Lake of Isles (South) - Connecticut - USA

My golf journey began as a teenager in Connecticut. With wonderful junior golf events sponsored by the CSGA, I was very fortunate to play some of the state’s best courses. The South Course at Lake of Isles (LOI) is certainly a standout.

Located at the Foxwoods Resort in the southeastern portion of the state, both LOI courses were carved out of dense forests, a massive lake, and lush swamplands. If you enjoy the feeling of being completely “lost” in the wilderness when playing golf, then this is absolutely your type of course. You will be hard pressed to find more beautiful foliage on a golf course in Connecticut than you will experience at LOI. Of course, this is accomplished in a truly luxurious environment, too. With incredible amenities and world-class resort funding, the LOI courses are exceptionally well-manicured. The South is the private course on the property.

Among the most memorable holes at LOI-South include:

• #2: Early in the round, the course earns its namesake with this strong par four playing to an island fairway, and then again over another ravine to the green.

• #4: This long par three set far into the woods has some Redan-esque qualities.

• #8: The long par five 8th is unabashedly beastly. With gorgeous views of the resort from the tee, the player faces peril at every twist and turn through this 600 yard monster. These include a steep ravine that runs down the entire left side of the hole, thick forest to the right, random patches of swampy waste also down the right, and a constricting, narrow fairway as you approach the green. While not the most welcoming to players of all abilities, this hole is a memorable test of length and accuracy.

• #9: The fairway on this hole plays diagonally to the player, requiring a right-to-left shot shape over swamp. The fairway is pinched at the most aggressive line by a strategic bunker, adding extra challenge for low handicappers.

• #10: Architecturally, the 10th at LOI-South is quite unique. The fairway is actually wishbone shaped (!!) with a swampy patch of bushes protruding outward from the green. A strange kidney shaped chipping area is also located beyond the green. The extreme width of this fairway creates fascinating playing angles and departs from virtually any other hole on the course stylistically. For me, this hole was always a blast to experience.

• #11: A bunkerless, do-or-die island green that is among the finest of its kind which I have played.

• #13: This shortish par four fits the naturally sloping right-to-left land perfectly, and a smart player can gain significant yards with the properly played drive.

• #16: Once again set on the lake, the par three 16th has a unique hump which sticks out from the mainland. Lucky shots can play off this patch of rough for a safe bounce onto the green, while others may be rejected into the water.

• #18: Similar to #10, the finisher at LOI-South departs from the typically framed hole corridors with a massive fairway and bunker strategically placed right in the middle. The proper angle is essential to have a shot at landing your approach close.

The conditions at LOI-South are expectedly fantastic, and there is solid variety in terms of hole lengths, shot shapes required, and approaches which require aerial versus ground shots. The stretch from #8 - #11, in my opinion, is among the best in the state and probably New England.

With that said, LOI-South lacks in same categories as its public, North counterpart. Generally bland bunkering, and a handful holes which feel like they could be anywhere are present throughout the round. While I appreciate the architecturally unique features on some tee and approach shots, I cannot recall a single standout green complex. Given its extreme length, I would find it hard to enjoy playing at LOI-South every single day.

In short, if you receive an invitation to play at LOI-South and you also happen to be close and/or planning to make a trip out of it to the resort, hop on the opportunity immediately. From an architecture standpoint, it is not the type of course I personally would place high on my bucket list.

Lake of Isles South, the private course, is virtually identical to the public course. If you played them both back to back the only differing memory would be the last hole. The par 3's which go into the lake are the same. The terrain is the same. The conditioning is very good and the same. They are both challenging for anyone. They can both play well over 7000 yards. The turf is normally pretty soft so they play to full distance. Overall if you are in the area these courses are quite nice and you should play. The North is usually mobbed, and candidly the South has much play too. Mostly VIP guests and their guests.

This is not Rees Jones’ best effort. Lake of Isles’ private course is characterized by far too many dull, flat putting surfaces. Nearly all feature bunker in front. At dinner back in 2013, Rees mentioned that increasing age and a wrist injury had made him more sympathetic to building greens that allowed running approaches. This course was designed 10 years earlier and it shows. (Though to be fair, there are some greens with small areas that do not require an aerial attack.) Missed opportunities abound. Number 4, a par three that plays 177 yards from the 6400 yard tees that most members use, is a perfect example. While the front of the green is entirely bunkered, there is a hill left and behind the green. It would have been easy to use the hill as a sideboard that would allow a ball to be played onto the green without having to carry the bunker. Number 13, a downhill par four that plays 375 yards from the back tees, would have been a more interesting hole as a shorter, driveable par four. And it wasn’t because Jones didn’t want a long distance from the 12th green. The course is virtually unwalkable with a mile and a half total distance from greens to the next tee. It seemed to me when I played in August 2015 that the members may not be enthusiastic about their course, either. Many approach areas were strewn with divots that could have been replaced but were not—dozens of them in some cases. Moreover, the cart I used was equipped with an ice bucket where the sand bucket should have been. There are a handful of fine holes here, including two short ones that bring the lake into play. Next to the first of these—number 11—an amusing buoy floats near the green. Instead of warning of speed limits or hazards to navigation as most do, the inscription on this one reads “Danger Golf Ahead.” Unfortunately, this was the highlight of my round.