Swampfire, opened in 1987, was the first of the four new courses at Garland designed by Ron Otto.

A round of 18 on this course will require patience and precision as all but four of the holes have water hazards. This course will be a true assessment of your shot-making ability.

You’ll understand the tests you’ll be facing once you’ve played No. 2, a long par-5 that’s a sharp dogleg right measuring 553 yards from the back tees and 263 from the forward. There is water on the far left and all the way down on the right hand side. “There is a very difficult tee shot because you have to hit a straight drive right down the middle,” said Doug Grove, head golf professional. “Then you have to hit to the right. You can’t cut the elbow of the dogleg because of the pine trees. There’s also water in front of the green and on the back right.”

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From the tee, the par-4 No. 4 (439 yards from the back tees and 309 from the forward) offers one of the most difficult driving situations you’ll face at Garland. “There’s water on the left as well as all the way down on the right,” said Grove. “This hole is a dogleg left to a very large elevated green. On your approach shot, if you’re on the left, you’ll have to hit a mid to long-iron over the edge of one of the ponds to get to the large elevated green.”

The unique par-3 (174 yards from the back and 100 from the forward) at No. 5 is considered the signature hole on Swampfire. There is a huge tee box here in the shape of a horseshoe that wraps around a giant pond. Several sets of tee boxes here allow the hole to be played differently every time you tee up your ball. In any case, no matter where you stand, your shot is over water to a narrow strip of green guarded in the back by bunkers. “A lot of big numbers are hit on this hole,” said Grove.

On the backside, you’ll find another scenic par-3 at No. 11 (196 yards from the back tees and 118 from the forward). “Once again you’re hitting over a lake to a small green. It’s a green the size of a postage stamp,” Grove said. “There are also trees on the front left of the green and two big bunkers in the front. You have to hit over those bunkers straight at the flag. This is a very difficult hole from the back tees.”

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No. 13, a par-4 that measures 406 yards from the back tees and 265 from the forward, is a hard dogleg left that’s a great driving hole. You can relax on this hole, Grove said, because it has no water. The fairway is relatively flat and the green guarded in front by a bunker slopes from back to front. “You have to keep your ball below the hole,” he said.

Another par-4 comes on the dogleg right No. 16 (380 yards from the back and 225 from the forward) where you’ll find tricky water trouble. “It’s a short hole, but there is water on the right and a swamp on the left,” Grove said. “The green is very deep with a valley in the middle. If the pin is in the back, it’s very tough to get your ball back there.”

You need to smack the ball with muscle on No. 18, an uphill almost straightaway par-4 that measures 442 from the back tees and 350 from the forward. “This is a great finisher and a great test off the tee,” said Grove. “Stay to the left and avoid the swamp on the right.”

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Distances, ratings and slopes on Swampfire: 6,854 (73.9/139); 6,422 (71.7/135); 6,108 (70.0/131); 4,791 (68.4/121).