Miakka Golf Club: Hole 2
Alex Elias
Courtesy of Evan Schiller (@evan_schiller_photography)
One of the many defining features at Miakka Golf Club is its ribbon tees. On the Par-4 2nd, ribbon tees stretch along both the left and right sides, with the furthest tee on the left playing over the 1st green. Though the landing area appears to be quite narrow, it is actually nearly 100-yards wide.
“The very long ribbon tees are actually the same zoysia turf and cut to the same height as the fairway,” said Jason Straka. “It provides the illusion that the fairway is extremely narrow, but what gets lost is that those are the tees, not a super narrow fairway.”
To further the illusion created by the ribbon tees, the Australian sand-belt style bunkers hide some of the fairway, causing players to second-guess the landing area.
Though, in reality, the landing zone is wide, it narrows slightly for longer hitters—but with a reward.
“If players can reach the upper left shoulder, I’d tell them to aim there—with a cut if they’re skilled enough,” said Straka. “If executed, the ball will bounce toward the green, making the hole play much shorter.”
Ultimately, playing to the smallest green on the course—a mere 140 feet long, roughly 50 feet wide, and 6,613 square feet—a narrow creek guards the right side, while closely mown turf awaits on the left.
“If you come in from the left, the green is wide but very narrow. If you come in from the right, the green is narrow but very long.”
As a result of the narrowness and the creek, left is the safer play, where a missed green will result in a number of options.
“If you have to showcase Miakka in a single hole, the second has it all: a variety of teeing areas, defined bunkers, a deceiving, yet wide fairway, and if you miss the green, a safe landing area with multiple club options to get up and down,” said Boomer Erick, Director of Golf at Miakka Golf Club.
