Telegraph photo by TOM KING Believe it or not, the par-3 14th hole at Nashua Country Club is considered by some to be the toughest hole on the course.

NASHUA – They may see a little of everything.

That’s what may await the 156 golfers who will be set to compete beginning Monday at Nashua Country Club for the 117th New Hampshire State Amateur Golf Championship.

And because there’s a little of everything, there’s no real prototype of the golfer who can tame the course as well as the competition after two days of medal play and then five rounds of match play.

“Honestly, any type of golfer can play well here,” NCC head pro Jason Malcolm said. “It’s medium length, I would say.

“The young kids that really hit it far will certainly have an advanatage. But the older crowd, the middle-aged guys, will certainly be able to compete and have plenty of birdie opportunities out there … I think you can move some tees and make a few driveable par fours. There are a lot of risk-reward holes. For the longer players, you can get aggressive and hit a driver where you may not need a driver. So a lot of risk-reward holes are out there.”

Of course, the key will be the greens. “The greens are perfect,” Malcolm said. “They’re healthy, a little firm, which is nice, and they’re rolling fantastic. They’ve got some speed to them.

“We’ll see how Greg (greenskeeper Hollick) has them for the tournament.”

The par 71, 6,457 yard course has changed a bit in the last few years. The former 18th hole is now hole No. 5, the 18th comes straight at it in the opposite direction, for one.

The front nine has five par 4s, two par 5s, and two par 3s, totalling 3,389 yards from the blue tees. The back nine totals 3,068 yards, with six par 4s, one par 5, and two par 3s. It’s not long, which basically gives everyone a chance.

Let’s take you on the journey around the pristine NCC course:

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HOLE 1, PAR 4,

372 YARDS

Golfers will find a pretty straight forward hole. It’s parallell to 18, and golfers will be forced to hit an uphill shot at a green guarded by a couple of bunkers.

“Pretty straight forward,” Malcolm said. “You can hit a driver to try to get it up there or go with a three wood (off the tee).” The hole does get narrow.

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HOLE 2, PAR 5,

516 YARDS

Malcolm calls this a “risk-reward” par 5. Longer hitters may have trouble off the tee with a water hazard on the right. Shorter hitters, Malcolm says, will hit driver. But longer hitters can make the green in two if they can drive over the fairway bunker. It’s the second longest on the course. “It’s narrow, there’s a lot of trouble up there by the green,” Malcolm said, noting lost ball area left and water right. Most will play a short wedge to the green for a birdie opportunity.

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HOLE 3, PAR 4,

388 YARDS

A new tee box was put in. The impact?

It’s made the hole about 100 yards longer and some trees were taken down. Longer hitters, Malcolm says, can hit driver and have a wedge in to the hole.

“Depending on wind direction,” he said. “Prevailing wind pushes the hazzard (on the right) into play. Certainly a different look for guys who have played it in the past.”

Very different, given that at 295 yards before it, was still a par 4.

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HOLE 4, PAR 4,

372 YARDS

NCC put in new tee boxes, adding about 20 yards in length last fall. Also, a big oak tree was taken out, basically making it more of a straightaway par 4 where it had been a dogleg left. Golfers lose some strategy but get length added, with an uphill shot to the green.

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HOLE 5, PAR 4, 402 YARDS

It looks easier than it is. Depending on your drive, the toughest shot may be the second shot into the green on this long hole. “You can kind of get a funky lie and it depends on the pin placement,” Malcolm said. The pin could get tucked into the right corner, and that will call for drive position.

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HOLE 6, PAR 3,

201 YARDS

A long par 3 that doesn’t play the yardage that gives you 20 yards downhill. Players will hit a mid -to-long iron off the tee, and look to avoid a few bunkers.

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HOLE 7, PAR 5,

551 YARDS

Welcome to the longest hole on the course. But it’s pretty much a straightaway, not a lot of trouble. It’s out of bounds on the right with train tracks. Malcolm says the longer hitters can get “pretty close in two. Three good shots put you in good position.” But the length keeps it from being an eagle hole.

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HOLE 8, PAR 3,

194 YARDS

A long iron off the back tee, bunkers surrounding the green, one short right, and two left. “You’ve got to hit a golf shot on that hole for sure,” Malcolm said.

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HOLE 9, PAR 4,

393 YARDS

Another long par 4 that needs a solid drive that will stay clear of a fairway bunker about 250 yards out. “If you avoid that, you should have a short-to-mid iron in,” Malcolm said, but adds it’s a tough birdie hole because of a swale on the green.

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HOLE. 10, PAR 4,

371 YARDS

The back nine has more birdie holes, in Malcolm’s opinion, including this hole. Driver-wedge gets you on, just avoid the fairway bunker on the left.

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HOLE 11, PAR 5,

444 YARDS

Another risk-reward hole, keyed by pin position. It’s tight drive, with a sloped fairway, “but if you do find the fairway, you’re going to have a go at the green,” Malcolm said. However, nothing is all that easy as there’s a two-tier green with bunkers around the upper level. Ouch. But it’s an eagle hole if the pin is on the lower tier. A key match play hole.

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HOLE 12, PAR 4,

378 YARDS

Similar to the 10th, fairway bunker on left, woods on right to avoid, but if you stay clean it’s a driver-wedge. Fairly straightforward.

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HOLE 13, PAR 3,

158 YARDS

The golf course’s signature hole, with the pretty pond in front of the green, located right when you pull in by the clubhouse. It’s a new look with no more green side bunker. Mid to short iron off the tee. “Little more forgiveness,” Malcolm said.

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HOLE 14, PAR 3,

225 YARDS

Welcome to what Malcolm says is the toughest hole on the course. Really, a par 3? Yes, a long par 3 that some will need to hit driver off the tee, especially if wind is at them. Small green, tough to hit. If Hollick moves the pin to the back and the tee way back, it could stretch to 235-240. “Coming down the stretch in match play, it’ll be a hole to keep an eye on,” Malcolm said. “Somehow make a par and move on.”

HOLE 15, PAR 4,

345 YARDS

The first of four straight par 4s to finish, all birdie holes. “These longer hitters, they can actually drive that green,” Malcolm said. “You can lay back with a short wedge in, or you can try to get up there really close (off the tee).”

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HOLE 16, PAR 4,

341 YARDS

On this whole, Malcolm says, “It’s all about the second shot.” Why? Another two-tiered green. It’s all about levels. Good strategy is fairway wood off tee to lay back to 150 yards away. A hazard on the right, trees on the left.

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HOLE 17, PAR 4,

398 YARDS

A straightforward hole, all about the drive. “It’s probably the most important fairway to hit on the course,” Malcolm said. There’s a road out of bounds on the right, and some tree trouble on the left. A fairway drive gives you mid-to-short iron in with a birdie chance.

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HOLE 18, PAR 4,

408 YARDS

Welcome home. From the back tees, it’s the longest par 4 on the course coming back to the clubhouse. The road is on the left, and you don’t want to miss the fairway to the right of trees. “It’s a hole like 17, where you have to make sure you’re in the fairway,” Malcom said.

Players will try to top the hill, while mid-length hitters will be in the middle.

•••

A few interesting details, but don’t over-read the course, Malcolm says.

“It’s like any course,” he said. “If you hit the fairways, you’re going to have a lot of birdie opportunities.”

And from that, the 117th State Am champion will be determined.

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