Golf Course Review - The Quarry Golf Club

Golf Betting Lines

07/26/2010 - San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS AND STATS: Course Architect: Keith Foster (1992-94). Year Opened: 1994. Location: San Antonio, Texas. Slope: 128. Rating: 72.4. Par: 71. Yardage: 6,740.

Hole-by-Hole:

1 - Par 4 388 Yds 10 - Par 4 474 Yds

2 - Par 4 453 Yds 11 - Par 4 370 Yds

3 - Par 3 168 Yds 12 - Par 3 205 Yds

4 - Par 4 325 Yds 13 - Par 4 362 Yds

5 - Par 5 544 Yds 14 - Par 4 442 Yds

6 - Par 4 383 Yds 15 - Par 5 528 Yds

7 - Par 4 399 Yds 16 - Par 3 242 Yds

8 - Par 8 158 Yds 17 - Par 4 386 Yds

9 - Par 4 349 Yds 18 - Par 5 564 Yds

Par 35 3,167 Yds Par 36 3,573 Yds

Awards Won: Four stars by Golf Digest - Best Places to Play (2007-10), Ranked 13th by GolfWeek - Best Courses by State [Texas] (2010), Top 100 Women Friendly Courses in US - Golf for Women (1998-99).

Course Record: 64 (PGA Tour player, J.L. Lewis)

Website: www.quarrygolf.com.

HISTORY: Operating as a limestone quarry pit and cement plant for almost 100 years, The Quarry Golf Club emerged from the ideas of well-known San Antonio golf enthusiast Jack Parker. It's the typical success story. "You'll never build a golf course out of that pit," the skeptics bellowed.

Less than 10 years after the plant closed, Keith Foster was brought in to carve out a golf course. Foster, who previously worked with the Arthur Hills design group, went out on his own just a short time before starting his work on The Quarry in 1992.

Known for his renovation and restoration work at Baltimore Country Club at Five Farms, Colonial Country Club and Southern Hills, one of Foster's first original designs was The Quarry, which features a links-style front nine, with many water hazards and a back-nine chiseled inside the old abandoned 86-acre rock quarry.

Rated as a must-play by many, The Quarry has been ranked as one of the top courses in the state of Texas since its inception.

REVIEW: The opening hole at The Quarry is a downhill, dogleg-right par four of just 388 yards. The key here is hitting the fairway, as the landing area runs out, so three-metal or long iron might be the play. The green sits well below your feet, so adjust your approach accordingly. Water guards the entire right side of the putting surface, leaving little room for error. Bail out left and you'll end up in a much-used bunker. Hey, it's better than losing a ball.

Sitting alongside the train tracks, the second is one of the longest par fours on the course, stretching 453 yards. The fairway is very accessible, as long as you bypass the 45-yard bunker down the right. A medium- to long-iron awaits to the longest green on the front nine. Chipping areas surround most of the putting surface. Avoid missing long and left and you'll survive the hole they call "Rails."

The third hole is the first par three on the course and it's a beauty. From the back markers it's just 168 yards, but water covers the left side and the green slopes toward the trouble. To make matters worse, the wind blows from the right, so you'll need to be spot on. A word of caution: a pair of bunkers guard the right and they're quite nasty.

Talk about risk-reward, the fourth is just that. A short par four of only 325 yards, it certainly is possible. The risk is water down the entire right side from tee to green. The reward, of course, is reaching the putting surface and having a shot at eagle. For most normal players, an iron or fairway metal off the tee to a very wide fairway will leave just a wedge to a long and narrow putting surface. The two-tiered green can be tricky, especially when the pin is back-right.

As its name indicates, the fifth is a "Watery Grave." A dogleg-left par five, your opening tee shot must be placed onto a peninsula-of-sorts fairway that is mostly surrounded by water. Your second shot, to the bridge-ajoined fairway, should be relatively stress-free as the landing area is bunker-free, but raised. For those who go for the green in two, the fairway tightens as you get closer to the wide, but narrow, putting surface. Two bunkers front the elevated promised land to even the score. A back-right pin can make this easy hole a real bear.

One of eight par fours under 400 yards long, the sixth is a straightaway hole that features a 60-yard bunker down the left side of the fairway. Shape your tee shot at the church steeple and you'll be left with a short-iron to a green that slopes from right to left. Two bunkers guard the putting surface, but this is a definite birdie hole.

A fairly benign hole, the seventh is a relatively straight par four, with just one bunker down the right side. The key here is the approach shot to a minuscule green that's just 27 paces deep. No sand guarding it, but any shot short will kick left away from the putting surface.

Another glorious par three, the eighth is only 158 yards, but water and wind can and will dictate your play. The shot towards the wide and undulating green is a complete carry over water and sand. Being greedy here will only hurt in the long run, so play to the middle of the green and who knows, maybe the flat stick will save you. If the pin is back and to the right, play a second ball for fun and go for it.

The closing hole on the outward nine is a gem of a par four. Stretching just 349 yards from the tips, you'll need to bust a drive to clear the ditch that splits the fairway in two. Although it's just a 200-yard carry, it plays uphill from tee to green, so give it a rip. Favor the right side, as the landing area tilts hard to the left. Just a wedge will remain to a highly- elevated putting surface that's just 27 paces long and very narrow. The two- tiered green slopes hard from back to front, so try and stay below the hole and, by the way, avoid the left greenside bunker. Other than that, piece of cake.

