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HOLE BY HOLE GUIDE
1st A testing par 3 to begin with. The green is guarded with bunkers at the front and right and out of bounds awaits any shots that are too far left. Hit the green and you have a good chance of a birdie – miss and it’s a tough up and down to avoid bogey.
2nd A deceptively difficult 358 yard par 4. Daunting does not even begin to describe the tee shot at this hole. Out of bounds all along the left, a bunker in the middle of the fairway and trees and rough all along the right. The ideal tee shot is a fade stopping short of the fairway bunker which would leave about 125 yards to the green. Your second shot is not any less daunting. The green is protected left and right by bunkers and out of bounds to the left, right and through the green. Add to this that it is extremely difficult to stop the ball on the undulating green , a par here is well earned.
3rd & 4th Birdie Country! Two straight forward par 4s. The big hitters can drive the green, 270 yards and 273 yards, setting up an eagle opportunity or a two putt birdie. Both greens are protected left and right by bunkers and have tree lined fairways. Real birdie chances for golfers of all abilities. On the fourth keep your shot to the green below the hole as any putts down the hill are 3 putt territory.
5th What a Monster! 565 yards to the pin this par 5 has broken many rounds before they have got going. Out of bounds all along the left, rough and trees on the right and a blind approach to a postage stamp green all make a bogey no disaster here.
Looking back towards the 6th hole.
6th Another short par 4 at 277 yards however this is a different proposition to the 3rd and 4th. Yes the green is driveable for the big hitters however out of bounds, heavy rough and trees all along the left make it a risky shot. An iron off the tee will take the fairway bunker out of play and leave you with less than a hundred yards to the green. Hit the sloping green and you’ve a good chance of birdie. Miss and it’s a tough up and down to save par.
7th 157 yard par 3 with an elevated tee. It looks straightforward from the tee but the green is sloping and quick. Find yourself above the hole and you are faced with a testing putt. There is trouble on the left but it only comes in to play if you are very wild off the tee.
View of the Loch at the 8th hole
8th On paper a 277 yard par 4 sounds straight forward – this hole is anything but. One huge tree comes in to play off the tee and another protects the green. Add to that a Loch running along the left of the hole and a pot bunker at the green and you have a very difficult par 4. Off the tee the big hitters have a choice to take on the green which has obvious risks and rewards. If you place your tee shot it has to be perfect or you could end up with no shot to the green.
9th A really testing par 3 at 220 yards. Out of bounds awaits anything too far right. The green looks deceptively flat but it is anything but! If you can finish the outward nine with a par then you’ve done well.
10th Again a short par 4 at 286 yards but it is anything but straight forward. You have a choice with your tee shot – attack the green and try for birdie but that brings the out of bounds on the right into play and the closer you get to the green the more the fairway narrows with heavy rough either side, or play a mid iron up the middle and leave yourself a short iron in to the green. The small two level green is protected by banking and a bunker on the right so if you miss the green getting up and down is not easy.
11th The second of the par 5s but a much easier proposition at 526 yards. There are two risks from the tee, heavy rough right and left and two bunkers skirting either side of the fairway approximately 250 yards from the tee. If you find the fairway with your tee shot then your second is a lay up shot avoiding more fairway bunkers. Your approach shot to the large green will usually be played blind – bunkers left and right of the green.
12th The first of two demanding par 4s. Your tee shot is complicated by the burn which runs along the right of the fairway for the first 280 yards of the hole. A tee shot down the middle will leave you a shot into the green which is protected by two bunkers left and right.
13th 410 yard par 4 with out of bounds all along the right and a ditch to cross. For the bigger hitters, if you find the fairway, it’s a drive and mid iron meaning the ditch is not in play A deceptively large green – concentration a must to avoid 3 putts.
14th If you’ve made it to here with you score intact then well done – but there are still lots of challenges ahead. The 14th is a left to right dog leg par 4 with thick whins and out of bounds along the right and heavy rough and trees along the left. Safety is the key to the blind tee shot – keep the ball in play and you will have a mid iron to the flat green. Don’t let the bunker front left of the green deceive you – there is still a good 10 yards over it before you reach the green.
15th A par 3 before you cross the road for the final time. Bunkers left and right and a water hazard protect the green. Better to be straight and short than left or right. Anything left of the green and you will have a difficult up and down due to having to fly the bunker and having little green to work with.
16th The 16th isn’t stroke index 1 for no reason! A 471 yard par 4, dog leg right to left, uphill at first, out of bounds along the right, rough along the left and a Loch to contend with – but what a challenge. If you can reach the top of the hill with your drive you will be able to see the green and try to reach it in regulation. If you have a blind second shot then caution should be exercised to just keep the ball in play. Most players would accept a bogey and anything less is a bonus.
17th What a proposition this par 3 is. 164 yards to the centre of the green and it’s all carry over a Loch. The green is protected left and right by bunkers and the sloping back to front green is usually quick.
18th If you are still on a score then unfortunately the 18th is no gentle finish. A left to right dog leg par 4 with out of bounds along the right and rough skirting either side of the fairway. Two options from the tee, play safe and leave yourself a bit further to the green or cut the corner and you could be rewarded with a short iron to the raised green. The landing area for tee shots slopes right to left and gathers shots into the semi rough on the left. The bowl shape green is forgiving to approach shots but it is probably the most challenging green to putt on. Site Last Updated - 15/08/2010 11:43:33
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