Royal Queensland Golf Club

The driving area is very generous. The secret of this hole being to select the right club for the second shot. The elevated green makes club selection quite difficult, with the player generally requiring at least one club longer than the distance would indicate.

The preferred line from the tee is centre, or right of centre of the fairway, depending on the pin position. Any shot beyond the green will require a high quality recovery shot to the green which slopes quite steeply from back to front.

The best approach to the green is gained from a shot placed as close as possible to this wasteland. Anything to the left will have to carry bunkers, both short of the green and at the greenside. Any shot which carries over the green will provide the player with a very challenging recovery situation.

A very long green of some 36 metres from front to back makes club selection quite critical. This green also has severe drop-offs at the rear.

It has a very wide fairway, but only a narrow strip of fairway to hit if the player is to have the ideal second shot. Anything too far right results in a very difficult angle across the greenside bunkers, and anyone left and short of the large fairway bunker faces a blind shot, albeit with a much better angle. Only the perfect drive onto the high ledge of fairway just right of the large fairway bunker earns the golfer the combination of a clear view and line. It is an easy hole to hit the fairway, but it takes an accurate and well thought-out tee shot to provide the best second shot option.

The left hand side of the hole is defined by a tidal saltwater wetland area, and water is in play from the tee on the right on the preferred driving line. The best approach is one where the golfer does not have to contend with the small and very difficult pot bunker at the left front of the green.

It is after the drive however where this hole becomes much more interesting. For the second shot, the left hand side of the hole is guarded by a Hazard, and the majority of the right hand side is bordered by wetlands. The further one progresses towards the green the narrower the landing area becomes, and the more the hazards come into play. This green provides some of the most demanding putting on the golf course.

No matter which Teeing ground is in use, the player has to contend with carrying the water hazard which runs diagonally across the fairway in front of the green, and continues all the way up the right hand side of the hole. It is also necessary to avoid the nest of bunkers to the left of the green. Par on this hole is a very good score.

The major danger from the tee is the hazard down the left hand side, but once the golfer clears the driving area, the right hand side ? which is the preferred angle of approach to the green - is protected by water.

The drive has to avoid the bunkers on the left hand side and the large fig tree guarding the right hand side of the fairway. The longer hitters can reach the green with their second shot, but for those choosing not to go for the green, the best approach up the angled green is from the left hand side. It is a difficult two shot hole for the long hitter, but a moderately easy Par 5 for the average golfer.

An errant shot short, left, or right of the green will find deep bunkers, while the sharp drop off over the back of the green makes an up and down from that position quite demanding.

The green is reachable for the longer hitters provided they can hit a very accurate tee shot down the left hand side. For those taking the more conservative approach, a no less precise tee shot is required to avoid the fairway bunkering and the water which runs all the way up the right hand side of the hole from the landing area to the green. Accuracy and distance control is also paramount with the approach to the green, where the contours can make for some ?interesting? putting.

The closer the player drives to the right hand bunker the better the line into the flag. The further left the tee shot is, the poorer the angle, with the shot rendered blind by the fairway bunkers on that line to the green. Although there are no greenside bunkers, the approach shot missing the green will provide a severe test for a golfer?s short game.

Left of centre is the best position for the drive to avoid the large fig tree which defines the corner of the dog leg. The approach shot to the green is made more interesting by a depression just short of the green which is not visible from the fairway, making the approach shot appear much shorter than it really is. Any shot missing the green left, right, or long, will provide the golfer with a very demanding recovery shot from deep rough or sand.

The drive must avoid the fairway bunkers, as must the second shot which ideally should be down the left side of the fairway to give the golfer a clear view up the length of the green. Water is a factor all the way down the right hand side of this hole.

This green demands a very precise approach shot. It is severely contoured and is basically two greens in one. This is only the second green with no greenside bunkers, but the run-offs and contours of the green will examine all a golfer?s skill and imagination.

This hole has already played a major role in deciding some major tournaments with players needing to judge their tee shot perfectly with consideration to the exposed green that is affected by varying winds. The two distinct tiers on this green also provide some putting challenges.

The drive however, must still be positioned to give the player the best approach to the pin set for that particular day. The relatively shallow green runs away from the golfer from left to right and is surrounded by bunkers.