Where not to build a golf course home

The family building a home to the right of the 11th hole at Coosaw Creek in North Charleston couldn’t possibly be golfers.

Only about half of home owners on golf courses play golf. The other half simply enjoy the open green spaces behind them and the higher resale values. But since they don’t understand that 90% golfers hit at least five or six stray Scud missiles during a round, it’s hard to know they’re sitting ducks.

Coosaw’s middle tees are only 6000 yards, and the backs are 6500 yards but a sneaky-hard slope of 140, so most mid-handicappers are tempted to play the backs instead of leaving the driver in the bag most of the day from the whites. Coosaw is a course built in the early 1990s, when golf course real estate was going gang-busters, and I’ve noticed many courses built in this era have housing that comes in too close to the holes in many spots. In the last decade, it’s gotten better.

Other holes at Coosaw are still relatively tame from the backs, but once you see the intimidating 11th, you’ll soil yourself. It’s a long, uphill par 3 about 220 yards from the back tees with a small green. It plays through a tight chute of woods with water short and O.B. left and right. The right side seems a little more open than the left though.

My partner and I hit two full block-outs dead right. We found our balls in the backyard of a big house with giant windows under construction short and right of the green. We also noticed the house already had at least two panes already shattered. They couldn’t have been installed more than maybe three months ago, judging by the progress of construction. We clearly aren’t alone in missing right here.

If you’re considering building a home on a golf course, make sure you’re not building your house in the most popular place to miss-hit from the tee - usually right of the fairway or green and especially anywhere 150-250 yards off the tees on par-5s.

I hope the family getting ready to move in off the 11th hole wears helmets at the dinner table.