Designed by Cornish, Silva and Mungeam, Bayberry Hills was opened in 1988. It is a magnificent 18-hole bent grass layout measuring over 7,000 yards from the gold tees and 6,500 from the blue tees.
The opening hole is a downhill, 415-yard par-4 that doglegs slightly to the right. The view from the elevated tee is awesome. The 365-yard fourth hole is the No. 1 handicap hole at Bayberry Hills—and for good reason. The right side is protected by a pond that is not visible from the tee but lies perilously close to the fairway. The left-side trees are easily reached by any shot pulled left. Once you are in the fairway, the next shot of about 140 yards will be from a slight downhill lie over water that laps against the front of the green.
Two of Bayberry’s best holes come back-to-back. The par-4 14th is a dogleg right where the tee shot must be perfectly placed and the green is small, narrow and heavily guarded. The par-5 15th measures only 511 yards and offers a wide driving area. The problems start with the second shot, when the player is left with two distinct choices. First, you can try to position the second shot in-line with a gap cut into the woods, or you may choose to play a long second shot past a stand of trees, yielding a 100-yard shot into the wide but shallow green.
In 1999 the Links Course was added to Bayberry Hills. The course begins with three short holes that can lull you into a false sense of security. Respecting these holes will give you a shot at an even-par start. The 5th hole, which measures 511 yards, is the first of two very good par-5s. The 8th hole is a monster of a par 5, measuring 558 yards. The drive must be long and placed away from the fairway bunkers on the right. The second must be positioned perfectly on the left side to provide a 100-yard third shot into the green.
Unique to the Links Nine is the fact that the course starts and ends on a par-3 hole.
