Card of the Course

Seniors View - How to play each hole

How a mid / high handicapper senior would need to play the holes

All distances from the Yellow Tees –

This assumes you hit all of the shots correctly, which as a mid to high handicapper that will not happen. It also assumes a drive of around 200 yards. Try and be straight!

1st Hole   Par 4   288 yards            Stroke index 16

The 1st is another signature hole. It is a short par 4 but the raised green is small, on two levels and surrounded by trees. There are upright sleepers right across the front of the green just to add another difficulty. When taking the second shot you might want to go up a club as the green is so much higher than the fairway. A par is always a good score. Be happy coming away with a bogey, it could be much worse!

2nd Hole     Par 5   489 yards            Stroke index 8

A double dog leg, left then right, with out of bounds all the way down the right to the green (not generally a problem). The tee shot gives you a choice. The bigger hitters can hit over the trees, cutting the dogleg left, but if not hit well can be in the trees or even when over there are mounds and rough to contend with before you reach the fairway. A draw tee shot down the middle can give a clear second up past the bunker, leaving a 70 – 120 yard third shot into a flat green. The bunker on the front right catches a fair share of green bound shots. If you avoid the trees and bunkers then a par or bogey should be straight forward.

3rd Hole    Par 3   174 yards            Stroke index 10

This is the longest par 3, with out of bounds all the way down the right hand side. There is a line of trees near the green at right angles to the fairway that can catch the errant tee shot. A straight shot and a par is easily achievable. It is not an easy hole so a four is ok, but you always feel you have missed out.

4th Hole    Par 4   329 yards            Stroke index 12

A dogleg right with gorse all the way down the right hand side. A tee shot to the left side of the fairway misses the two bunkers strategically placed on the right hand corner of the dogleg.  The second shot need to land short of the green as this slopes sharply from front to back. A bunker on the right front of the green catches the wayward. Second shots are invariably end up at the back of the green. A good third chip or putt still doesn’t guarantee a par as all the short putts on this green can be tricky. Take care and get a par!

5th Hole     Par 5   498 yards            Stroke index 2

A straight par 5 with gorse at the front of the tee, trees all the way down the right hand side and a ditch across the fairway at just over 200 yards, between two clumps of gorse, so can be reached from the tee. There is a bunker on the left at around 100 yards and two on the left hand side of the fairway a little closer and that can catch the wayward shot. Generally the shot into the green is played short as the green slopes from front to back although it is raised a little at the front. A 6 can be a good score on this hole. It seems simple, and sometimes it is!

6th Hole    Par 4   246 yards            Stroke index 14

Another signature hole. A short drive to just in front of the pond and then a pitch into the green that sloped from front to back so not always easy to get close. There is a bunker on the right that catches tee shots with regularity. The drive goes through two lines of gorse so has to be straight. A fade to the right, just over the bunker leaves an easier shot into the green.

The pond collects more than its fair share of balls!

7th Hole     Par 4   389 yards             Stroke index 4

Another long par 4, this is generally seen as the most difficult on the course, although it is rated at number 4. A slight dogleg to the right, with trees on the right from around 200 yards to the hole.The drive is one of the difficulties as there is a strip of gorse at just where many drives tend to land. The strip is halfway across the fairway and is about 10 yards deep so once in there, you often lose the ball. If you try and miss the gorse and fade to the right hand side you can be blocked off for your second shot by the trees. Left over the gorse is the shot. It still leaves a long second. If you are short, and most are, then the third shot can be very difficult as the green is raised and like an upturned saucer. And out of bounds over the back. Come away with a bogey five and be happy!

8th Hole     Par 3   111 yards             Stroke index 17

A short par 3 but as the 8th it is wide and narrow from front to back. There is a big area of gorse in front of the tee for about 40 yards. Two bunkers on the left front of the green and another one on the right of the green catch the wayward shots. Should get a par here but can run up a 6 quite easily.

9th Hole     Par 4   379 yards             Stroke index 6

This is another difficult par 4 with out of bounds down the right hand side and a line of trees at right angles to the edge of the fairway at around 140 yards from the tee. The shot is over those trees to catch the downslope. But straight down the middle is good too. If the wind is behind you can get up in two shots but otherwise you will be left a short wedge into a green guarded by a bunker on the front right, the Captains bunker and therefore subject to a fine! The green is one of the most difficult, along with the eighth, and you have to be careful you don’t three putt as it is easy to do.

