(NOTE: This is the fourth installment in a weekly series featuring some of the toughest golf holes across Hampshire County. The series will run each Saturday in print throughout the summer.)

AMHERST — There perhaps isn’t a better word to describe Amherst Golf Club than ‘family.’

Head golf professional David Twohig took over that role from his father in 1979 and is now in his 46th season at the charming, historic 9-hole course off South Pleasant Street in Amherst.

Twohig and his five brothers each basically grew up at Amherst Golf Club – which is celebrating its 125th season.

The family ties at AGC stem beyond the clubhouse and the head pro position as well. Heading into the last round of the 2003 club championship, Jesse Morgan IV was six shots back of first place – a spot held by his father.

After turning in a 3-under 32 on the front nine, Morgan IV fired a 5-under 30 on the back. He carded a course-record 62 on the par-70 course and came all the way back to defeat his dad, claiming the 2003 title. Even better? His dad held the previous course record.

“His dad was his marker, so he kept score for his son, and it really was quite a day,” Twohig said. “He shot a 32 and his dad shot a 39 on the front nine, so he was already up one shot at the turn. From that, he went to the back side and just went crazy. So not only did he win the club championship after being six down, he also shot the course record.”

From the tips, Amherst Golf Club only plays 6,058 yards, but the layout of the holes can inflict some difficult shots if not played properly. There are trees all around the course, and a handful of holes are severely bunkered to make it tough around the greens.

Twohig said longtime superintendent Carl Teschke has Amherst Golf Club in terrific shape, and just by the looks of it, that is certainly fair to say.

“The course is always in great shape, but right now it really is,” Twohig said. “Carl does a great job and the people who play take care of it as well. It’s a fun course to play and we’re open to the public.”

Your round has only just begun at No. 9

While many golfers are mentally checked out by the final hole of their round, they better re-focus and prepare for the daunting challenge that No. 9 at Amherst Golf Club presents.

The 200-yard (from the tips) par 3 is all uphill, which means it probably plays more like 215. The shot itself looks pretty straightforward, but for most players it’s challenging to hit the small green from that far away – especially with players hitting a low iron or fairway wood.

Where you end up if you do miss the green is the important part.

During a club championship back in the day, Twohig watched a player with a three-shot lead going into the final hole of the final round throw it all away on No. 9. He made a six after a three-putt while the player in second sunk a 20-foot putt for birdie. The four-shot swing helped Jay Morgan win in improbable fashion.

The undulation in the ninth green slopes hard from right to left, and anything above the hole runs hard down the front – making it nearly impossible to get close if chipping from anywhere right or long.

Tee shot placement is essential, and being short left is the best way to keep your score low.

“It’s so important to be below the hole here, so oftentimes you’ll see players bail out short or left because it makes the chip much easier,” Twohig said. “You’re in trouble if you hit it at the green or right, because everything you hit next rolls away.”

Given the history of the hole and the severity of the slope in the green, No. 9 has been tabbed as the toughest hole at Amherst Golf Club.

No. 8 is a fan favorite

There used to be a massive tree on the eighth hole, a downhill, dog-leg right par-4 playing about 310 yards from the tips. That tree was so tall and wide – Twohig says the stump was 15 feet in circumference – that players had no choice but to play the hole traditionally, hitting an iron out into the fairway and another one into the green.

But years ago the tree was struck by lightning, and it’s opened up the hole and made it more appealing to the eye to hammer away with a driver and cut the corner. That makes the hole more like 290 yards, which can be reached by some players.

If you decide to play it safe and make it a two-shot hole, which most people do, the downhill second shot isn’t a long one – but it’s tricky.

A huge lip right before the green makes it tough to land the ball short, because it could hit it and shoot forward fast enough to end up in the green-side bunker behind the green.

The play is to land it a bit short, use the downhill slope of the hole and let it roll down to the green.

It’s a fun hole that shares fairways with nine, has a unique layout and holds a cool story because of the large tree that is no longer there. And, there’s the possibility of driving the green with a mammoth swing, so that’s fun, too.

“That tree made the hole, and it made it a two-shot hole,” Twohig said. “You would hit it to the left of the big pine tree and then pitch down about 100 yards to the green. The ideal second shot is to take your sand wedge and hit it short of the green to have it bounce on or roll on. But when that tree went down, it’s changed some of the approach with how these long bombers can hit it nowadays.”

Amherst Golf Club has a rich history, and it’s in beautiful shape for a public, 9-hole track. The greens roll true and there are some holes exclusive to Amherst – like No. 8 and No. 9 – that are tough to find anywhere else.

Garrett Cote is a Gazette sports reporter. He can be reached at gcote@gazettenet.com