This course is well looked after and has a majestic backdrop, and a real hidden gem of a course. It's not overly long, but a good challenge, and a tough course for consistent low scoring. The forst is a 400 yard par 5, so that gives you an indication of the uphill difficulty, as well as a steeply sloping left to right fairway. So if you carry the ball 200 yards from the tee, you will still have over 200 yards to the green as the ball runs sideways and backwards. To make this hole even tougher the tenth is only a par 4, but from a different tee position, but still 400 yards SI1, a beast to a raised postage stamp green which is tight to the tree line.
The 2nd is a good par 3 but the tee position is tight to the tree line to a well protected bunker. The green is wide but tight to hit and a good iron shot needs to come in from height to stick, so unless you can hit a shortish iron 170 yards, the best bet is to aim close to the tree line and watch the ball pitch on the sloping bank and run down onto the green.
The 3rd is an uphill par 4 from a tight to the tree line tee position. The longer hitters can leave themselves a short iron to the green, but most players will see their tee shot hit the slope and aquirt to the right towards a few fairway bunkers on the right of the fairway. The green is well contoured and protected.
The 4th is a fairly straightforward par 5 with a slight right to left dog-leg. Watch out for the fairway bunker on the elbow as it's positioned to capture the brave who try and cut the corner. The green is 2-tiers.
The 5th another straightforward par 4 with a slight left to right dog-leg. Again their are well positioned bunkers left and right to swallow tee shots that don't stay in the middle. The green is a fast raised green thats fairly narrow, so easy to watch your approach shots trickle down the bank.
The 6th is a teasing short par 4, and for those brave enough to go for it, the green can be hit from the tee. From the tee you have an uphill iron or 3-wood to a raised fairway, which leaves you a downhil mid to short iron to a small green in a valley. But for the brave who are willing to take it on, you will need to fly the trees and hope for a good bounce down the hill onto the green. A great hole that has risk a reward written all over it.
The 7th is an uphill par 3 of 2 hundred yards. This can be a beast if your tee shot is short as the ball will squirt to the right and could leave you a tricky pitch from the next fairway or from behind the trees. A sensible line in is to the left and watch your ball pitch to the right and run down onto the green. A good test.
The 8th is yet again a 200 yard par 3 but this time you are firing back down and over the valley you have just walked up. The green is a very slippery 2-tiers and well protected. If the pin position is at the front of the green be very wary of the put coming back down the slope as you could see anything not hit correctly run straight back off the green and down the slope.
The 9th is the reverse of the first, it's a good par 4 and make sure to aim high to the right of the fairway as the ball will get plenty of right to left sideways movement after pitching. You should be left with a shortish iron down onto a postage stamp green, but make sure you hit the green with plenty of loft as mid-irons will see the ball run off the green and down the slope. In dry conditions many try and aim to the right and hope to see their approach run down the hill onto the green, but 90% will see their ball run through and off, so it needs hitting from height to make it stick.
The 2nd nine is the reverse but from different tee positions, but overall this is a good, well kept, picturesque course with plenty of challenges and will make you think your way around.
Value For Money: Good
Mark: 8/10 Peter Dockerty October 21, 2010
