Tips from the Pro!
Hole 1 The 1st is reachable for longer hitters but the rough will severely penalise off-line drives. Depending on the wind, it’s better to lay up and leave a short iron into this downhill par 4.
Hole 2 Position, position, position is the key here. This par 4 dogleg to the right only needs a long iron or fairway wood from the tee then a mid-short iron into a sloping green. Left of centre is the best line.
Hole 3 The signature hole par 5 requires a drive over the lateral water hazard otherwise known as Barilla Bay. The more you gamble, the easier the hole becomes but mis-hits will usually cost you a ball and a couple of strokes. How brave are you? Leave your second shot on the waterside of the fairway for the best angle into the pin.
Hole 4 After the 3rd, the 4th looks easy. But the driving target area is just 15 metres wide at the narrowest part and you can easily find yourself trying to fly a mid-iron over a bunker to a tight pin placement. Look at the pin before you aim your drive on this par 4.
Hole 5 The 5th is a tough par 3, 197 metres uphill with a dip just before the green, bunkers right and rough left. Take an extra club and aim for the left side of the green.
Hole 6 A blind tee shot over a ridge to a tight landing area before this par 4 hole doglegs right. There are no bunkers on this hole but they might make it easier! Hit a fairway wood from the tee for accuracy and take enough club with your approach to get the ball all the way to the pin. The green slopes viciously from front to back.
Hole 7 Like the 4th, the par 4 7th looks simple. Beware. Keep your drive to the right side to manage the slight dogleg to the left and ensure you have a clear shot to the green. There are 2 bunkers right and 1 left but the green is large, so large that 25-metre putts are not unusual here.
Hole 8 A medium length par 3 that can be a wedge or a 3 iron depending on the wind. There are 3 bunkers on the left and 1 on the right but, because of the shape of the green, you should aim for the left half of the green. Make sure you take enough club because this is probably the hardest hole on the course to get up and down.
Hole 9 A long par 4 with a dogleg to the right. The prime driving area is small with the best possible shot a 240m plus power fade (yep, easy hole !). Most players will have a long second to a two-tiered green bunkered right and left. Do not leave your tee shot in the right hand rough.
Hole 10 This long par 4 is a welcome relief after the 9th. The best drive will land just right of the centre of the fairway and will bounce left with the slope for a mid-short iron into the green. Bunkered right and left, members know that landing just short of the green is the best way to play this hole, particularly if the pin is cut at the front.
Hole 11 A spectacular par 3. The hole drops some 30 metres to a green bunkered at the front with a water hazard behind. In strong winds, professional golfers have needed a 4 iron but most days you’ll need an accurate short iron. The bale out position is short right.
Hole 12 This par 5 can be reached in 2 but the slope of the fairway and the trees that hug the right side of the fairway will hurt those that get too greedy. If you can’t get home in 2 the best strategy is to lay up to the ridge 80 metres short of the green so that you can pitch it close.
Hole 13 This par 4 plays longer than its 383 metres. The target area for the drive is the right-hand side of the sloping fairway for a mid-iron to the green. Bunkers are left and right but the real danger is the area to the front left of the green where an errant shot can roll more than 50 metres, leaving a really difficult pitch
Hole 14 A real birdie opportunity. This gentle dogleg par 5 is short enough to reach in 2. Anything right will end up in the rough and will need to be chipped out. Keep your ball in play to the left side. The large green has a swale through the middle so think about the pin position before you play your second.
Hole 15 A short par 4 that requires a precision tee shot then a short iron to a green bunkered on the right side. Almost everyone under clubs the first time they play this hole so play for the middle of the green as a minimum.
Hole 16 The longest hole on the course at 548 metres also has the widest fairway – not that it looks very wide from the tee. The best position is left of centre for a second shot to an elevated “saddle”. Shorter hitters will have a blind 3rd shot to a narrow but very long green with 3 distinct sections. 5 is a good score here.
Hole 17 A dog leg par 4 that offers a wide fairway but demands precision for an easy approach. Drives on the left side will have a short iron to the green but a tee shot on the right could need a long iron to get home. The green is bunkered right and left and is also protected by an overhanging tree on the right side. Do not miss this one left or you’ll have a tough pitch up the hill.
Hole 18 The last is an uphill par 3 to a green that you’ll remember with a wince. Bunkers are left and right but the real challenge is to take enough club to get to the green but still leave your ball below the hole. A tough hole is made even harder by the fact that you’ll probably have an audience watching from the clubhouse deck. A 3 will finish your round with a smile.