Front Nine

1. Par 4 314 M men : Par 4 304 M ladies
Pros Tip It’s the first hole and is your first risk/reward shot of many around this lovely course. As it is early days and the body is a little tight, I favour the layup with a long iron or hybrid and wedge. Downwind and in good conditions the risk of driving the green becomes irresistible but you had better hit a good one. A flattish green gives a good chance of holing a putt and settling any anxiety. An elevated tee, with a water hazard at 210m and out of bounds on the left Lay up or have a go? The green is protected by grass mounds.

1. Par 4 314 M men : Par 4 304 M ladies

Pros Tip It’s the first hole and is your first risk/reward shot of many around this lovely course. As it is early days and the body is a little tight, I favour the layup with a long iron or hybrid and wedge. Downwind and in good conditions the risk of driving the green becomes irresistible but you had better hit a good one. A flattish green gives a good chance of holing a putt and settling any anxiety.

An elevated tee, with a water hazard at 210m and out of bounds on the left
Lay up or have a go?
The green is protected by grass mounds.

2. Par 4 348 M men : Par 4 328 M ladies
Pros Tip No decision for the longer hitters here with a generous fairway. In favourable conditions the green is reachable with a short iron approach shot for another birdie chance. The right side of the fairway gives the best line in to a small, elevated green. A lay up short of the water hazard leaves a chance to get home with a fairway wood. Longer hitters need a carry of 180m to clear the water hazard at the crossing. The carry is longer on the right than the left. A lay up before the water hazard will leave a longish club to an elevated green which falls away on all sides.

2. Par 4 348 M men : Par 4 328 M ladies

Pros Tip No decision for the longer hitters here with a generous fairway. In favourable conditions the green is reachable with a short iron approach shot for another birdie chance. The right side of the fairway gives the best line in to a small, elevated green. A lay up short of the water hazard leaves a chance to get home with a fairway wood.

Longer hitters need a carry of 180m to clear the water hazard at the crossing. The carry is longer on the right than the left.
A lay up before the water hazard will leave a longish club to an elevated green which falls away on all sides.

3. Par 4 363 M men : Par 4 359 M ladies
Pros Tip Longer hitters will need to fade the ball off the majestic gum on the left or carry the mature pines on the right for a drive into the optimum spot and then a wedge from a level lie. Into the wind it is very difficult to judge how much to ‘bite off’. The average player will do well to reach the top of the hill from the tee, but then a good view of the green with a medium iron will produce results. An uphill drive from the elevated tee is required to reach the crest of the hill of this dogleg right, leaving 150m to the green. A downhill shot into the green. Two good shots required for a challenging hole.

3. Par 4 363 M men : Par 4 359 M ladies

Pros Tip Longer hitters will need to fade the ball off the majestic gum on the left or carry the mature pines on the right for a drive into the optimum spot and then a wedge from a level lie. Into the wind it is very difficult to judge how much to ‘bite off’. The average player will do well to reach the top of the hill from the tee, but then a good view of the green with a medium iron will produce results.

An uphill drive from the elevated tee is required to reach the crest of the hill of this dogleg right, leaving 150m to the green.
A downhill shot into the green.
Two good shots required for a challenging hole.

4. Par 3 200 M men : Par 3 143 M ladies
Pros Tip Uphill and long. This is a demanding hole for anyone. A long iron or hybrid is needed in normal conditions to reach a small green which slopes from right to left. Anything just right of the green will fall off to the right so there is not much margin for error here. A score of 3 is good in any conditions. For the average player you could do a lot worse than play it as a short par 4. A drive left of the trees that stand at half way and a pitch will leave two puts onto a tricky green for a bogey and a very acceptable score. A difficult par 3. Uphill fairway slopes from right to left. The green is protected by mounds on the right hand side and behind, and slopes to the left. Green slopes from right to left.

4. Par 3 200 M men : Par 3 143 M ladies

Pros Tip Uphill and long. This is a demanding hole for anyone. A long iron or hybrid is needed in normal conditions to reach a small green which slopes from right to left. Anything just right of the green will fall off to the right so there is not much margin for error here. A score of 3 is good in any conditions. For the average player you could do a lot worse than play it as a short par 4. A drive left of the trees that stand at half way and a pitch will leave two puts onto a tricky green for a bogey and a very acceptable score.

A difficult par 3.
Uphill fairway slopes from right to left. The green is protected by mounds on the right hand side and behind, and slopes to the left.
Green slopes from right to left.

5. Par 4 393 M men : Par 5 393 M ladies
Pros Tip This hole requires at least two good shots for players of all abilities and out of bounds along Links Road runs menacingly down the right side. A long drive opens the entrance to a green protected by overhanging trees on the right and a bunker on the left and even a 7 or 8 iron shot is not without difficulty, especially if the pin is located on the right hand side. A 180m drive will leave the green obscured by trees with either a lay-up or fade shot the only option. At index 1, most players will receive a shot here and 5 is a good score. Index 1 hole, slight dog-leg to the right and requires a well positioned drive left of centre, to allow a clear shot to the green. Bunker on left hand side protects the green, two large gum trees overhang the right side.

