Front 9
No.1 - The Faulds - 270 Yards, Par 4, SI 11.
On the card, a mere drive and pitch, but this hole tends to be anything but straightforward. Out-of-bounds to the right and a rocky outcrop to the left make this a testing opening drive, more often than not into a stiff breeze. The percentage shot for the approach is to keep left of the flag and avoid the three small bunkers that flank the righthandside of the green.
No. 2 - Hunter's - 162 Yards, Par 3, SI 9.
The first par 3 and easily the toughest. Into the prevailing wind, this requires an accurate long iron shot to a green cut into a hillside. The safe line off the tee is to the left - anything drifting right is in trouble. Not only is there a deep bunker, but your ball can kick down the slope into thick rough, leaving a difficult recovery.
No.3 - Swanston - 437 Yards, Par 4, SI 3.
The longest par 4 on the course and, although rated at stroke index 3, this is the hardest hole. The drive is generally into the prevailing wind, and many of the members play this as a par 5. The green is well bunkered and an out-of-bounds area to the right, populated by tall beech trees, forces the second shot to be played to the left, where sand and a steep banking can have unpredicatable results. A par can feel like a birdie.
No.4 - St Ives - 413 Yards, Par 4, SI 7.
Plenty of space off the tee, but the ideal route is to the right - this hole should be played as a slight dogleg. The green falls away steeply on the left and anything missed there is a certain bogey. The approach can be anything from a short iron to a fairway wood depending on the wind, and the safest option from long-range is to use the slope to come in from the right.
No.5 - The Ridge - 312 Yards, Par 4, SI 13.
A typical James Braid creation, with a blind drive and a wicked dogleg approach up over a steep ridge. A post marks the ideal route off the tee, and most players will use an iron and play for position. The second shot is usually a short iron but the elevated green and the prevailing wind, usually behind you, make it very difficult to judge. It pays to know the pin location here.
No.6 - Wee Bogle - 143 Yards, Par 3, SI 17.
A tricky par 3 where club selection is always dependent on the wind. The key to this hole is to use enough club and be sure of hitting the green, because all the trouble is at the front. On the right, a steep slope kicks the ball away leaving a difficult lob shot, and two recently re-designed bunkers lie in wait for anything pulled left. All-in-all its a challenging short hole that rewards a good tee shot.
No.7 - 'T' Wood - 476 Yards, Par 5, SI 1.
The first of two par 5's, a slight dogleg right which rises up over a hill to a well-bunkered green. The drive, from an elevated tee, is to a reasonably wide fairway, but a bunker and a copse of pines at around 230 yards out must to be avoided to set up a chance for getting home in two. The green is sheltered somewhat by the 'T' wood beeches, but the bunkers all present difficult recovery shots. The Championship tee stretches this hole to 510 yards.
No.8 - Blaw Weary - 354 Yards, Par 4, SI 15.
An attractive par four with a semi-blind drive downhill to a narrow landing area, leaving a pitch of about 100 yards. A single bunker to the right of the green attracts its fair share of loose approach shots, and the green, despite looking flat, is not easy to read. No.8 is certainly a birdie opportunity, but dropping a shot here is more common than you might think.
No.9 - The Tryst - 334 Yards, Par 4, SI 5.
When the wind blows this can seem like the longest 334 yards you'll ever have to play. The drive must stay left to get any view of the green, and the approach has to be bold. Taking one club more will make sure you get up. Then the fun really begins - this green slopes severly from the back, and any shot finishing past the hole will put you firmly into three-putt territory.
