Playing the course


A hole by hole review of playing the course including tips from Mike LaBand the teaching professional at the club.

Hole 1

Par 4,  White=355 yards, Yellow=346 yards, Red=343 yards

The tee shot on this hole can make the shot to the green easier by not going too far. The fairway is at it's widest just before the ramps and is only a mid iron from the green. If you are on the ramp after your tee shot, plan for your next shot to go higher than normal, so take an extra club.


Hole 2

Par 4, White=374 yards, Yellow=366 yards, Red=331 yards

Plan this hole in your mind before you tee off. If you are going to hit the green in two then your tee shot should favour the left hand side of the fairway. Watch out for the bunker if you're playing into the wind. If you can't hit the green in two then plan your second shot to finish short of the grass hollow.

The green can catch some quite good shots out if you've not planned ahead. Avoid aiming for the left side of the green, even if the flag is there. A 10ft putt from the right of the pin is so much easier than a 10ft chip through the grass hollow.

 

Hole 3

Par 3,  White=154 yards, Yellow=148 yards, Red=105 yards

Watch the wind, check the flags on the course to the left of you, or on the church onthe horizon. They sometimes blow in a different direction to the flag on the green in front of you. This is the effect the dunes are having. The wind direction above the dunes is different to below them. Since your ball flight will be mostly above the dunes you may need to aim to the right even if the flag is blowing that way.

 

Hole 4

Par 4,  White=363 yards, Yellow=348 yards, Red=346 yards

Do you need your driver? The best tee shot on this hole is a well placed, safe tee shot, short of the fairway bunker. This will leave you about 150 yards left to go. A longer tee shot has a lot of risks with little reward.

A shot into this green needs to be well placed. Any ball landing on the front left portion of the green will be kicked off. If you do miss the green on this hole, try to leave your chip below the hole. Down slope putts can run away from you at an alarming pace.

 

Hole 5

Par 4,  White=411 yards, Yellow=404 yards, Red=365 yards

The rough is punishing. You could say that about any hole on the course, but on this hole and the next, try to stay out of it at all costs even if that means taking an extra shot to get you to the green.

Your balance on this tee shot is important. On a windy day this is the first tee shot you have to hit without any shelter from the dunes. The approach shot to this green is guarded very well and the dangers a very clear for all to see. However a lot of shots get dropped on this hole because they finish just short. The narrowest part of this hole is the entrance to the green with 20yards of dead ground you can't see from the fairway. Take plenty of club and get past this area.

 

Hole 6

Par 4,  White=400 yards, Yellow=390 yards, Red=350 yards

As you leave the 5th green, have a look down the 6th fairway. Your tee shot on the 6th could be a blind one, but if your standing on the top tee of this hole it has stunning views across the bay.  As with the previous hole the front of the green provides the most problems. It's better to be just long than too short.


Hole 7

Par 3,  White=154 yards, Yellow=141 yards, Red=125 yards

A deceptive hole for choosing the right club. It can be as much as two clubs different between the front and the back of the green. A shot that would hit the front left of the green wouldn't even reach the bunker on the right, and being a raised green any shot needs to carry the full distance, so play to the back of the green.

 

Hole 8

Par 5,  White=461 yards, Yellow=446 yards, Red=410 yards

This par 5 can reward two good shots with a birdie but beware of the bunker down the right hand side. Its at a very good distance to catch a lot of tee shots. The green has many bumps and borrows. Some pin positions can be very tricky indeed.

 

Hole 9

Par 4,  White=421 yards, Yellow=416 yards, Red (Par 5)=407 yards

The ditch that runs all the way down the right hand side can gather in any sliced tee shot but this is the better side of the fairway to finish. The fairway and green side bunkers are all down the left hand side of this hole. This green is another with hidden ground beyond its bunker, making the approach  shot look shorter than it is. Choose a club that will get you to the back of the green and you won't be far away from the pin.



Hole 10 

Par 4,  White=346 yards, Yellow=338 yards, Red=277 yards

Standing on this tee you are sheltered by the dunes. Don't forget which way the wind is blowing, and play as far left as you dare.

The second shot is often rewarded if a lower running shot is chosen. The wind can howl across the practice putting green, not felt by the golfer sheltered by the dunes, and blow any high wedge shot way off line.

Also watch out for a soft, lush grass, area just short of the putting surface. Any shot that lands here does not bounce and run as you might expect.

 

Hole 11

Par 3,  White=199 yards, Yellow=190 yards, Red=177 yards

A long par 3 with a narrow entrance, and the green proatected by three pot bunkers.

Favour the right hand side of this green off the tee, even if the flag is on the left, but do not set your tee shotoff outside the right hand bunker, it rarely come back.

A shot missed on the left has often a bare lie and a deep bunker to go over.

 

Hole 12

Par 4,  White=407 yards, Yellow=395 yards, Red=384 yards

If the breeze allows, longer hitters will need to aim down the right hand side to avoid running out of fairway as the hole dog legs.

The green, however, is the much harder part of this hole. Any shot that misses to the side or long is faced with a very difficult chip. If your going to miss, miss short.

The two tier green can catch a lot of good shots out. If the flag is on the top deck, it's a very small landing area. Consider a chip and run to get the ball up the slope.

 

Hole 13

Par 5,  White=456 yards, Yellow=448 yards, Red=418 yards

You can see it all from the tee, but you're not aiming for the green with your tee shot. Think about how far down your drive might land. The further your drive goes the narrower the fairway gets.

Approach shots should favour the left side of the green to avoid the two bunkers waiting for any loose shots. This is a big green with a gentle slope from back to front, so you can attack the pin. Leave uphill putts if you can. A long putt from back to front could be race away from you in summer.


Hole 14

Par 3,  White=129 yards, Yellow=116 yards, Red=120 yards

Hitting from a raised tee means not much roll when the ball lands. Plan for a shot that carries all the way. If the flag is on the front, aim beyond it and putt back. The green is much wider from the middle to back.

The front of the green is deceptively narrow, well guarded and difficult to hit.

 

Hole 15

Par 4,  White=458 yards, Yellow=449 yards, Red=334 yards

The signature hole on the course, from the back tee choosing the line to aim down is everything. With out of bounds all the way down the right its very easy to hit your tee shot too far left. This only leaves you in the rough and/or behind the trees guarding the pond.

Its good advice to treat this par 4 as a par 5 and get there in easy stages.

If the tee is at the front (with the ladies tee) favour the right hand side of the fairway. This will leave you a much easier shot up the length of this long narrow green.

 

Hole 16

Par 3,  White=194 yards, Yellow=176 yards, Red=168 yards

Standing on this tee you can be quite sheltered by the trees around you. Don' forget about any wind. A good line to take is at the right side of the green. The prevailing wind off the sea will bring it back to the centre.

The rough on the left of the green can grow very thick and is to be avoided.

 

Hole 17

Par 5,  White=530 yards, Yellow=482 yards, Red=464 yards

A par 5 that temps you to take it on. Longer hitters need to choose whether to carry the out of bounds or aim down the fairway with less club.

Second shots can get caught up in the grass mounds. If they are around your distance plan to finish short of them or well over.

Beware because approach shots race away from the front of the green to the back very easily. The area just short of the green is quite firm and the normal wind is of the sea (down wind).
 

Hole 18

Par 4,  White=433 yards, Yellow=416 yards, Red (Par 5)=383 yards

This hole looks straight but its not. A line from the men's tee to the green is looking down the left hand rough. A tee shot hit at the right hand fairway bunker will give you a good line in to the green. This is another hole were the bunkers at the front of the green have dead ground beyond them. Take enough club to get you well on the green.