It is true that 27 holes of golf at Little Mill Country Club is much like playing 27 different games. The fourth hole on the Red Nine (Devils Glen) follows the same cue by presenting itself in a different light, or should I say color, than the rest. Very few tee shots at Little Mill are a forced carry challenge with a driver in hand. And no others are as visually daunting, with the yellow native grasses and sand dunes that create a trough to collect balls. It's the one hole that reminds us that we are only an hour from the shore but still trapped among the pines. So well beaten are the outskirts of the dunes that down trodden travelers have created their own path up the left side. Maybe it's the ticks and chiggers, but rarely do we see wary golfers hiking the trough in shorts. If we do we think, "He doesn't know." Or, it's a $4 golf ball hiding in the wispy grass. Once the ball is in play the hole has a similar goal regardless of the golfers length: position your second shot for a clear view from 100 - 150 yards. The big hitters rarely "go-at-it" unless they are fortunate to have bombed the drive. But even then it is a blind shot to a well protected green.
The hidden green is tucked back and further left than we ever think. It is not until we see the aerial view that its dogleggedness is revealed. A front pin is tempting with the tiered backstop. But the front bunker, appearing more like a waste area, catches most misses. In fact, the entire green is very elusive with subtle breaks and bounces that launch the ball away from the pin.Putting on the lower tier is confusing when the ball breaks toward the back of the green. Or like many greens at Little Mill, rolling the ball up the slope or a simple tap to get it moving down the hill can make anyone a head-scratcher.
Four Red, the unsung hero, is rarely discussed. It's nestled furthest away from the clubhouse and in the middle of the nine. It is never regarded as a game changer. But only because the round rarely ends there. One thing it has going for it is its expected five shots to complete it. Which it usually takes for even the best.
