Riversdale Golf Club

This long par three opening hole is one of the toughest holes on the course. A long accurate tee shot is required with anything falling short staying on the steep bank up to the green. A three on this hole is a great start.

The second hole is an uphill par four leading back to the clubhouse. The tee shot should be kept to the left of centre to allow for a better angle into the green, and to avoid being blocked out by the trees on the right.

Riversdales shortest hole is by no means the easiest. Going for the flag may result in disaster by means of the deep greenside bunkers.

A shortish par 4 which offers a chance of a birdie. With the fairway sloping severely to the right the tee shot must be hit to the left side. The second shot should be aimed down the left hand side of the green taking care to avoid the bunkers at the front and right of the green.

A blind tee shot to a fairway that narrows the further you drive it. Be wary of the fairway bunkers down the left hand side.

The first of consecutive par 5s, the sixth hole snakes out in front of you and what you see is what you get. The narrow chute off the tee catches the unwary while the second shot must avoid the well-placed bunkers down the fairway both right and left.

You will notice as you stand on the tee, a large spotted gum just left of centre. Your tee shot here needs to be right of the tree but you must also consider the right to left sloping fairway. Your tee shot will need to be directed right of centre to give you the perfect line into the green. Your second shot will need to be threaded between fairway bunkers strategically positioned on both sides of the fairway. This will leave you with an uphill pitch to a tricky small and narrow green. Longer hitters may be able to reach the green in two if they can carry or thread their ball between the two greenside bunkers guarding the front of the green.

The drive needs to finish slightly left of centre or you may find your second blocked by some trees down the right hand side of the fairway. The second shot is hit to a green below you which slopes slightly downhill from the front to the back and contains a kidney shaped swale on the left front of the green. Care needs to be taken with your shot into the green as the ball tends to kick left when it lands and could easily finish left off the green.

The drive needs to be hit left of centre as the ball will tend to kick to the right when it lands. Longer hitters will need to avoid the fairway bunker guarding the right hand side of the fairway. The second shot is to an elevated sloping green often from a lie which is anything but level. The ninth green has claimed many victims with its slope from back left to front right making it one of the fastest greens on the course.

The tenth hole is a short par four which can be driven by brave hearted souls who can thread their ball between bunkers guarding the very narrow green that is also surrounded by water on three sides. By far the best option is to hit an iron about 180 m down the right hand side of the fairway short of the fairway bunkers. As the fairway slopes right to left, your ball will always kick to the left and down the hill. The shot into the green requires precision. The green is very narrow with the left, back and right sides of the green sloping down into the water hazard. Err on the short side if you are going to make a mistake.

The eleventh plays slightly longer than it reads as it is up hill all the way. Your tee shot needs to avoid fairway bunkers situated left and right. The eleventh green is a wide but narrow green which slopes from right to left and from back to front. Shots into the green need to be directed to the right of the pin to allow for this. It is a good idea to hit one more club than you think to allow for the elevated green.

Another tempting, short par four, which can be driven by the brave hearted. The safest route is a long iron right of centre leaving you with a pitch or pitch and run to a narrow, slightly elevated green that is guarded by bunkers on both sides.

This picturesque hole is from an elevated tee hitting down to the fairway. Aim your drive slightly left of centre to put you in the ideal position. From the fairway the green is reachable for the longer hitter, although the fairway shot is mostly blind. Beware of the water adjacent to the green on the left side. It may be prudent to play a shorter, safer second shot.

An uphill par 3 which demands a solid tee shot with a mid iron. Hit the green and par is easy, catch one of many bunkers and a difficult sand shot will remain. With the large bank at the back of the green a longer tee shot may seem wise, however the putt or chip back down the hill is treacherous.

The longest hole at Riversdale, the 15th requires a long tee shot over water to an uphill fairway. The blind second shot is straightforward with no hazards. The approach to the green needs to be struck precisely as anything slightly short could roll back to your feet and too long will result in a treacherous chip.

Two well positioned fairway bunkers makes this a tight driving hole for the longer hitters. However the downhill second shot is easier as it plays shorter than the yardage indicates. A ball landing slightly short will usually make it onto the putting surface.

A par 3 that demands a well struck long iron or even fairway wood. All the trouble is left with water, deep bunkers and if those are avoided a difficult recovery up a steep bank. Its best to keep to the right side and some shots which are pushed too far right can feed back onto the green.

Lay up short, thread it through the narrow gap, or take on the bunkers that guard both sides of the 18th fairway. The temptation is always there to be the hero and go long, however the prudent play is to lay up leaving a full shot with maximum spin on the ball to a well guarded green that slopes front to back, and is usually firm.