This section breaks down how to play each hole at Golden Tee’s Black Hills, in Keystone, South Dakota.  Check back soon to see how this course and specific holes rates difficulty-wise among all the 2009 courses! Check back here and learn even more tips and tricks, and how to play from each of the tee boxes […]

Here is a really, really tough par 4, and it’s only the 5th hole!  Sometimes, this can set up where you can line up towards the pin and carry a wood over the trees to the green.  But, you have to be dead on if you attempt this, because everywhere off the green is trouble.  […]

The safe play is around the trees and hill, but you’ll almost certainly need 3 shots into the green this way, and what fun is that anyway? I’ve found a couple options for getting there in two, and they require some luck.  If you have a closer tee box, aim at the elevated hill across […]

Welcome to The Falls!  I almost wish this hole hadn’t won the “Design a Hole” contest, because although it looks really cool, it’s really tough!  I’m still finding myself in the waterfall way too often, and that water is lethal — it sucks your ball right down into the river, and you get a penalty. […]

One of the coolest hole ever designed, and just about as tough!  You’ll learn pretty quickly that you can’t miss left, or you’re falling down the faces of Mt. Rushmore!  The tendency will be to aim long and right, but Golden Tee conveniently put a pond there too! Actually, with a bit of practice, this […]

This hole can very easily kill your round, if it’s not dead already by this point.  What makes it so hard is that you have to hit a high-lofted club into a green surrounded by rock and cliffs while fighting a heavy wind! If your ball lands on the rock, the results are almost never […]

On easier courses, this hole might be a par 5, but this is Black Hills!  You can usually play a big C3 with roll to get some extra distance up the fairway, but just being in the fairway is the most important part. Pin placement can be tough here, and you must leave yourself a […]

This hole was custom made for the Big Bertha clubs, and you’ll be losing a stroke to your opponents here if you aren’t losing them.  From the left tee box a 9-wood will clear all the stones and give you a straight shot at the green, and from the right box, a 7-wood does the […]

This tough par 3 has 3 tee boxes, and all offer a difficult shot into the green since 3 sides of the green are OB down the cliff, with the other side being sand!  So, if you do miss to the “safe” side in the sand, you’ll still have to try to stop a downhill […]

This par 4 can really challenge your shot-shaping ability.  First, you’ve got a set of stones by the tee box blocking your way towards the green, and then you have another set of them to miss as your approach comes into the green!  The Kinz videos below are not for the faint of heart, but […]

Here you have 5 tee boxes but one common goal — leave yourself 240-250 yards into this enormously elevated green!  If you’re using the Big Bertha clubs, as you should be on this course, you have a lot more flexibility.  You won’t have to worry about hitting a longer drive because you’ll still have a […]

This hole has 3 different tee boxes shooting into 1 of 2 different greens, so you’ll see a lot of different looks here.  One green is an island, and one is guarded by sand.  Some shots are pretty flat, but you can also see a look into a significantly elevated green. Just apply the principles […]

Most of the time here, you’ll be aiming just to the right of the “praying hands” rocks, which gives you a more forgivable gap into the green.  Hit as much loft as you can, because the more loft, the bigger the gap becomes as your ball descends towards the green.  But, even with a driver, […]

Your drive is crucial here, and it will set up the difficulty of your approach shot and your chance at eagle.  First, notice where the pin stands in relation to the green.  If it’s in the middle, you’ll want your drive to be straight down the middle of the fairway.  If the pin is on […]

Ready for more?  Here’s another par 4 that offers a challenging chance at eagle.  You’ll always be playing some form of A1, down the hill and curving around into the green.  The issue here, again, is the elevation change — you’ll notice the wind affect the ball a LOT on its way down. Most missed […]

Here is your official introduction to the challenges of Black Hills!  So, you want to get there in two?  More than likely, you’ll have to take your chances on one of many “Easter Islands” featured within this course.  Line yourself up with the pin and take note of where all the huge stones are on […]

Here you’ve got water short and sand long, so you don’t have much choice but to carry the green.  Unless the wind is strongly in your face, you should carry the green and use backspin to hold it!  If the pin is in a tough spot, make sure you leave yourself a putt, because the […]

This par 4 is usually drivable, but the difficulty varies quite a bit based on your tee box.  You could have a straight shot into the green, or you might have to play a big C3. At times you’ll have to lay up in the fairway if you’re on the far left of the tee […]

Because of the sharp drop in elevation, this is one of the very few first holes where you can’t take your approach shot for granted.  Keep in mind that the wind will affect you approach shot about twice as much as on flat ground, and a side wind can really cut distance, so club up […]

So what’s the best set of clubs to use when playing Golden Tee 2009’s Black Hills?  Well, I got feedback from 25 pros on their choices, and here’s what I found! On this course, it was near unanimous — you’ve got to play the Big Berthas.  It seems as if this course was designed specifically […]

Here’s what the players are saying early on about Golden Tee’s new 2009 course Black Hills! AMJ — GT Par is -28. Jeff S — HOLY FACK!! Awesome course. Be precise where you land the ball for your next shot. Rocks….BIG ROCKS…..everywhere. A lot of elevation change here too…and the waterfall hole….cool!! Black Hills is […]