Since my return from London back in the summer of 2014, I've played a majority of my golf at a private club I joined back in August of that same year. Woodstone opened back in 2000, and has undergone numerous changes over the years. In fact - the layout is currently undergoing more changes with the removal of some back tee boxes that were hardly ever used. It plays long and can be very unforgiving on windy days, measuring 7100 yards from the tips, 6500 yards from the usual member's tee box. The removal of three back tee boxes will effectively shorten the course to an approximate 6900 yards from the back tees once completed. The greens are very large, very undulating, and usually in great shape year-round. Most guests I bring up to play commonly say that they've never played greens as fast or as challenging as ours.
Back about 5 years ago, the owner apparently had too much money and decided to add a nice ballroom and lodge, for both weddings and skiers who visit the local ski resort during the winter months. As a result, anyone who stays at the lodge can play the course for the guest rate ($75 in-season). The lodge gets great reviews, and I had two golf buddies over from London last summer who stayed there while visiting. I think it was a hundred bucks or so per night, and I pulled some strings and they were upgraded to a luxury suite overlooking the 9th green at no additional charge. They have a full guest bar and dining room as well.
This first pic is of the clubhouse and lodge, taken near the 13th green looking back toward the clubhouse.
This second pic was taken last week, from back of the par5 9th green, with the fairway of the 9th hole to the left and looking down further you can see the fairway of the par4 7th hole to the right. The 9th green is diabolical... there's been some recent chatter about redoing the 9th green to make it more level, as the lower portion never gets used outside of the annual 8-inch cup tournament each fall.
The final pic for this post is of the opening hole, a very tight 390-yard par4 that plays downhill. At the moment they actually have us playing from the back tees (422 yards) in an effort to recondition the regular member's tee box. The green is guarded by a small pond, and the green itself has four separate tiers, with a prominent ridge intersecting the middle. Through 250+ rounds thus far, I've yet to walk off of this green upset with a par. Or, for that matter, overly upset with a bogey.