5. Par 4 393 M men : Par 5 393 M ladies

Pros Tip This hole requires at least two good shots for players of all abilities and out of bounds along Links Road runs menacingly down the right side. A long drive opens the entrance to a green protected by overhanging trees on the right and a bunker on the left and even a 7 or 8 iron shot is not without difficulty, especially if the pin is located on the right hand side. A 180m drive will leave the green obscured by trees with either a lay-up or fade shot the only option. At index 1, most players will receive a shot here and 5 is a good score.

Index 1 hole, slight dog-leg to the right and requires a well positioned drive left of centre, to allow a clear shot to the green.
Bunker on left hand side protects the green, two large gum trees overhang the right side.

6. Par 3 174 M men : Par 3 143 M ladies
Pros Tip A terrific par 3. Some of the variations in light from the huge trees surrounding the green make for very pleasant viewing and can deceivingly foreshorten or lengthen the look of the hole. Trust the metres although it is worth erring short of the hole. An uphill putt from the front of the green is preferable to a difficult chip from off the back of this green. A difficult downhill tee shot to a small green. Mound on left hand side protects green which slopes from back to front.

6. Par 3 174 M men : Par 3 143 M ladies

Pros Tip A terrific par 3. Some of the variations in light from the huge trees surrounding the green make for very pleasant viewing and can deceivingly foreshorten or lengthen the look of the hole. Trust the metres although it is worth erring short of the hole. An uphill putt from the front of the green is preferable to a difficult chip from off the back of this green.

A difficult downhill tee shot to a small green.
Mound on left hand side protects green which slopes from back to front.

7. Par 4 306 M men : Par 4 299 M ladies
Pros Tip At 306m this looks to be an easy hole and can be from a good drive. In order to get on or close to the green the ball must be bent from right to left around huge trees on the left of the fairway. Out of bounds is tight on the right to catch any pushed or sliced drives. For the average golfer or for the low marker a drive to the top of the hill at around 160m to 200m would leave a short shot in over a fairway bunker and a birdie chance. An uphill drive to a rising fairway. A short iron shot downhill to one of the larger greens on the course. Green protected by bunker 10 metres from the front on the right hand side with a large gum on the left.

7. Par 4 306 M men : Par 4 299 M ladies

Pros Tip At 306m this looks to be an easy hole and can be from a good drive. In order to get on or close to the green the ball must be bent from right to left around huge trees on the left of the fairway. Out of bounds is tight on the right to catch any pushed or sliced drives. For the average golfer or for the low marker a drive to the top of the hill at around 160m to 200m would leave a short shot in over a fairway bunker and a birdie chance.

An uphill drive to a rising fairway.
A short iron shot downhill to one of the larger greens on the course.
Green protected by bunker 10 metres from the front on the right hand side with a large gum on the left.

8. Par 5 499 M men : Par 5 460 M lades
Pros Tip One of the most inviting driving holes you will find anywhere. Long and gun-barrel straight this hole really rewards a good drive. With out of bounds all down the right, a long drive pitching on the fairway will benefit from considerable run leaving anything from 200 to 230 metres left to the green. From there a blind shot to a small green could give an eagle chance or a chip and birdie putt . Three straight shots would get most higher handicaps home for a birdie putt or more likely a two putt par. Long hitters can look forward to a birdie opportunity but must watch for out of bounds on the right. For average golfers a second shot to the top of the rise 150 metres out allows a good view of the green on approach. Green slopes from back to front with run-offs on both sides and the rear.

8. Par 5 499 M men : Par 5 460 M lades

Pros Tip One of the most inviting driving holes you will find anywhere. Long and gun-barrel straight this hole really rewards a good drive. With out of bounds all down the right, a long drive pitching on the fairway will benefit from considerable run leaving anything from 200 to 230 metres left to the green. From there a blind shot to a small green could give an eagle chance or a chip and birdie putt . Three straight shots would get most higher handicaps home for a birdie putt or more likely a two putt par.

Long hitters can look forward to a birdie opportunity but must watch for out of bounds on the right.
For average golfers a second shot to the top of the rise 150 metres out allows a good view of the green on approach.
Green slopes from back to front with run-offs on both sides and the rear.

9. Par 4 328 M men : Par 9 316 M ladies
Pros Tip Again a nice driving hole. Less intimidating for the longer hitter as the landing area flattens out at around 230m. From there it is nice to be pitching as the green is very small – a very definite birdie chance here! At a ‘normal’ driving distance, the fairway is uphill, with out of bounds all the way down the right leaving a longish shot in to the elevated green – not easy. Who said ‘length isn’t everything’? An elevated tee allows good view of the hole with out of bounds along the right hand side An accurate second shot is required to hit the smallest green on the course.

9. Par 4 328 M men : Par 9 316 M ladies

Pros Tip Again a nice driving hole. Less intimidating for the longer hitter as the landing area flattens out at around 230m. From there it is nice to be pitching as the green is very small – a very definite birdie chance here! At a ‘normal’ driving distance, the fairway is uphill, with out of bounds all the way down the right leaving a longish shot in to the elevated green – not easy. Who said ‘length isn’t everything’?

An elevated tee allows good view of the hole with out of bounds along the right hand side
An accurate second shot is required to hit the smallest green on the course.