Foxford Hills Golf Club - Cary

The small northwest suburban town of Cary has three 18 hole public golf courses that its 18,000 residents can choose from: the Cary Country Club, Chalet Hills, and the newest of the trio, Foxford Hills.  My visit to Foxford Hills in early September was actually the 2nd time I played there, but the 1st a few years ago was memorable mainly for the obnoxious local paired with myself and 2 friends who emptied a bottle of wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, I believe) over the course of the round, so I was looking forward to taking another tour under more controlled circumstances.  Foxford Hills is another of the recent vintage subdivision courses, but a great example of doing it the right way, as the homes are rarely within reach of errant shots, and tunnels under Rawson Bridge Rd minimize the need to cross streets.  The layout itself is a visual delight, with a variety of holes that fully utilize the rolling topography of the region.

The front nine has more of a links feel, with wide fairways and native grasses, which gradually transitions into a heavily wooded parkland track on the back nine, but the quality of the holes is consistently high thruout.   There is water in play on about two-thirds of the holes, and there are 60 or so bunkers on the course, with the 12th and 13th holes having enough sand to stock a small beach.  Each hole is given a descriptive name on the scorecard, and the dogleg left 6th, the longest at 615 yards from the back tees, is aptly named Bunker Hill for the 16 (yes, one-six) sandy hazards.

Although several could qualify as signature holes, the one that gets the most pub is the 15th ("The Great Wall"), a beautiful downhill par 5 cut through a forest.  Although the shortest par 5 at 527 yards, the green is fronted by a pond with an imposing stone wall, so a full carry over the hazard is required to reach the green.  But the par four 9th hole ("Lupa Da Loop"), with an elevated green with bunkers cut into the left slope and a pond further below, or the 11th ("Slice of Heaven"), a par 4 with an elevated tee set back in the woods, or maybe #2 ("Church Pews n Isle"), a long par 5 with 4 wide, shallow fairway

bunkers and a green nearly surrounded by water, could all be considered.

The 16th ("Babbling Brook") is one of the better short par 4's I've come across, with a tee shot over the stream and then tightly uphill through thick woods to the green, and the 18th ("Oak Alley") is a worthy finisher, a monster par 4 (484 yards from the tips) through the trees to a green protected by a large trap left and a pond right; hopefully you won't need to par this one to cap off a great score.

An expansive driving range is located across the parking lot from the clubhouse, and the custom gold carts emblazoned with the Foxford Hills logo is a nice touch.  The conditions were fine for the most part, with the notable exception of the 3rd green, which did not do well through the hot, rainy summer.  At over 7,000 yards and a rating / slope of 73.8 / 137, this is not an easy track, but there are 5 tees to choose from to fit your game.  Despite the high degree of difficulty, I felt the course was fair and straight forward.

Foxford Hills tops out at $79 w/cart for a weekend morning tee time, but reduced rate coupons are constantly offered on the website, Great Greens Fees and the Wednesday Tribune, and if you can get away for an afternoon and play here for under $50, then do it, you won't be dissapoointed.  If you're looking to play 36 holes and not blow a hole in your golf budget, a Foxford Hills / Chalet Hills (about a mile away) combo is tough to top in the Northwest suburbs.

Mr Z Rating

Layout (20%) - 8.5
Playability (20%) - 8
Conditioning (15%) - 8
Aesthetics (15%) - 8.5
Amenities (10%) - 8.5
Value (20%) - 9

Total Score - 84.25