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Jono
30th August 2006, 08:15 AM
I am going to attempt to establish an online course guide here. Most will agree that the piece of paper they give you is pretty useless. Their website course description is not much better. It is a shame ... with an accurate course guide with distances to bunkers/hazards, etc would make this course more enjoyable. If you can't see the spots you are hitting to, you should at least know where the troubles are.

I will do a hole by hole guide, and I'm estimating that it will take about a week. This is not meant to be a review/critique of the course but some of my personal opinions may come through.

I would like to ask people not to respond to this thread until I get all the 18 holes down. Thanks.

Jono
30th August 2006, 08:26 AM
Front 9.

This nine is set in a relatively small space with a big swamp/wetlands in the middle of it.

This Google Earth image should give you some idea.

http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/6843/frontninemodaw3.jpg

Most of the tee shots have trouble that you can not see standing on the tee. For example, 8th hole where there's hidden water hazard to the left. Even though the fairway bunkers are on the right, the place to miss is to the right.

Jono
30th August 2006, 09:29 AM
Hole 1
463 meters
Par 5
Index 18

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/2603/overheadmodyy7.jpg


Relatively easy, straight forward par 5. Wetlands to the right, all the way to the green, and bush to the left. There are no steaks along the left, so we treated it as lateral hazard.

Tee shot:

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/9264/teesh8.jpg
http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/9264/teesh8.jpg

Although you have trouble on both sides, the fairway is pretty wide. The fairway bunker on the left is about 230 to 260 meters out from the black tees. Short hitters will probably not reach it and only the really long bombers can carry it (unless the hole is playing downwind). Anything left of the bunker will kick left into the bush. If you can carry this bunker, you’ll probably get extra 20 meter roll off the downslope and have a short iron into the green.


2nd shot:


http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/1290/dsc01408mz1.jpg

After you have hit a good tee shot alongside the fairway bunker, there is a decision to be made. Do you go for the green in two or lay up. From the fairway bunker to the green is some 200 to 210 meters. Not so tough, you say? No problem distance wise, but you have the wetlands to the right. Anything that lands near this will kick towards it. Furthermore, even though there is some space left of the green, anything that lands there with a slightest bit of hook spin will kick towards the bush to the left. Add to that, the green is pretty narrow back to front, and you wonder whether it is worth the risk of racking up a big score so early in the round.

If you do decide to lay up, you need to consider the fairway bunker about 90 meters from the green (yellow circle on overhead view). You must decide whether to lay up short of this bunker or to carry it. You’ll have a full wedge shot in if you lay up short, so that’s probably the sensible choice.

Now, from the first fairway bunker to this bunker is only about 110-120 meters. So you end up asking yourself, if I’m going to lay up short, why take driver off the tee? It makes more sense to take a 2 iron or 3 wood off the tee, and then a 150-160 meter lay up shot short of the bunker, and then have a full wedge shot in. Driver off the tee should really only be used if you are going for the green in two.

Green:


http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9026/dsc01409qn3.jpg

The green is sloped back to front and is pretty shallow (ie. Narrow front to back). There are two small greenside bunkers that don’t show up very well on Google Earth. One is short/right of the green and the other is behind it. I have highlighted these with yellow circles.

The ideal place to leave your ball is probably short/left part of the green, avoiding the wetlands and bunkers to the right. You’ll have an uphill putt from there.

Jono
30th August 2006, 12:48 PM
Hole 2
149 meters
Par 3
Index 5

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3155/overheadmodef6.jpg

Great mid/short iron par 3 that requires a high spinning shot over the wetlands. There is some space to the left of the green that you can bail out to. The length of the green runs front left to back right, with the water carry getting longer further right you go. Bunker behind the green is there to catch those who take extra club to ensure that they carry the wetlands.

The shot to play is probably a high fade starting at the left edge of the green. Those who can not hit a high 150 meter shot are better off laying up to the bailout area to the left.

Green slopes back to front and right to left, so a chip shot from short left of the green will be uphill.

Par on this hole is a good score.

Tee shot:

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/7761/dsc01410xx4.jpg

Ladies tee:

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/4657/2ndteeld4.jpg

View from the bailout area to the left:


http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/7258/dsc01412xy4.jpg

Jono
30th August 2006, 01:26 PM
Hole 3
387 meters
Par 4
Index 2

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6839/overheadmodpu1.jpg


Tough par 4 where you shouldn’t be too unhappy with a bogey. It requires a precision tee shot followed by a long second to a green that is well protected to the right and back with a water hazard.

