Oatlands Golf Club

A deceptive looking par 4 to start, with a drive to the right centre of the fairway required to get the best line into the green. However, a bunker on the right around 80 metres from the green will catch a drive that is too long, and OOB is on the right along the tree line. Any tee shot in the trees left of the fairway will make reaching the green with your second shot a difficult task. The deep, narrow green is one of the flattest on the course. It is bunkered left and right of the green, and there is a small dip at the front of the green.

The tee shot is demanding from any marker on this par 3, with a line left of centre favoured. Shots too long will run down a steep slope at the back of the green, and shots landing in centre fairway just short may run into the bunker at the back right of the green. Fairway bunkers short both right and left will catch a miss-struck shot, and leave a difficult long bunker shot for your second. The green gently slopes from back to front, and generally breaks less than appears to be the case.

The driving line on this blind par 4 is to the right centre or right edge of the fairway, as any bounce beyond the crest of the hill will go left. A well placed drive ending in the left centre of the fairway will give an opportunity to hit a short iron into the green. The deep, narrow green slopes from right to left. Shots catching the right greenside bunkers will make saving par difficult, and a bunker at the front left of the green will also penalise a poor shot. Stay left of the pin for an uphill putt.

A challenging par 4, with a drive required to the centre or right centre of the fairway to give the best angle into the green. A tree short left of the green may penalise a drive ending in the left rough, and any shot finishing left of the green will make saving par very difficult. The deep wide green slopes from back left to front right. The green is well bunkered both left and right at the front, and long shots will be penalised by the steep slope behind and long right of the green.

The tee shot is crucial on this tough par 3. OOB stretches all the way down the left, and bunkers to the right and behind the green will likely penalise tee shots lost to the right. Tee shots that miss the bunkers will require a difficult chip from above the green surface. Any shot to the left will likely finish OOB, unless caught by the bunker at the front left of the green. The shallow but wide green generally slopes from back to front. The contours make this green one of the hardest on the course to read, with many putts breaking two ways.

This long par 4 features OOB right down the left of the fairway to around 80 metres short of the green, and a drive to the right centre is the favoured line, with a carry of over 200 metres required to see the green. Avoid the lateral water hazard on the right edge of the fairway, starting about 100 metres from the front of the hole and running down the edge of the fairway and around the back of the green. The fairway falls sharply away to the left of the green, and shots missing left may catch the front greenside bunker, the grassy hollows or the water hazard further left. The deep wide green gently slopes from back to front, and the subtle contours make it difficult to read.

A short uphill par 4 requiring a well placed tee shot to a fairway which slopes from left to right. Fairway bunkers right and left, and trees either side of the fairway, will severely penalise poor tee shots. Greenside bunkers left and right and a false front are the features on a deep green that slopes from back left to front right. Try to stay below and right of the pin, as putts from left and long can be challenging.

The only par 5 on the front nine is a slight dogleg left downhill hole that demands a strategic decision on the tee. A long drive into the centre of the fairway will reward longer hitters, but trees left and right will severely penalise all but the best placed drives. A deep dip at the front of the green will stop most shots from running on, and greenside bunkers front left and right will also penalise poor shots. The green slopes from back right to front left, and has more break than first appears.

This tight par 3 requires a precise tee shot through a corridor of trees. A steep slope immediately left of the green, and a hazard and OOB far left, will penalise shots missing on that side. Short is no bargain either, as shots there can catch the pond or land into the steep bank at the front of the green. A greenside bunker front right will also penalise a poor shot, as will the OOB fence over the back of the green. The deep green gently slopes from right to left, but a shot landing on the green will be rewarded with one of the easier putts on the course.

A short uphill par 4 that demands a well placed tee shot. The best option is left centre around 200 metres from the tee, to avoid overhanging trees on the right. Longer hitters may try to carry the tee shot past the fairway bunker around 80 metres short and left of the green, but anything off line, left or right, is punished. Greenside bunkers short left and short right will penalise poor second shots to the deep wide green, which must carry at least 5 metres past the bunkers to reach the edge of the green. The green slopes from back left to front right, with a small false front at the front left of the green.

A difficult uphill par 4 with a sharp right to left dog leg, requiring a precise tee shot to the centre or right centre of the fairway, which slopes from right to left. OOB runs right along the left edge of the fairway, and long tee shots can reach OOB on the right edge of the fairway as well. Tee shots short and left will see the trees at the corner of the dog leg block out the second shot, and may also catch the bunker. Greenside bunkers right and left will penalise poor second shots to the deep narrow green, with shots catching the right bunker facing a very difficult recovery shot. The green slopes severely from back right to front left, so stay left and short of the pin.

A downhill par 3 exposed to the wind, with OOB all the way down the left and at the back of the green. A grove of trees lies to the right, and club selection is the key to a good result. A greenside bunker front left, and bunkers on the right, will penalise poor shots to the deep green. The green slopes from back left to front right.

A par 5 that is a slight dog leg left, and a lake covers the left half of the fairway around 280 metres from the tee. To complete the hole successfully you must negotiate the lake, a gum tree on the right centre of the fairway 80 metres from the green and the fairway bunker short and left of the green. Greenside bunkers run from the front left to the front right of the green, so shots must carry the bunkers to reach the green. There is room at the back of the green for long shots, and the green slopes slightly away from front to back and right to left.

A tough par 4 that requires a precise tee shot to a very narrow, tree lined, landing area. Shots finishing left of the fairway will have tree trouble and may run into the lake on the previous fairway, while shots finishing right of the fairway will also have tree trouble. The green has bunkers left and right at the front, with a narrow opening between them, and there is tree trouble over the back. The green slopes severely from left to right, and putts from long and left of the pin are very difficult, so stay right if you can.

A long, straight par 5 requires a drive to the right centre of a fairway sloping right to left, with only the longest getting a view of the green for their second. OOB runs along the entire left edge of the fairway, wrapping around the back of the green, and left and right fairway bunkers just short of the green will penalise errant shots. The greenside bunkers left and OOB left and long will severely penalise poor shots left or long of the green. The deep narrow green is subtlety contoured, and the breaks are deceptive

A short, straight uphill par 4 where the ideal tee shot finishes in the right centre of the fairway, as overhanging trees on the left of the fairway may block your second shot. If you miss the fairway left or right you will most likely have to chip out. The green has bunkers front and back that will catch all but the well struck approach shots. The green slopes from back right to front left.

A long par 4 where the ideal drive starts on the left or centre left of the fairway that slopes from left to right, as drives starting right will finish in the rough. The second shot plays slightly uphill, so take an extra club to compensate. The green is well bunkered at the front left and front right, and shots finishing long and left of the green leave a very difficult recovery pitch. The green slopes from left to right, and can be difficult to read.

A short uphill par 3 with the Clubhouse as the background, where the tee shot to a green ringed by bunkers is paramount. Tee shots short of the green will present a shot from a deep bunker, while long shots will require a good bunker shot to a green sloping away from you. The green slopes steeply from back to front, and it is best to be below the hole when you start to putt.