10th Hole           Par 5   525 yards       Stroke index 5

This is a par 5 dogleg to the right. A decent drive needs to be on the left side of the fairway. The right hand side has trees and gorse all the way down to the corner – not good if your drive lands there, it generally requires a provisional tee shot! Try and land on the left side of the fairway, but beware there are trees and gorse down the left as well!  A good second shot cutting the corner leaves a 120 – 150 yard third shot into a green guarded by a bunker on the right and which slopes up steeply from the front to a flatter area. The hole is sometimes cut on the slope so needs accurate putting! It is a very good score to shoot par on this starting hole.

11th Hole            Par 4   474 yards       Stroke index 3

This is the first of the long par 4’s. It is a dogleg left. A good drive is to the corner but away from the copse of trees and gorse on the left. Be aware of the mounds on the corner of the dogleg, they can make your stance very difficult. You should then have a clear second shot up to the flat area in front of the green, avoiding more gorse and a line of trees on the left of the fairway. This generally leaves a 75 – 100 yard third shot into a large and difficult green protected by a bunker on the front right and a big dip on the left of the green. Be prepared for some long putts! This is a difficult hole to get a par on. Be happy with a bogey!

12th Hole          Par 5   511 yards       Stroke index 11

Another par 5 this has a slight dogleg left for the third shot. It can be an awkward drive over a large area of gorse in front of the tee to a decent sized fairway. Any drive going left may encounter more gorse. The second shot may be affected by the four bunkers placed two on either side of the rise in the fairway, and the small area of gorse just in front of the two left hand bunkers, before the fairway slopes down to the green so the third shot needs to be short to run on. Land on the green and generally you are through the back with an awkward up and down. Not a difficult hole and you should get away with a par or bogey at worst.

13th Hole        Par 3   148 yards       Stroke index 18

A simple par 3, stroke index 18, so should be the easiest hole on the course.  However gorse in front of the tee, all the way down the left hand side of the hole, and trees and gorse on the right hand side makes this a hole where you need a clean accurate shot into a large green. Club selection as always will depend on the wind and the prevailing tends to be a headwind so take one more club than you would think. Come in from the left hand side as the green slopes from left to right.

14th Hole              Par 4   431 yards       Stroke index 1

Another of the long par 4’s. It is a long straight hole with an out of bounds all the way down the right and behind the green. The left has two dips, the first with gorse. The tee shots should be to the left hand side of the fairway. Depending on the wind this will leave a long second to near the front of the green, with a third shot of 50 – 100 yards or more. A strategically placed bunker on the front left of the green penalises the wayward hits. The green is long and thin and slopes at the front from left to right. This is another difficult hole for the shorter hitter. A bogey is a good result.

15th Hole       Par 4   375 yards            Stroke index 9

A straight hole, with out of bounds down the right hand side for around 200 yards and a bunker on the left of the fairway that can catch you out from the drive. Anything left and short of the bunker will find a deep rough that will make it almost be impossible to find your ball. Second shot of around 150 yards into a double level green. It can be difficult to get right to the back if the hole is cut there.  You should get a bogey at worst.

16th Hole       Par 5   472 yards            Stroke index 15

A tee shot from an elevated tee to a reasonably wide fairway to a dogleg left up to the green.  Take a spare ball with you as if any ball hits the power cables you have to reload with no penalty. The left side of the fairway is the best line unless you hit it short in which case you may be blocked out for your second shot by the trees which line the hole down the left hand side. Be aware of the deep copse of gorse on the right of the fairway just past the dogleg. A sliced second can easily find this and a provisional ball is recommended as it is often lost. The green is elevated and a shot in to the left of the green is the best way although there are two bunkers on the left hand side that that catch the mishit shot. There is a deep bunker on the right of the green that can catch a sliced third shot. Again this should get you a bogey at worst but can easily rack up a high score.

17th Hole       Par 3   137 yards            Stroke index 13

This is an interesting, and one of the signature, holes on the course. The tee tends to be set at around 145 yards and with the pond right in front of a wide green It is narrow however from front to back, and slopes severely from back to front to make for a difficult and brave tee shot. Many take the easy option down the left hand side hoping for a pitch and putt for par. A slightly too long tee shot over the green makes for an often impossible shot as you are hitting back into a down sloping green towards the pond. More balls end in the pond than on the green! Take a par or bogey and get right on to the 9^th!

18th Hole       Par 4   406 yards            Stroke index 7

This is the third long par 4 on the back nine. A straight hole with the fairway sloping left to right where the tee shots will generally land. It is advised to start the tee shot up the left hand side and it will tend to end up in the middle of the fairway. There is still a long shot to the green. Again you have to avoid the power lines, a reload required if you hit them. Most have a 70 – 100 yard third shot into a big green that slopes from back to front. There is a dip at the front of the green that catches the short ones. On the green in three and you can easily walk off with a six.