This feature is the seventh installment of a series of reviews for golf courses in the Kosciusko County area
SYRACUSE – Near the shore of Lake Wawasee’s historic Vawter Park area rests South Shore Golf Club. Since opening in 1929, South Shore has become one of Northern Indiana’s most notable golf destinations. The 18-hole course measures between 5,238 and 6,242 yards depending on the tee.
The course has seen several changes since its original design but has always maintained its welcoming spirit and challenging layout. Growth in membership over the past year has given South Shore new life and that is easily seen just from driving by the course on State Road 13.
First-time golfer Karley Duncan tees off on number four at the Shore.
The fairways and greens are more than inviting to any passerby as they look the best they have in years thanks to course superintendent Clay Brooks and his crew.
“It was a pretty decent spring for us,” said Brooks. “We’ve had some timely rains, which have helped. Things have grown in well and the course is really coming along well.
“We’re trying some different techniques and tweaking a few things with mowing and that has also made a difference. The greens are rolling pretty smooth and pretty true and a lot of players like to see that. We’ve really gotten off to great start for this this year.”
As far as actual change in the appearance of the course goes, Brooks said that Mother Nature has taken a toll on some of the trees around the course which has really opened it up.
“We had some wind damage that brought down some of the older, strategically placed trees,” stated Brooks. “Missing some of those trees really opened the course up and we are trying to change that a little so the course is still challenging in some spots. We will make a few changes to some holes out there, but nothing too extreme.”
South Shore serves the local community by acting as the home course for the West Noble High School girls golf team as well as the Wawasee High School boys golfers and the Wawasee Middle School golf teams.
While the club hosts several tournaments throughout the year, including the Warrior Invitational every other year, the annual Ken Jennings Putt for PSP outing is one of the biggest events hosted at the Shore.
This year’s outing that benefits research for progressive supranuclear palsy will be played on July 26. The course also takes pride in hosting an outing for the Beaman Home, usually held in early June.
Visitors can also enjoy the lounge and Peterson’s Fish at the Shore restaurant.
Date Played: June 27, 2014 in humid and sunny conditions. Mike and Nick golfed the back nine.
Best Hole: Relief was found on the nice 150-yard par-three fourteenth. The hole provides only two real hazards as there is a tree line the right, which can be easily avoided with even a below-average tee shot. The second hazard is the group of trees halfway down the fair way. The placement forces golfers to hit high enough to drop it on to the green, but low enough to avoid the branches. Both Mike and Nick were successful in hitting the green with their tee shot. Mike saved par on the hole, Nick took a bogey.
South Shore has been welcoming golfers for 85 years.
Worst Hole: We struggled mightily from the tee to the green on number 12. The 480-yard par-five is really just a straight shot, for the most part. But it is the location of the hole, and the course, that makes number 12 so difficult. Directly to the left of the hole is State Road 13. The highway gave Mike and Nick more of a mental block more than anything. Both golfers found it hard to focus as both were constantly worried about hitting it into the street. Outside of the highway, the hole also features four sand traps strategically placed, just waiting to be hit into. Mike salvaged a bogey on the hole, somehow, Nick moved on with an eight. The boys also had some issues with the 370-yard par-four number 17 that provides a challenging green and well as several trees that are hard to avoid hitting.
Major Hazards: Several holes provide difficulty with strategic tree placements, most notably on number 18 where there is a large walnut tree right in the middle of the fairway. The walnut is roughly 50-60 yards out from the center of the green and provides a unique challenge. South Shore is named for being on the south shore of beautiful Lake Wawasee and the course stays true to its wet roots with five holes that challenge players to hit over water. Another four holes have water hazards that do not have to hit be over, but are still placed to provide a friendly level of difficulty to any golfer.
South Shore Golf Club
10601 N State Road 13, Syracuse (574) 457-2832
www.golftheshore.com
Links to our previous reviews:
1. Maxwelton
2. Tippecanoe Lake Country Club
3. Wawasee Golf Club
4. Raccoon Run
5. Rozella Ford
6. Little Big Horn
Peterson’s Fish at the Shore restaurant is a great place to eat before or after a round at South Shore.