Hole by hole

Hole 17

This reachable par 5 is a pure risk. Set into the side of a hill, it wraps around the left side of a creek which feeds into a wetland in front of the green.

The drive is required to sit between the two sets of fairway bunkers so as to set up the approach shot. Big hitters can drive over the right hand bunkers to leave a shorter approach but beware, the trees are closer than they look.

The decision is then to lay-up short of the pond or attack the green. The hole then feeds down to the pond so the lay-up option needs to account for the extra roll that the hill side gives.

The green is surrounded on all sides by bunkers and has two distinct levels requiring an accurate approach regardless of laying-up or not. If the green or bunkers are missed, the pond or deep swales lurk, leaving difficult chip shots.

A wonderful hole that will linger long in the memory.

Pro's Tip: Ego plays no part here - go for the green only if you have an iron in your hand.