Out in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Jefferson County, sits a sweet little golf course named Lake Perry Country Club.
The drive to get there is peaceful, the scenery on the way in is worth seeing and the feeling you get after parking your car and walking up to the clubhouse goes something like this — boy, this is going to be fun.
And then you hit the course and it really is fun. Lots of fun. The holes are pretty and laid out nicely. The carts are fast and don’t seem to have the speed restrictions that some of the newer carts have. And the course is just hard enough to be a challenge and just manageable enough to make you feel like you can really play the game.
No hole embodies that vibe better than the par-3, 160-yard 14th hole that sits between two rows of country houses and is lined by a pond to along the entire right side.
As for the look of the hole itself, it really is a beautiful setting. There’s a patch of cattails sitting behind the green that catches your eye from any spot on the tee box. The water, when still, glistens in the sun, with only the green moss floating on the surface showing any movement. And the rolling hills behind the green and around the nearby homes seem to protect and frame this hole almost like the perfect frame for your favorite piece of art.
Don’t be thrown off by the course’s layout. It’s rare. I’m not saying I’ve never seen it, but the par 3 on No. 14 immediately follows a par 3 on No. 13. And both are a blast, offering different looks, feels and challenges.
OK. Back to 14.
With all that water on the right but trouble to the left, you really do have to get your mind right before hitting this tee shot.
A lazy swing will put it in the drink and anything too aggressive could put you too far left. After making contact with my 7 iron, I feared the latter. But just as the ball reached maximum height, it missed clipping the trees on the left and started to level off.
As it hung in the air, perhaps sensing my body language, it kept pulling itself back right toward the sizable green that was inviting it back to the flag with every revolution. When it finally came down, it landed just on the left side of the green, a few inches inside of the fringe.
That left me a 15-foot birdie putt on a pristine green that was sloped down toward the water and looked like it would roll true.
It did, but the green was slower than I expected and I missed it on the low side and left myself a two-footer for par.
All in all, I’ll take that. It’s not the distance or the green or even the hazards that make this hole such a challenge. Instead, it’s the way the setup can play with your mind.
With everything leaning and pulling your eye right, it has you thinking, perhaps subconsciously, about going anywhere but right. That generally leads you to pull your tee shot left and that can get you in real trouble.
Mine held on just enough to give me a shot at a good score and I was able to get home in three.
I’m not sure I’d be that lucky every time, but the good fortune of my ball flight off the tee and a decent first putt put me in good position to par this one, bringing me to 5-over par with (5 bogeys, 3 pars) with one hole left to go in the Tee Off with Tait challenge.
[Book your tee time at Lake Perry Country Club today][1] to get a look at this hole and take a ride on those fast carts. And tell ’em Tait sent ya!
Prize Update
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[Be sure to enter this week for your chance to win][1] a free round of golf at Lake Perry Country Club.
Last week’s winner of a round of golf, with cart, at Shawnee Country Club was **Kyle Thatcher.** Congratulations!
[1]: https://www.greatlifetopeka.com/locations/lake-perry-cc/