Thirteenth Beach Golf Links (Creek Course)

The opening hole, a gentle 342m dogleg, immediately introduces the visually striking bunkering, and offers heroic options off the tee depending on player ability.

The par 5 second presents a sea of bunkers left of the green, with more sand on the right.

Exposed to the elements, the third typically plays with a lefttoright cross southerly wind. A wide, shallow twotiered green demands accuracy from the tee shot to avoid a difficult putt. Going long here is not an option, and definitely should be avoided.

The fourth hole is a tough 419m par 4 from the championship tee (386m from the blue medal tee) that doglegs sharply left and uphill to a huge green surrounded by treacherous bumps and slopes. Under favourable conditions big hitters can fly the trap on the corner, but must still avoid a stand of pines that runs down the left side.

The fifth is the longest par 4 on course, however rarely plays its full length. The drive should be positioned right to avoid protruding fairway bunkers and out of bounds left. Greenside cypress trees create a difficult approach, often necessitating a shaped shot. When contemplating club selection, its better to have more club than end up short.

The sixth, a 129m par 3 is already a sensational hole, with a delightful green tucked between mature tortured pines in a setting that was just too good for the designers to ignore. Faldo has predicted that the greenside bunker will rank amongst the world's best, and has retained the services of shaper Barry Hudsen (The Dunes and The Beach Course) for a Faldo project in Kansas, USA.

The manmade rocky and sandy 'creek' first comes into play on the 479m par 5 seventh hold, cutting strategically across the fairway just 70m short of the green, and demanding a 'layup' or 'go for it' decision from many.

On the 362m eighth the creek is a water hazard down the right of the fairway, before cutting across in front of a very tricky elevated green.

The ninth hole, where Cashmore based his green on the 12th of the Old Course St Andrews, with a 40m long, narrow putting surface flanked by bunkers either side and three more beyond has turned out a much shorter hole than first envisaged, at just 290m. The sensible strategy is just to avoid the sea of bunkers that lurk a pitching iron from the green.

The tenth typically plays like a true threeshot par 5 due to its length of over 500 metres. The creek that runs across the width of the fairway influences the second shot, and should be accounted for. Ensure you leave the ball below the hole on a long green that slopes from back to front.

The eleventh hold is a monstrous dogleg of 411m, but big hitters can currently cut the corner bunker with their drive and significantly shorten the approach. Faldo has suggested a nest of bunkers in the left rough and a bunker midfairway at around 250m, which would definitely provide a more strategic test.

At 219 metres, this par 3 plays a lot harder than its rating. A long green with a narrow opening demands an accurate tee shot. A severe slope left will no doubt catch any slightly errant shot. Bail out left is an option, though presents a difficult chip to in order to salvage par.

Two small pines either side of the fairway frame the beautiful setting for the thirteenth green, with more trees beyond.

The theme is repeated from the thirteenth for the fourteenth where two giant 'goal posts' stand just 10m apart in direct line from tee to green. A safer route to the right presents a more challenging approach.

The fifteenth hole is a par 3 of 179m over the course's water storage dam to a hillside green.

A recent lengthening of the hole brings the large centre fairway trap into play, however shouldnt affect the longer hitter. A tee shot positioned right of centre will benefit the second shot, due to an imposing left greenside trap. A relatively flat putting surface is difficult to hold; dont carry the approach all the way to the flag.

The seventeenth is a short par 5 of 478m, but the challenge is to negotiate the diagonal fairway bunkers and then the creek crossing.

The final hole is a strong 423m par to another superb large and sloping green with surrounds that demand great touch to save par from those who miss the putting surface with their approach.