Cairns GC Course Management: City of Cairns

[BUSHY]

Following on from my gapping topic, I'm posting the overheads of the Cairns GC along with my stats. Courty suggested to create this topic as both advice to me and the other Cairns golfers but also for those heading to the City of Cairns this year. These are screen grabs from Tour Caddie on my ipad and the stats are mine for 2014. Everyone's advice on how they would play each hole would be great.

[BUSHY]

[BUSHY]

[BUSHY]

http://www.ozgolf.net/images/CairnsG...urse_Guide.pdf

[Courty]

Here's my 0.02 worth (besides what I've already said in the course guide).

1. The safest play is whatever club leaves you short of left trap for widest part of fairway and best line into green. I usually hit hybrid and rarely get into trouble with it. The fairway trap is shallow and poses little threat.
3. Bomb it as far down as possible (over the trap if you can) as the green is best approached from on high with as short a club as possible due to the front of the green sloping away from the fairway.
4. May need to revise course guide if they change RHS from hazard to OOB.
6. Unless inside 200m after the drive, 2nd should be a layup short of the front bunker.
7. Best line off the tee is at the electrical towers in the distance.
9. I try to keep it on the RHS of the fairway as I just feel more comfortable approaching the green from that side for some reason.
13. Course guide will need re-wording as fairway palm is no longer there.
14. Aim at (hidden) fairway trap to avoid getting too close to LHS trees.
16. Avoiding the lake is easily done if you select a club that goes less than 200m off the tee. Otherwise aim just inside the mounds.

[markTHEblake]

Thanks bushy. That overhead on 2 explains why it didn't work out so well hitting over the trees on the corner.

[BUSHY]

Here's my 0.02 worth (besides what I've already said in the course guide).

1. The safest play is whatever club leaves you short of left trap for widest part of fairway and best line into green. I usually hit hybrid and rarely get into trouble with it. The fairway trap is shallow and poses little threat.
3. Bomb it as far down as possible (over the trap if you can) as the green is best approached from on high with as short a club as possible due to the front of the green sloping away from the fairway.
4. May need to revise course guide if they change RHS from hazard to OOB.
6. Unless inside 200m after the drive, 2nd should be a layup short of the front bunker.
7. Best line off the tee is at the electrical towers in the distance.
9. I try to keep it on the RHS of the fairway as I just feel more comfortable approaching the green from that side for some reason.
13. Course guide will need re-wording as fairway palm is no longer there.
14. Aim at (hidden) fairway trap to avoid getting too close to LHS trees.
16. Avoiding the lake is easily done if you select a club that goes less than 200m off the tee. Otherwise aim just inside the mounds.

Yeah 4 will be interesting if they make it OB down the right. From memory there was a push to do it a few years ago when residents were complaining of incoming mortars.

[BUSHY]

1. Used to be lash a driver down there as close to the green as I can get, favouring the right side. Im going to change my tactic and hit 4-5 iron off the tee and see how the next 5 rounds go.

2. 3 wood to the top of the ridge.

3. Same as Courty, smash a driver as far and as straight over the top of the bunker on the left. Normally leaves a lob wedge to what I think is one of the trickiest greens on the course.

4. Straight is key for me here. Right is dead, left is almost dead. Normally into a head wind making the hole longer.

6. I try and cut the corner with a fade and get as far down as I can. Anything inside 220m is normally a go for me but I'm going to alter my tact here too. If I dont have hybrid or less itll be a layup and a pw for the third.

9. Depending on performance to this point I'll take driver or 3 wood. A very well protected green, raised, bunkers on three sides with a nasty slope from back to front, steep drop off up the back. The shorter club in the better.

12. I've always taken driver here just in case I get it down far enough to reach in two. In all my comp rounds Ive probably been on in two less than 10 times. I'm going to take 3 wood off the tee and make sure its in the middle for a while. The green is similar to the 9th but much smaller with a bigger ridge in the middle creating 2 levels.

13. Smash it as far as I can, always go for the green in 2.

14. Used to be 3 wood but the strategy will be changing to iron or hybrid off the tee to allow a better stance in the fairway.

15. 3 Wood to the centre fairway leaving a longish uphill second. I hate the trees on the right with a passion.

16. Depending on the wind this will be either a 3 wood to 3 iron down the right side aiming at the mounds.

18. Usually with the prevailing breeze at your back I tee it high and try and fly it over the hill that splits the landing area to give me a good flat lie. The smart play might actually be 3 wood short of the ridge, layup to full wedge and play third from there. Another tricky green especially if the pin is at the front which runs away to the right.

I'll need to write a plan down for this Saturday and see how it plays out.

[Courty]

I'll need to write a plan down for this Saturday and see how it plays out.

I'm two groups behind you so I'll try & keep an eye on how it works out for you.

[mike]

Bushy, some pretty girlie distances with the driver. You should swing harder.

[BUSHY]

I'm two groups behind you so I'll try & keep an eye on how it works out for you.

Hopefully we can finish before dark. But 7:20 might be early enough. We'll see.