Tee shot:

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/5153/dsc01415sc2.jpg

Ladies tee:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/545/dsc01416gh5.jpg

Don't be fooled by what you see on the tee. The fairway bunker you see is actually on the right hand side of the fairway, not the left. I've put a yellow circle around it in the overhead view. It's about 210-220 meters from the back tee and there is water beyond it.

The most sensible tee shot is directly in line with the bunker, about 20 meters short of it. From there you'll get a clear shot at the green.

The group of tall trees (marked by red circle in the overhead view) is about 170-180 meters from the tee and can only be carried by the real long hitters. Going over these trees will leave you with a short iron to the green, but the risk is probably too great for this reward. Slight push out to the right will end up in the water, and hook to the left will be OB.

2nd shot:


http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/4161/dsc01417rz2.jpg

Now comes the challenge. If you have laid up well short of the bunker, you'll have a clear shot at the green albeit about 180-190 meters long. There is a bail out area short left of the green. Anything right of the green will be wet unless it catches the right greenside bunker. The water hazard extends behind the green, so the smart shot is to the front left portion of the green.

If you have laid up too close to the bunker or too far right, you'll need to fashion a fade as you'll be blocked out by some tall trees (light blue circles on overhead view)

Green:

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5194/dsc01418bg5.jpg

Two tiered green with the top tier at the back. Bunker front right and back left. The right side bunker probably helps the golfer in catching the stray 2nd shots headed for a watery grave. As mentioned, plenty of space short left of the green to chip up from.

Jono
30th August 2006, 03:54 PM
Hole 4
161 meters
Par 3
Index 10

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5498/overheadmodbu0.jpg

Important thing about this hole is to note the pin position. Two tiered green with top tier at the back. Green is about 30 meters front to back with water hazard short right (which shouldn’t come into play for good players) and behind the green. There is some space behind the green so half an extra club should still be dry.

The two greenside bunkers are in play, especially the big one short/right side of the green. When the pin is situated at the front portion of the green (ie. Lower tier), it is worthwhile considering the bailout area short/left of the green as the front portion of the green is pretty narrow. When the pin is at the back on the top tier, take enough club to get the ball up there, knowing that even if you overshoot the green by 5-10 meters, you’ll still be dry.

Tee shot:

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/2038/dsc01420ni2.jpg


Ladies tee:

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/485/dsc01421pj7.jpg


Putting up the slope from front to back of the green:

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/999/dsc01423ud7.jpg

Jono
30th August 2006, 08:28 PM
Hole 5
478 meters
Par 5
Index 12

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5901/overheadmodrn3.jpg

Tee shot:

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/2467/dsc01424zj9.jpg

Shortish par 5 that you should be able to get close to the green in 2. Long hitters will be hitting a mid iron in. However, you can end up with a big score if you are not careful.

Off the tee, you should aim to the right, well away from the fairway bunkers. The first bunker is about 220-230 meters from the tee that is aimed at the shorter hitters. The second bunker is about 250-270 meters from the tee and will catch the longer hitters. Left of the bunkers is lateral water hazard running all the way from the tee up to about 80 meters short of the green, where it cuts in across the fairway, towards the 7th tee. Left of that is out of bounds, lined very closely by some cheap fibro housing.

Right side of the fairway is pretty safe. The big tree you see in the distance is well out of range and you can use that as your line for your drive. You can even aim slightly right of that tree. Even if you end up blocking your drive, you'll end up near the 7th fairway.

Good drive should put you even with the bunkers. From the second bunker to the green is about 200 meters with the hazard running across the fairway about 80 to 90 meters short of the green. There’s a bit of a bottle neck about 20-30 meters short of the green, but it opens up. So take plenty of club, have confidence, and swing freely on your second shot. If you go over the green, it’s OK.

If you hit a poor drive, then you have a decision to make whether to go over the water or not. There's no real value laying up to the bottle neck over the water, so it's probably best to lay up some 20 meters short of it and have a full wedge or a short iron for your 3rd.

Green:

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1269/dsc01425cd3.jpg

Two bunkers guard the front of the green. The green is sloped back to front.