole banks heavily from right to left -- one of the few holes on the course which favors a draw. Bunkers pinch the fairway in around 240 yards off the tee. Laying short of the bunkers makes it a three shot par 5, while an aggressive drive past the bunkers opens up a long approach to yet another elevated green.

The green is segmented into three levels -- placing distance control at a premium. Traditionally the 9th green is one of the slowest, as Course Superintendent Antonio always over-waters it in an effort to show Course Owner Eddie that he is doing his job.

Biorhythm Level: 7
After the hi jinx on holes 7 and 8, the 9th hole is always a welcome sight. Even if the player hits an errant drive, the hole is short enough that they can recover. Also, the players know that they will soon make the turn and have a chance to spot Donna, the buxom ex-wife of Eddie, who sometimes works the concessions stand.

Fulton Open Memory: No specific memories, just a lot of rushing around so we can get to the clubhouse.

Hole 10 -- Par 4, 370 Yards



A difficult start to a difficult back nine.

Unlike the front nine where players have the option to play safe or aggressive, the back nine necessitates a more traditional "hit it here" type of golf.

The par 4 10th is a great example. The fairway runs left to right, with thick trees guarding either side of the fairway. Players must play a slight fade to fit their tee shot between the two bunkers on either side of the fairway. Errant drives require a pitch out, or some type of trick shot.

The approach is usually around 150 yards, to a very small elevated green. The shot is made even more intimidating by the ever present Highway 58 sitting just 10 yards behind the green.

Biorhythm Level: 7
Players are generally in good spirits after leaving the clubhouse and heading towards the 10th tee. The older players have made an EXTENDED trip to the bathroom, and everyone is stocked up on the sustenance of their choice.

The hole is usually played in a food induced blur, compounded by the fact that those assholes behind us didn't spend 45 minutes in the clubhouse taking a dump and flirting with Donna, and now they're right on top of us again. Despite being one of the more straight forward holes on the course, it's yielded some of the most double bogeys, for this reason.

Fulton Open Memory:
Inaugural Fulton Open, Final Round. Koch Sr., locked in a duel with Fulton, hit an errant tee shot into the trees on the right. Instead of pitching out, Koch Sr. tried to go over the trees with his brand new lob wedge. Koch Jr., in the field as an amateur, warned his dad against making such an aggressive play. Koch Sr. insisted, and thinned his shot directly into the tree in front of him. He then turned around and tomahawked his lob wedge about forty yards -- 20 yards farther than his previous shot traveled.

11th Hole -- Par 5, 525 Yards



A true 3 shot par 5.

The only par 5 at Silver Creek not reachable in two, the 11th hole requires three solid shots to make a par. Another dogleg right the hole plays steadily uphill, to an elevated green. After a well placed tee shot, players are faced with a layup of 150-200 yards. The approach to the green is uphill over water, to the most shallow green on the course.

Biorhythm Level: 3
After the food induced coma wears off, the 11th hole is a rude awakening. Any player is susceptible to the dangers of the 11th, but none moreso than Fulton. Fulton's play on the 11th is always dictated by his tee shot. If his drive flies straight or left he is likely to make a decent score. But should he flirt with the right side, he finds it impossible to escape.

Fulton Open Memory: 2006 Fulton Open, Final Round. Entering the final round with a seemingly unsurmountable six shot lead, Fulton found himself leading Koch Jr. by just two going to the 11th. His tee shot flew down the right side -- and in a series of events now dubbed "Fulton's Folly" he took four additional strokes to escape. After holing out for a 9, Fulton found his six shot lead vanquished and his psyche broken. Koch Jr. went on to claim his third Fulton Open Championship.

Hole 12 -- Par 4, 330 Yards



A short but dangerous four-par.

One of the shortest par fours on the course, the 12th has also seen it's share of high numbers. The tee shot is straight away -- one of the only ones on the course. A lone bunker and some scattered trees guard the right side. A well placed tee shot will leave a wedge to a very thin green, surrounded by bunkers.

The danger on the 12th lies with the out of bounds on the right. To get the proper angle to the green, the proper sightline for the tee shot is right over the bunker on the right. Any amount of slice will take the ball into the aforementioned out of bounds.

Biorhythm Level: 5
Again, one of the easier holes on paper, but difficult to pick up any ground. The hole requires two precise shots in a row -- something none of the three men are capable of pulling off.

Fulton Open Memory:
2007 Fulton Open, Rounds 1 and 2. Koch Jr. -- distance hungry as always -- used driver off the 12th tee. In round one, his drive -- slightly sliced -- sailed out of bounds, costing him a one shot penalty. In round two he repeated his mistake and again hit driver out of bounds, costing him another shot. Koch Jr. ended up losing in a playoff.