Hole 1
A 106 yards opening hole may seem like a gentle way to start off a round, however this one is uphill to a small green with bunkers front right and back left. Take into account the wind speed and direction, and the hole is no longer such a gentle opener; it’s a potential early card wrecker!
Hole 2
From the second tee it’s a pleasant and inviting view down to the green 261 yards away. A driveable par 4, this is a great chance to pick up an early birdie. Four bunkers; two in the fairway, and two greenside, offer the hole’s defence; those and the car park off to the left.
Hole 3
If you’ve negotiated the first two holes with no issues, well done. You’re off to a steady start. Now for your first real test – a 359 yards par 4 with out of bounds left, a line of trees on the right, three sand bunkers and a deep grass bunker in the fairway, a large mound in front of the green, two greenside bunkers and a steep drop over the back of the green. A par here is a good score.
Hole 4
The fourth hole measures 316 yards and runs parallel to the third. It looks pretty innocuous but there is Out of Bounds tight left and beyond that the fairway is bordered by a line of trees on both sides. The real difficulty though is at the green; it is shaped like an upturned saucer, with a bunker at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock. Many players have unfortunately gone from one bunker to the other when playing this hole.
Hole 5
The fifth hole, at 296 yards, is another par 4 that presents a birdie opportunity. Aim just right of the black and white marker post and hope for a decent amount of run, but be careful; push it right and you’ll end up in the trees. Go left of the marker post and you will likely run down into the light rough. The fairway levels off then runs steeply down to the green, and so the approach shot is all important. Depending on ground conditions a ball landing short can stick there, get down to the green, or even run over the back leaving a tricky up and down for par.
Hole 6
This dog-leg right hole is a toughie. At 434 yards the tee shot is very important; get it right and you can reach the green in two; go a bit left and you won’t find trouble but you’ve turned it into a par 5. Similarly, a tee shot pushed right may catch the trees, making your second shot a recovery shot. The marker post behind the green shows you where the target is, however the sloping ground on the right of the green feeds the ball nicely into it, whereas the fairway to the left of the green is slightly below the green level.
Hole 7
The second par 3 on the course is 170 yards long. The elevated tee is sheltered so check the flag for the signs of a breeze. The field on the right is Out of Bounds and there is a bunker, barely visible, just short of the right front edge of the green. The green has a marked slope on it so take care when reading your putt.
Hole 8
At the 425 yards eighth hole a straight drive ‘through the gap’ between the seventh tee on the left and the hill on the right puts you in good position for reaching the green in two. The second shot, however, is a blind approach over a hill, so there is still plenty of work to do. Down the right there is Out of Bounds, and the rough and trees cut in to the fairway; down the left there are trees too, however beyond that is the sixth fairway, so fortunately no penalty shots if you stray left.
Hole 9
The 9th fairway is bordered by Out of Bounds on the left, and rough and trees on the right. The fairway features a stiff uphill climb, and if your tee shot has found the fairway then your second shot will likely be an uphill, blind approach to the green. Over the hill the ground slopes down to the green from left to right, so aiming left of the marker pole is one way to play it when conditions will allow the ball to run. Avoid running off the right side of the green or you’ll be left with a difficult up and down from well below the level of the hole.