[LeftyHoges]

Back off boys, I got this:

1. Driver all day. And if you think about hitting anything else, piss off softcock and take driver! Miss it as far right as you want. Aim at greenside bunker, if it leaks a little left you're still fine. Leave ball below the hole.
2. Take on the trees. Go long, go strong, over the centre. Play to centre of green unless you're in a very attacking mood and don't mind challenging putts.
3. Bunker, what bunker? Tree, what tree? (Actually this is true now as the tree is gone. Sad panda.) Solarmans tactic of missing left onto 6 is far better than missing right. Again, play to centre of green unless you're in a very attacking mood and don't mind challenging putts although a back of green pin is playable.
4. Regardless of OOB or Hazard, miss left. In the bunker is still OK if you have to. Do not, I repeat DO NOT go over the back. Leave ball below the hole.
5. 4 iron to lay up short of the bunkers, chip on, take bogey. **** of a hole.
6. Lash away. Wide as an airstrip. Unless you're looooooooooooooooooooooong aim for the left-side bushes in the corner of the slight dogleg, gives the best angle in. Don't miss second shot left.
7. Over the edge of the palms and long. Hit it well to carry the garden full of crap. Miss right for second. Watch for shitty clumps of grass on green, they tend to make people temporarily believe they're not your bunny any more.
8. Do yourself a favour and don't miss anywhere but short / short right.
9. Lash driver straight over the gum in front of you. Don't go anywhere near the left rough. Definitely keep ball below the hole. Avoid the front left trap as it entices the possibility of blading a ball into the carpark.
10. Unless into the breeze take on the right hand bunkers. Don't miss left or you'll get blocked out by the gums or into the hazard. Keep ball below hole with misses to the right easier than the left.
11. Carry the water and / or miss right for safety. Only a 7 iron so shoot for the flag all day long.
12. Wider than Bob's arse. Aim for the left trap. If right, hit a 20m hook 5 iron 190m onto the green to set up easy birdie. Don't go long, left or right and keep the ball on the same tier as the flag.
13. For ****s sake, don't miss left. You've got 100 metres from centre of fairway out to the edge of the 12th on the right and you go and hit it in the ****ing hazard left? You ****ing dolt.
14. Don't bother. Putt the damn thing all the way if you want to, you'll still make bogey.
15. I've never really figured out the best way to play 15, but I guess missing left is generally better than right, just makes the hole a metric ****tonne longer.
16. Take aim at the mounds on the left with hybrid. It'll have to be a hell of a slice to hit it in the piss from that line. Keep the ball below the hole, unless the flag is up the back where there is more room to play with. Watch out for the reverse swing.
17. **** of a green. Should be bulldozed and redone. Miss right is the ONLY option.
18. Lash it. Lash it with all your might. Leaves long iron or hybrid into a bitch of a green. Hit shank out of bunker onto 9 then make sumptuous up and down for par. Or if you're sensible you'll make sure you miss second shot right.

[Iain]

What holes do you snap wedges on Lefty?

[LeftyHoges]

What holes do you snap wedges on Lefty?

Cairns remains snap free for me to this point. I was damn close on the Saturday of CoC last year, and the choke on Sunday damn near pushed me over the edge too (1 under with 5 to play, finished 2 over)

However, were I to guess which holes they will be snapped on in the future I'd lay some serious money on 14. Backup bet would be 12, if I miss left, right or long.

[Dcanto]

Cairns remains snap free for me to this point. I was damn close on the Saturday of CoC last year, and the choke on Sunday damn near pushed me over the edge too (1 under with 5 to play, finished 2 over)However, were I to guess which holes they will be snapped on in the future I'd lay some serious money on 14. Backup bet would be 12, if I miss left, right or long.

I would also give odds on it happening on nine. A bladed bunker shot into the car park is a possibility.

[markTHEblake]

That 18 th green is frigging scary. First time I played it pin was right hand side, and I was in left bunker.

I chunked the sand shot and it only just made it out. About 30 seconds later had a tap in for birdie. Just kept rolling and rolling

I have no idea why I want to go back.

[LeftyHoges]

That 9 th green is frigging scary. First time I played it pin was right hand side, and I was in left bunker.

I chunked the sand shot and it only just made it out. About 30 seconds later had a tap in for birdie. Just kept rolling and rolling

I have no idea why I want to go back.

The 9th green is damn scary, but I assume you're talking about 18? Unless you drove it 330m into the greenside bunker?

[BUSHY]

Depending on the pin location 9 can be nightmarish.

[markTHEblake]

but I assume you're talking about 18?

ummm, yeah. obviously. 9 slopes back to front not right to left.

[Courty]

I'll need to write a plan down for this Saturday and see how it plays out.

How did the change in tactics work out?

[oldracer]

How did the change in tactics work out?

must have been a cracker, still on the juice me thinks

[BUSHY]

How did the change in tactics work out?

I'll have to rethink the conservative strategy. Some holes it worked and others it didn't. Took iron off the 1st and put it in the bunker, bogey to start. So holes 1,2,5,6, 13, 14,16 I made a conscious effort to be more conservative than normal and resulted in bogey, bogey,double, par, double, triple, birdie. Aggressive on 3,7,9,10,12, 18 which resulted in par, par, par, double(OB off the tee) , bogey, par. Played 4,8,11,15,17 passively for +1.

Just looking at that in a non-scientific manner would say I need to rethink my conservative approach to those holes.

[markTHEblake]

I dont know if its a good idea to try to be conservative if you are not a conservative golfer.

[BUSHY]

I dont know if its a good idea to try to be conservative if you are not a conservative golfer.

Yep, I think I learned that.

[markTHEblake]

I am paranoid about hitting 3w off the tee. If I hit it scungy I have lost 50m instead of 20. I normally only hit less the driver if the trouble is ahead not the sides.