The course really starts to heat up when you reach the Quarry nine. No. 10 is the longest par four on the course at 474 yards. Not only that, it plays uphill, so make sure you add a club or two. The fairway is quite generous and filled with rolling contours throughout. Miss right of the cart path and you'll have little chance of finding your ball. Your approach to the elevated green is quite deceiving, so make sure you take enough stick. Chipping areas front and right can make for a difficult up and down.

In contrast, the 11th plays downhill towards the green and is just 370 yards in length. The left fairway bunker sees plenty of action, as most players bail out due to the sharp fall off on the right. Yours truly can attest to that. A big drive can set up a simple short-iron to a green that runs from left to right with a ridge separating the front and back. A pin position in the back and right will bring more chipping areas into play.

The third sensational par three on the course, the 12th, stretches 205 yards from the tips and is all carry over marsh and water to the green. A nice draw from right to left is the play here, as it takes the water out of play, but be careful, as the green slopes towards sand and water left. The putting surface is minimal at just 29 paces with plenty of contour. Any play short will roll back down away from the green. Aptly named "Alcatraz," you'll need to escape with par.

Water continues to be the dominant trait on the back nine as you reach the 13th. This sharp dogleg-left hole features a full carry over the lake that covers the entire left side of the hole. Although these holes sit down in the quarry, the wind really affects No. 13 in particular. A sweeping draw fits the eye from the tee, as this will set up a simple wedge to the smallest green on the course at just 24 paces in depth. Fronted by a deep bunker, a back-left pin will only be partially in view, so trust your game and go for it.

The most difficult hole on the back nine is the long par four 14th. Named "Stacks" for its aiming point, this brute is 442 yards in length and plays gently uphill. Limestone outcroppings dot the rough, but the fairway is wide and accommodating. Even with a big tee ball, you'll have a medium- to long- iron to the elevated green. Putts move sharply on this small and undulating putting surface, so play enough break or a three-putt could be in the cards.

A really good chance of getting a stroke back comes in the form of the par- five 15th. Just 528 yards, the tee shot plays downhill towards the generous fairway. Although it tightens at the 300-yard mark, most players should have plenty of room. Give it a lash from the fairway if you have the stones, but you'll need to avoid the bunker that fronts the green. Not a bad spot to be in if you have a quality sand game. Just 25 paces in depth, the putting surface is wide but shallow, so your approach must be spot on. Now's the time to make birdie, since the final three holes yield very few.

Sixteen is the most difficult of the four par threes at The Quarry. It's a robust 242 yards from the tips and uphill all the way. When was the last time you hit driver on a par three? Can you say never? Well, there's a first time for everything. The elevated green sits atop a hill, with all putts breaking toward the tee box. Not a good combination, especially if you miss short.

One of the prettiest, yet intimidating holes on the course, No. 17 is called "Reload." For a golfer, that's not a word you want to hear, but it happens quite often. Yes, if you must ask, I hit two. With the quarry wall to your right, you tee off from the highest point on the course, with a panoramic view of the entire quarry. From the back tee, it plays as a dogleg-left with what seems like a sliver of fairway in the distance. The landing area does run out at the 300-yard mark, so three-metal is probably the smart play, as the cart path splits the fairway. A short-iron should remain to the longest green on the course and one of the most slick. With the flag back-left, you'll need an extra club or two and be careful to avoid the bunker duo on the left.

Although not the most difficult hole on the course, the 18th requires strategy, not something usually associated with a par five. The reason is because the downhill fairway tightens dramatically at the 280-yard mark, not to mention the rock wall boundary on the right and rough and rocks left. Your second shot is played uphill to a landing area that sits 100 yards from the elevated green. Remember to adjust accordingly to attack the pin. The putting surface is long with several levels, so take enough club for the back-left pin.

FINAL WORD: Located just minutes from the airport and downtown San Antonio, The Quarry Golf Club is a blast (no pun intended) to play.

The front nine is virtually devoid of trees and it winds around several water hazards. Starting with the opening hole, they come into play on five of the outward nine.

When The Quarry was originally built there was very little, if any, housing or commercial areas. Now, of course, it's a different story, as a strip mall runs down the left side of the first hole, taking away a little bit of the ambience.

Although the front nine plays quite shorter than the back, it's still a test, specifically when the wind is up and you need to hit your approach over water, like on the first and third holes.

Pick the right set of tee markers, because when you reach the back nine, you'll be hard-pressed to match your front-nine score.

The inward holes at The Quarry are really the most interesting, especially Nos. 12 and 13 and 16 through 18. Despite being under 400 yards, the 17th not only is quite deceiving, but one of the most difficult holes on the course. No wonder it earned its current moniker.

There are several vital statistics that make The Quarry a required visit.

First of all, the rates are reasonable, from a low of $25 after 5 p.m. to a high of $79 on the weekend. It's not often that a top layout features such affordable prices.

Secondly, the challenge of the golf course is very appealing, and not just from the back tees. Forced carries over water and ravines, uphill marches towards greens, strategic choices off the tee, The Quarry has it all.

The amenities are complete and the staff is very knowledgeable. PGA golf professional Sean Etheredge leads the entourage of helpful staff. A native of the San Antonio area, Sean has spent over six years at The Quarry overseeing all aspects of the operation. In addition, former PGA and Champions Tour player Jim Barker is the Director of Instruction. Barker has received many accolades, including being named one of the top teachers in the country by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine in 2001.

Affordable, challenging, unique and a great experience -- what more could a golfer ask for?

Foster claims on his website that his aim is "to produce timeless and enduring work" and he certainly delivered on those intentions at The Quarry Golf Club.

Aces, pars or bogeys, send your thoughts to psokol@sportsnetwork.com.