Berwick Montuna Golf Club

A driveable hole for the longer hitters, but danger awaits an errant tee shot. Out of bounds runs the length of the left of the hole with tree trouble on both sides. A lay-up rewards the tee shot left of centre. Anything fading right is likely to catch the tree line. The bunkers short of the green are designed to catch drives that haven’t got the steam to make it all the way

Longer hitters can shorten the hole by taking on the trees behind the lake in front of the tee. Go to far left and it will find a watery grave. The prudent shot for the shorter hitter is to the right of the trees or the lake, preferably with a right-to-left ball flight. An approach shot missing to the right or long of the green will create a tricky chip to make par.

Danger awaits the uninitiated on a seemingly innocuous green. Go long here and the chip back can be the stuff of golfing nightmares. Great care needs to be taken on the green on what is otherwise a relatively simple hole.

A tough par 3 that can consolidate a good start or possibly stop you in your tracks. Anything hit to the right of the green will need some luck with the hillside sloping steeply though trees to the green. Once again, long through the green is not the place to be. Better to miss to the left with an easier pitch to a severely sloping green.

A slight dog-leg left from an elevated tee. A southerly breeze will encourage a tee shot hit to the left of centre into tree trouble, while a similar fate awaits anything to far right. A ball finding the right of centre will be rewarded with a clear shot to the green.

This hole plays longer than its length, especially for a shorter hitter who must find the left side of the fairway. However, this strategy risks sending the ball into deep trouble on the left. A tee shot to the right of centre is likely to be blocked out by the trees. The two tier elevated green is guarded on the left by two deep bunkers.

A classic risk-reward hole. A well-flighted drive over the trees on the right will leave a short iron or pitch to the green. A slight miss-hit though, and the trees will grab the ball. The smarter play here is to aim directly down the fairway and let the contours of this hole feed the ball around the left-to-right dog-leg. A high approach shot is needed to stop the ball on a front-to-back sloping green. Trouble behind the green greets anything hit a little long.

A short Par 4, but directly uphill. A narrow fairway guarded on both sides by tall trees. A delicate pitch or chip is required to a steeply sloping from back-to-front green. Anything past the hole here can leave a nightmarish putt and the possibility of another chip back onto the green.

A generous sized green that is exposed to the wind which can make club selection tricky at times. Missing this green right can leave a tough chip back up the hill to the green. A bunker guarding the front of the green is designed to catch anything not hit cleanly, while long, a deep bunker at back awaits and will catch those over-clubbing to a rear pin position.

The Club’s signature hole and rated one of the best public-access Par 4’s in the state. Another wonderful risk-reward hole. The longer hitters will be tempted to take on the long water carry which if successful will cut off a vast amount of the dog-leg, leaving a short iron to the green. The slightest mishit will most likely find the water hazard guarding the left of the fairway, while a straighter and longer ball than intended may carry through to the hazard at the back of fairway. The smart play is a drive down the centre of the fairway, though this leaves a long second shot with trouble on both sides.

Long Par 4 that plays even longer for the shorter hitters who won’t be able to carry the high trees to the right some 100 meters or so from the tee. This means aiming slightly left of centre, bringing a towering eucalypt on the left into play. A ball threaded between the two stands of trees will need to be long and straight to allow for a realistic shot at the green. Another green not to be missed on the right or through the back.

Left and you’re out of bounds; right and you’re in the trees. A second shot slightly offline to the right will find deep trouble in a hazard bordering the 13th green. This is an all-too-common scenario with a fairway that slopes from left-to-right. A tempting Par 5 for those with the ammunition to go for the green in two, but whether in two or in regulation, don’t be long. Long through the green will leave a difficult up and down.

A deceptively simple looking hole, but guard against hitting it right. This can leave you in a hazard with a brute of a shot (or no shot) back. Likewise, anything long and you could walk away with a high number on what should be one of the easiest holes on the course

A daunting tee shot makes this one of most difficult holes on the course. The tee shot must be straight and well struck to carry a gully short of the fairway and to avoid tree trouble on both sides. Miss the green long or to the left and you’re in deep trouble. Another green that requires extreme care with breaks not obvious to the newcomer.

A dog-leg right to one of the most exposed (and fastest) greens on the course. A tee-shot to the left of the grassy mound (affectionately known as Hairy Harry) at the dog-leg will leave a short iron to the green. Even better if you have the power to carry the mound. Trees to the right are now at a height to scare even some of the longer hitters from having crack at green. Can be done, but attempts generally end in tears

One of the easiest holes on the course but it can bite the careless. The longer hitters will be tempted to go for the green, especially with a prevailing northerly. That said, many a longer hitter has paid the penalty with a drive hit to the right (out of bounds). Long here will result in another difficult chip back to the green. The bunkers 60 meters short of the green are likely to catch the drives of intermediate golfers, so a lay-up is often best the policy here.

An excellent example of a Par 4 not needing to be long to be an outstanding hole. Anything left is likely to find the water hazard, while a high stand of trees will catch an errant ball to the right. The tee shot needs to reach the corner of the dog-leg to allow for a short iron to the elevated green. Tee shots just a little short will mean a second shot that will either need to be bunted low to avoid overhanging branches or hit with a left-to-right ball flight to avoid same. A ball just reaching the green is likely to roll back off the false front.

It mightn’t sound long, but shorter hitters will invariably need driver to have any chance of reaching the green which is perched at the highest point of the course. Longer hitters with the necessary ball flight and carry might try anything from 5 iron to rescue wood. A treacherous surface greets the golfers once the green is reached (with help from the powered tow rope). A ball past the cup will require a delicate first putt if the second is not to be farther from the hole.