Previously played as the back nine to the Old Blue Course, Legends Nine is most famous for it's nineth hole - respectfully known as the Mickey Mantle Hole. The greatly anticipated final hole on the course is named after the New York Yankees legend who hosted his Mickey Mantle Golf Classic charity tournament at Shangri-La from 1991 until his death in 1995. Mantle once shot an albatross on the challenging par 5.
The challenge is in full view from the tee box with a choice of two greens separated by a dramatic and spectacular waterfall. One might chose the straigt long fairway to the left, which is the safer option, or a peninsula green over water to the right. It takes moxie to reach the peninsula in two, yet layup considerations can be costly as the water is a ball magnet.
Heritage Nine
The first tee shot of the day is sometimes the hardest. And #1 Heritage doesn’t help you feel any more comfortable. With trees and a pond left and a bunker right, just finding the fairway is a good goal. Consider hitting a club that leaves your ball just short of the fairway bunker and you will still only have 150 yards to the uphill green. Challenge the pond successfully and you’ll have just a short shot into the uphill approach. Be sure to judge the dramatic elevation changes from tee to green. With three distinct sections on the green, your focus should be on landing your ball on the correct level. A large collection area surrounds the entire greens complex, so consider putting or using your hybrid to try to get up and down if you miss the green. A missed approach short of the green should be avoided at all costs.
Champions Nine
Many golf courses start out with an easy hole, one that provides a smooth transition from the driving range to the first tee. And if you make good decisions, this holds true on the Champions Nine at Shangri-La. But, be careful, one errant shot can cost you several strokes on your scorecard. Although #1 is not unusually long, it plays into the prevailing wind. The large fairway bunker in the driver landing area protects the go-zone on the right side of this reachable par 5. With large trees lining the left side of the approach shot, hitting your tee shot down that direction will force you to lay up every time. Don’t be tempted to carry the pond protecting the left side of the green unless your confidence is high. Coming up short and left of the green will funnel your shot back into the pond. A properly executed layup shot will leave a final approach from 50 to 100 yards. Just be sure to make your ball come to rest on the correct side of the hole or a three putt may be imminent.
Contact The Championship Golf Course at 918-257-7706
