Latrobe Golf Club

A wide green is protected by bunkers in front of and to the right. Although it seems an easy opening hole, many golfers find a par three start difficult to achieve, particularly if your ball is on one side of the green and the hole is on the other.

Over-exuberant drives may find the water, although you may be lucky to have the ball stopped by two bunkers. A slight left-to-right second shot around tall trees can help set up a short pitch to a sloping green. A good birdie opportunity for most golfers who can keep the ball on the fairway.

A large red river gum stands directly between the men?s tee and the green about 150 metres from the tee, so longer hitters can try to carry their drives over this tree, or must induce a right-to-left shot so as to avoid running out of fairway. If you strike the tree, there is fair chance the ball will land in a water hazard, which is a long way from the hole. This will more than likely lead to a double bogey. Female golfers do not have to contend with the tree or the water hazard; indeed, once past the tree, the fairway is the widest on the course. A bunker protects the left side of the green about 10 metres out, while trees and two bunkers on the right present further challenges. Most golfers will settle for five on this hole.

The best shot is just right of centre, to open up the green. Be careful of hitting too long too far left ? the water hazard is waiting for such shots. Longer hitters may be best to use an iron off the tee to avoid this fate. The second shot is to a smallish green with quite a narrow target area: left of the green is a bunker, right is down in a little swale next to a very large river gum tree. The green slopes consistently from left to right so once you are on the green you should take no more than two putts

The fifth hole?s major challenge is keeping the ball on the fairway to set up a second shot into a green with wide-open spaces around it. A relatively deep sand trap at front right guards the approach shot, while over-enthusiastic second shots may lead to a tricky shot out of a small bunker at the left rear, or a pitch back up from a little depression onto the slightly elevated green. The green has a central ridge running from front to back ? watch for this if you need to putt across or along it.

A drive of about 200 metres is required to reach the corner of this dog leg right hole, followed by a good 150-170 metre second. Put the ball left and you may well find the river; put it right, and you are in trees or on the adjacent 16th fairway. Women have a much easier drive, as the tee shot is straight at the green. The green is quite deep, but slopes steeply from back to front, with bunkers on both left and right. Par is a good score here.

The safest play is probably with a fairway wood or a long iron off the tee to ensure accuracy; most players will then be faced with a wedge or 9-iron in to a large green which slopes from left to right towards the water hazard. A good birdie opportunity, provided you keep the ball in play!

A large fairway bunker at about 210 metres out will probably only catch the big hitters, although danger also lurks with out of bounds on the left, and a water hazard on the right for the really sprayed shot! A mound with tall fescue grass about 20 metres from the green frequently catches the mishit second, as does the bunker to the right of the green. Once on the green, its very flat profile presents little difficulty for putting: when in doubt, putt straight at the hole.

There is out of bounds on the left, only about 10 metres from the green, so accuracy is really called for here. The green is quite generous, although it has many subtle breaks just to make putting interesting

Trees on either side and at the end of the dog leg readily ensnare the wayward drive. A deep bunker at the right front of the elevated green protects this side, while anything left or long right will require a pitch back onto the green. The green itself is quite large, and slopes generally from back to front. A possible birdie hole.

Two bunkers and a steep slope on the left side can catch the unwary here. The green has quite a steep slope on the left, a valley in the middle and another slope on the right. The safe shot here is to the middle of the green no matter where the pin is.

The best place for the drive is down the left so as to avoid being blocked by a large pine tree about 100 metres from the green on the right. The green itself has bunkers left and right, and a small one at the back can be quite nasty to recover from. The green slopes from left to right and front to back and is relatively large. A definite birdie or even an eagle chance at this short par five.

A pine tree and a bunker about 10-20 metres from the green guard the left side, while bunkers on the right catch any shot which strays off line on that side. You will feel very satisfied with a par here.

The large green has a bunker on the left and mounding on the right. This is another hole where par is a good score.

Bunkers on left and right around the green, and a grass bunker at the right rear will all catch off line approach shots. The green slopes mainly from right to left but, once past a rise at the front, it also slopes to the rear so what appears a good approach shot can often roll off the back of the green.

A straight drive is required and, depending on its length, and how brave you are, you may attempt to play your second over the water hazard and fairway bunker, which start about 120 metres from the green. Otherwise, the safe shot is to the right of these hazards, with a short approach required to a mid size green, which has bunkers at the left front and to the right. The green slopes from back to front, and is quite steep at the rear, so if the pin is towards the back, below the hole is best.

For those who prefer the straight and narrow, an accurate tee shot past a large tree on the corner of the dogleg is required. A relatively short approach to the elevated green also requires accuracy, as misdirected shots can be caught by the sand traps at the front right and left side, as well as rolling down slopes all around the green. The green itself is reasonably flat, but subtle breaks can still prevent putts from dropping.

Longer hitters have a definite chance to reach the green in two, although there is a fairway bunker on the left about 50 metres out, and further bunkers on both left and right next to the green. The green is quite steeply sloped from back to front, with other side slopes as well; putts from above the hole can therefore be quite difficult. The clubhouse provides a good backdrop to this excellent finishing hole.