Royal Canberra Golf Club- Westbourne Course

A generous opening tee shot, it?s the blind second here that presents the bigger challenge. When the pin is anywhere in the left half of the green, the best play is to the right of the fairway, over by the bunker, short and right of the green. The further left of the pin, the closer to the bunker you will need to play.

The tight second rewards the classic combination of a right-to-left tee shot followed by a left-to-right approach. The green is deeper than it appears from the fairway and can play half a club longer than you expect, particularly to a back right pin.

A small green awaits at this long par three which is well defended down the left by a series of bunkers. A right-hander?s draw is well rewarded, with the contours on and around the green helping a running ball curl around the bunkers to the tough left pin.

The tee shot here appears wide open, but anywhere except the middle of the fairway will require some inventive shot-making to avoid the large trees that guard either side of the approach to the green. Longer hitters may gain some advantage of a little extra run if they can shape their tee shot left-to-right and past the top of the hill. Care must be taken with the approach shot as anything sliced or missed right will keep running right across the slope.

A small mound in the middle of the fairway was placed to help golfers differentiate between the upper (right) and lower (left) sections when standing on the tee. The reward for keeping to the narrow high section of the fairway is a better angle and full view of the putting surface. From low and left the bunker dominates the green and makes it difficult to judge the distance to the pin.

Like many tee shots on the front nine without a fairway bunker, the challenge here isn?t always obvious. Shorter hitters can play safely down the middle but anyone capable of driving the corner must either hug the tree-line left, or shape their ball right-to-left to avoid running through the fairway. The green opens up from the left and rewards shots played as close to (or over) the short left greenside bunker.

Bunkers alongside the left of the tee shot guard the ideal line to this small green. The fairway is wide, but every metre further right, the more difficult the green is to hold. In true strategic style, you must take on an element of risk by playing near trouble to leave yourself a straightforward pitch shot.

This green is larger than it appears when standing on the tee, and is defended by the bunker left, a steep drop off behind the green, and a hollow right. Anywhere but the putting surface is a difficult par. Avoid going long here at all costs.

The large pine through the fairway is the best line for most players. Anything left of this flirts with the trees on the corner but, if long enough, is rewarded with a slightly better angle and shorter shot to the green. The toughest pin here is in the right corner with bunkers both at the front and behind.

Strategic design is perhaps best defined where a player who hits close to a hazard is rewarded with a slightly easier approach shot. This applies here at the split fairway 10th. Those capable of driving over the bunker gain the benefit of a little extra run and a better line to a green defended on the left by bunkers.

A bunker guards the right side of this tee shot but, more often than not, the best play here is down the middle. The original architect designed a ridge through this green, which has been retained and adds to the interest of the hole. It?s best to try and position your ball on the same side of the ridge as the flag, or else face a tricky two-putt.

Long hitters will need to play close to the corner of the dogleg or shape their ball right-to-left to avoid running through the fairway. The green is best approached from the left edge of the fairway ? particularly when the pin is in the right half ? otherwise the large right greenside bunker will almost certainly come into play.

This downhill medium length par three plays a little shorter than it measures. A large bunker short, and another right, defend the green while the left side remains open with contours designed to help gather a running ball closer to the putting surface.

The most dramatic hole on the course, it also requires some clear thinking to avoid the obvious trouble that waits. Short hitters can play well left off the tee, but anyone wishing to hit the green in two will have to take on some element of danger. If the pin is on the right, the left-hand fairway bunkers guard the best line. Conversely a left pin is best approached from the right of the fairway, which requires flirting with the water. For those choosing the most direct route, the central fairway bunker must be negotiated.

The tee shot here is relatively simple and whilst there is a temptation to cut the corner, two blind bunkers await for bombers. The real challenge, and indeed the feature of the hole, is the creek cutting in front of the green. A small sliver is visible from the base of the hill, lulling the golfer into thinking that a missed shot may not be so bad when in fact a bogey or worse awaits.

Played over a beautifully undulating piece of ground, the 16th is one of the stronger par fours on the property. From an elevated tee, the drive across the valley to the next hill is made more difficult by the bunker on the right, which guards the best line to the green. The approach plays across another valley to a small green bunkered on the left.

This long par three plays as a mirror image to the 3rd, rewarding a long right-hander?s fade (left-to-right). From the main tee the hole plays around 185m but there is also a back tee, which stretches the hole to almost 220m ? a wonderful test for the close of a major event.

The final hole puts a premium on accuracy. The bunker on the left side of the tee shot is beyond the distance that most players can hit the ball, and the more relevant challenge is the bunker short and right of the green. Whilst the green is heavily undulating, the slopes can be used to advantage for the thinking golfer.