Hole #1
A gentle opening hole that allows the round to start without too many fears. The tee shot should avoid the bunkers on the left side, leaving a short iron to the green. Don't over-club here as there is trouble lurking at the back of the green. Two solid shots will give you a nice chance for a birdie.
Hole #2
You need to have loosened up quickly, as this hole will require two of your best shots. The best approach to the green will be from the right side of the fairway and a well struck tee shot will feed to the right. The approach is all carry to avoid the front bunkers and may require a long club.
Hole #3
The danger here is obvious - water left! Use a mid to long iron depending on the tee position, ideally starting at the right side and drawing is the perfect tee shot. The bunkers short and right are not too fearsome but will leave you some work to make par if you find them.
Hole #4
Not a long par 4 but taking "dead aim" is needed. The tee shot requires careful alignment to ensure you stay to the left side, so your approach shot does not flirt with the wetland at the side of the green. Check the wind and if anything you need to make sure that you can go long - the wetland snakes around the green will swallow the long approach.
Hole #5
The tee shot here is slightly "blind" and must be played to the right side of the fairway to avoid the deep bunkers on the left. You may only need a long iron for your tee shot, leaving a short iron approach. You can run the ball up onto the green if the wind is blowing, but be sure to exercise some distance control - the green is quite large and you can be left with a long putt if your club selection is wrong.
Hole #6
No great dramas for the tee shot here - all the work is around the green. Ideally the tee shot is just left of centre and you will need an accurate and strong second shot. Anything landing short of the green will feed off to the sides so try to carry all the way to the green. There is little room left of the green where a chip and putt for Par can result - but beware of missing your approach to the right.
Hole #7
The left side contains the dangers with the tee shot - Out of Bounds if you're way left and some semi-hidden bunkers skirt on the fairway. A well hit shot will fall to the right with the slope on the fairway. Only the strong hitters will get home in two, and 3 bunkers short protect the green. Lay up your second shot to your preferred pitching distance, slightly to the left side, and play your approach carefully to a small green.
Hole #8
This par 3 hole will play slightly longer than its meterage, so allow for that in club selction. Check the pin position, as there are varyng levels on the green. This hole just needs you to play a solid short to mid iron and you will have a good chance to put a 2 on your scorecard.
Hole #9
A gentle opening hole that allows the round to start without too many fears. The tee shot should avoid the bunkers on the left side, leaving a short iron to the green. Don't overclub here as there is trouble lurking at the back of the green. Two solid shots will give you a nice chance for a birdie.
Hole #10
The fairway narrows the further the further the tee shot travels so some thought as to tee shot selection is required. The safe route is a long iron or fairway wood from the tee and a mid iron approach to the elevated green. Those bolder may elect to shape a driver around the corner, but trouble awaits with a deep bunker some 70 metres short of the green. The best approach to the green will be to the right hand side, as the greenside bunkers on the left are deep.
Hole #11
A reachable Par 5 hole here, but accuracy is all important. There is plenty of trouble lurking with the tee shot - water to the right and bunkers to the left. The fairways narrow dramatically for the second shot towards the green. An accurate second shot can run to the front, encouraging a low, strong approach. The green is tricky with some severe slopes, particularly if the pin is at the back.
Hole #12
All carry here - anything short will find a watery grave. Check the flag for wind - the tee area is protected but the green is exposed. Any shot finding the bunkers will require a deft touch to save par and the green has a false front so a slightly underdone tee shot will feed to the front. This hole requires correct club selection, otherwise par will be hard to make.
Hole #13
A long par 4, generally playing into a prevailing wind. Plenty of room for you to open your shoulders with the tee, but the best angle of approach is from the left side of the fairway. The entry to the green is narrow, with a bunker protecting the right hand side. The long approach will need to be accurate, if anything favouring the left hand side. A chip and putt for par will be common, providing you can avoid the pitfalls as you approach the green.
Hole #14
A simple looking hole and short enough for a well played short iron and birdie. But beware - there is trouble aplenty if you stray from the green. The bunkers on the left are deep and fierce and there is some severe run-off at the rear. The green itself has two levels so you must get the club selection right to avoid a lengthy putt.
Hole #15
This par 4 will reward the strategist as much as the long hitter. Place the tee shot to the right side of the fairway and you will be left with a short approach to a green sloping left. Tee shots finding the left side will flirt with bunkers and make for a difficult approach. The approach shot - pitch or bump and run - should favour to the right side of the green to allow for the slope. Beware overshooting the green - the recovery will be tough.
Hole #16
The hole may look benign, but quality shots are required to preserve your score. For all but the longest hitters, take aim at the fairway bunker and the ball will finish close to middle fairway. Tee shots that head to the left - where there is plenty of room - will find a very difficult angle of approach over the greenside bunkers. The green entry is narrow and you will need to carry your ball all the way, otherwise you will find the effect of mounds to the right and bunkers to the left. Any wide approaches will be severely penalised so some strategy may be needed unless your tee shot is perfect.
Hole #17
Here's a chance to grab a birdie. A reasonably wide fairway is offered, with only a bunker to the right to avoid. The really long player may need to think about the wetland some 250 metres from the tee. A short iron approach to this long green will give you a good chance to make 3. The green side bunkers may decieve your eye for distance, so you will need to be sure of your distance to the pin.
Hole #18
A dogleg to the left from the tee, so the drive needs to be positioned carefully. There is plenty of room to the right but the more right off the tee, the longer it is to the green. Avoid the bunkers on the inside of the dogleg and keep the ball up the left hand side with the second shot or you will find yourself tangling with a family of bunkers on the right. Two well struck shots will leave a short pitch and a great chance to finish your round with a birdie.
