Page 6 - GG_20-1

Cover Story Cover Story

The Links At Gettysburg ~ Make Your Own History
Nick Ciattei

Near hallowed ground where Union
and Confederate soldiers marched
and camped during the defining
battle of America’s Civil War, a Hole 7 Par 5 Hole 8 Par 4
supreme challenge of golf wages
on at The Links At Gettysburg. If 187-yard par 3 third From the elevated tee, the green appears to have been hewn
into the side of a 25-foot rock wall While the hole diplays a treat to behold, the
an address were to be presented for challenge tests all of your skills. Holes four through six present what I consider
golf in this historic area, it would the scoring section of the outward nine and gently introduce you to the links-style
take place right here at The Links. play you’ll encounter for the rest of the round Face the toughest tee shot of the day
Since first shots fired in 1999, this on the 600-yard par 5 seventh From an elevated tee, you’ll play to a landing strip
unforgettable layout designed by Lindsay Ervin has received accolades fairway with water on both sides Wetlands, two large sand traps, and another 20-
from professional and amateur golfers as well as regional and national foot red rock wall protect the green on the short, 323-yard par 4 eighth, the ultimate
publications Each trip around the course reminds golfers of the ultimate risk-reward hole. The front nine closes with a solid par 4, where the second shot
plays uphill
confrontation that the game provides. The handsomely showcased rolling
Pennsylvania hills envelope lakes, creeks, and even some memorable red Legendary for its difficulty and challenge, the inward nine at The Links brandishes
rock cliffs. The term “eye candy” always comes to mind when thinking water of some sort on each hole On the tenth, a good drive leads to a short iron
about The Links At Gettysburg. played to an elevated green Bunkers and natural forest frame a lovely green
complex on the dogleg right eleventh On what is perhaps the most photographed
Before we venture out to make our own history here, let’s backtrack a bit to hole for its raw beauty and location, an arched stone bridge serves as the only path
remember the saga that put Gettysburg in the record books. The Civil War Battle to the par 3 twelfth’s huge island green. Similar in feel and look, the par 4 thirteenth
of Gettysburg proved to be the bloodiest battle fought on U.S. soil. From July 1 and par 5 fourteenth each have water down the left and woodlands to the right. The
through July 3, 1863, Major General George Gordon Meade led the Union’s Army 233-yard par 3 fifteenth plays over still more water to a 40-yard deep green. Breathe
of the Potomac’s 85,000 men to war against General Robert Edward Lee and his deep on the whopper of a par 4 sixteenth that measures nearly 500 yards from the
approximately 75,000 troops of the Confederacy’s Army of Northern Virginia. gold cannons Anything short on your approach to the tough par 4 seventeenth will
When all was said and done, more than 7,000 soldiers from both sides were killed be swallowed by two large bunkers that protect the green Keep it straight and out
and 33,000 were wounded. Lee’s army took a major hit losing more than a third of several hazards that come into play on the par 5 eighteenth, a dandy of a closer
of their militia. These irreplaceable losses to the South’s largest army, combined that provides a realistic birdie opportunity to end your round
with the Confederate surrender at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 4, marked what
is widely regarded as the turning point in the Civil War even though the conflict
would continue for nearly two more years
Tiny Civil War cannons serve as tee markers
honoring the region’s history Six generous
sets of tees ranging from 4800 to just over 7000
yards gives players of many levels the chance
to experience this Southern Pennsylvania
gem. The front nine poses less threat than its
rather daunting back nine but at the same time
delivers the goods in character and beauty
The opening hole is generally played as a par 4
lay-up as the fairway drops off significantly at about 225 yards out. The approach
runs downhill over a creek and into a striking stone wall If you could vote for a
signature hole at The Links At Gettysburg, one of the finalists would have to be the

Hole 13 Par 4
4 GOLFGUIDEINC.COM WINTER 2018 5