Hole 1
Pro-tip : Dogleg right, longer hitters can risk going straight for the green but beware of the gorse on right if you don’t hit it long enough. For most players, the perfect line is above and to the right of the grassy bunker in the middle of the fairway. Beware going too far into the gorse on the left of the fairway.
Hole 2
Pro-tip : A deceptively tough Par 3 (as are they all!). Anything left or right of the green will bounce further away from it. Depending on where the pin is located will indicate which side is best to miss on. If possible leave yourself a straight putt uphill to the hole (any putt left or right of the hole breaks severely!)
Hole 3
Pro-tip : One of the toughest Par 4s on the course. A dogleg left that plays every yard of its length. An ideal drive is aimed at the tree to the right of the green on the horizon. The approach shot plays at least one club more than you think. It needs to be aimed left of the green to bounce and run right to a sloping green. A bogey is not a bad result here.
Hole 4
Pro-tip : A challenging short Par 4. The hole slopes severely up the hill. A 180-200 yard Tee shot is all that is required due to the fairway narrowing as you go further up the hole. The next shot plays at least one club more than you would expect. Beware of being above the pin because the severe slope of the green makes a downhill putt very difficult.
Hole 5
Pro-tip : Finally a slightly easier challenge. This is a driveable Par 4 for the longer hitters. Beware of the pond to the left; stay right of the orange buoy. The first real birdie chance – good luck.
Hole 6
Pro-tip : A Par 4 that is not long but by no means easy. Out of Bounds (OOB) on left indicated by white posts and white tape on the ground running all the way down the hole to the 6th Tee. Your Tee shot should be straight over the black and white marker post and not longer than 200 yards as you will run out of fairway. Your second shot should be played approximately 20-30 yards shorter than the actual yardage and aimed just right of the 6th Tee to run down to the green.
Hole 7
Pro-tip : Another of the easier Par 4s. The OOB from the previous hole is NOT OOB on this hole. A drive of around 220 yards is ideal to avoid the risk of going in the greenside pond. Do not hit your drive right as it will never be seen again as it vanishes over a massive drop!! The green is long and narrow so just being on the green is no guarantee of a Par but a birdie is also well within reach.
Hole 8
Pro-tip : One of the toughest Par 3s on the course. Not a short hole plus the fact that the green runs left to right at an angle away from the Tee line. Miss the green right and your only hope is that it lands on a narrow ledge just to the right of the green. Miss it left and it is not as bad but the green is a narrow target for your second. A good Tee shot is to lay-up in front of the green and hope to chip and putt. The green is two-tiered which makes it even harder when the pin is on the top tier. A 4 here would not be a bad score.
Hole 9
Pro-tip : A hole that is defined by a gorse bank to the right and a pond that starts at approx 220 yards from the Tee. Therefore a drive of about 210 yards would leave you approx 150 yards to one of the few flat greens.
Hole 10
Pro-tip : The first of the Par 5s, this can be a straightforward hole as long as you stay straight. It isn’t too narrow but shots deviating left or right might be in deep trouble. Depending on the direction of the wind, the longer hitters could be looking to get up in two, but they would be two accurate shots. A small green that has a steep slope to its left and a sharp drop off to the right onto the 11th Tee is not an easy target. Once on the green it is quite sloping, which makes it tricky.
Hole 11
Pro-tip : This has to be one of the toughest Par 3s in the country (after the 8th which is equally tough). The small green makes the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon seem huge. Not to mention the fact that this hole is about 30-40 yards longer! Any shot left or right is likely to be in deep trouble. The only saving grace is that these areas are Red Penalty areas. A shot can therefore be played under penalty from where your ball crosses the Penalty Area. Top Tip is to take one club less off the Tee than you think you need to remain safe. Once you manage to get your ball onto the small green you can relax.
Hole 12
Pro-tip : The Signature Hole. A beautiful view and an amazing looking hole that plays more like a Par 5. A long dogleg left across a huge valley. The longer hitters need to hit their drive 240 yards to carry the fern if they aim at the marker post which is 280 yards from the Tee. Your second or third shots are towards a long narrow green that is protected by an undulating approach with a severe drop off to the left and at the rear of the green. A 4 is like a birdie here!
Hole 13
Pro-tip : The ideal drive is either straight at or slightly right of the marker post. The second shot is where it gets a bit tricky. Take approximately 20-30 yards off your approach shot yardage and hit it very straight at the marker post behind the green. Anything left of that will go further left; anything right will go further right. Playing too long will make for a very difficult shot back to the green. However, when you reach the green it is one of the few flat greens.
Hole 14
Pro-tip : The 14th Hole is our second and final Par 5. The initial fairway severely slopes left to right and therefore requires your drive to be aimed well left. The telegraph pole is a good a line. Most balls end up off the fairway (right). Do not hit your drive too straight or right. Most bounces go further right and may end up in a ditch or OOB. The second shot needs to be aimed at the middle of the second section of the hole, leaving you with a wedge shot into another flat but large green.
Hole 15
Pro-tip : The last of a quartet of testing Par 3s. At 160+ yards all uphill, with a deep ravine short right and grassy bunkers short left and right, this is a tough hole. When you make the green there isn’t a flat putt to be had, so good luck!
Hole 16
Pro-tip : A short Par 4 that can be a straightforward Par but can also ruin your card. A straight drive of 200-230 yards aimed just right of the gorse on the left of the fairway is ideal. Anything right of centre or further right may end up over the side into the fern. The approach shot to the raised green must be straight. Anything right is likely to be lost or unplayable, anything left could be lost and if found is definitely a difficult shot. If and when you do make the green it is relatively large and flat.
Hole 17
Pro-tip : The penultimate hole is not long but can be birdied or equally troublesome. The long hitters may be tempted to go for the green which is approximately 280 yards carry to the green and 250 yards to clear the gorse. The safe line is between the 1st Tee and the green. Avoid landing on the road or your ball could sail over the fairway into the fern. The approach shot to the green can be tricky with balls tending to run long. The green is small and quite sloping therefore even when you get there, two putts are not a given.
Hole 18
Pro-tip : One of the easiest holes on the course. As with any hole this one can jump out and grab you. A drive aimed at or slightly left of this small green is ideal. The approach shot needs to be long enough and straight. Anything short or right will end up down by the Red 1st Tee leaving a tricky shot back to the green. A relatively small Green means that you have a reasonable chance of holing your final Putt to end your round in style.
