Glenelg Golf Club

The green is visible from the tee, as are the range of options the golfer has to choose from depending on mood and confidence.An iron from the tee to the more generous landing area leaves a short to mid iron to a slightly elevated green protected by two pot bunkers on the right. The more courageous will have to thread their driver between mounds and grasses on the left, and water on the right to leave themselves a short pitch to the green.Either way, this hole is best played from the left half of the fairway, and provides a wonderful introduction to the features you will experience during your round at Glenelg.

At the outside of the dog-leg, a pot bunker is in range for the longer hitter who fails to shape the drive from right to left, but out of reach for the average golfer.A small bunker sited short left of the green and the right greenside bunker define the approach to this subtle green. The bunkering style used, with its sod revetted faces, is a feature of the course, which harks back to the traditional British links.

The siting brings the interesting linear complex of pine covered sand ridges located between the 2nd and 3rd holes as a hazard along the right side of the long par 3. The green is large and undulating, but has been kept open at the left half to allow a running approach access to the green. This long par 3 is part of the demanding starting holes at Glenelg and one which will prove a challenging hole to all golfers. A rear tee, adding some 20 metres to the length of this hole increases the challenge during tournament play.

A small bunker has been placed in the fairway, some 20-25 metres short of the fairway bunker on the left side. This calls for precision in the layup shot, but as the fairway to the left widens out there are plenty of options short of, over or around this bunker, which is a traditional British links element.The green complex is bunkered on both sides with a deep pot bunker front right. The front right pot bunker allows for a tight championship pin.

This is achieved by providing distinct landing zones for each calibre of golfer with hazard positioning to impact more on the better player. A wetland is sited right of the fairway around an island of original native vegetation. Bunkering on the left catches a shot that leaks off the line of play, and a group of cross bunkers just short of the green requires careful placement for the layup. The green is receptive to a well played approach, but its undulations place a premium on positioning and putting. The green is guarded by two pot bunkers set into the ridge at the left and by a large bunker front right.

When downwind, the corner can be taken on at your own peril as a cluster of small bunkers awaits through the dogleg, as well as a notorious hidden pot on the left of the fairway. Reaching the green from these bunkers is usually out of the question, with the greedy often paying a heavy price for trying to advance the ball too far. If fairway is found, a very accurate mid to long iron is required to the slightly elevated, long narrow green heavily bunkered on both sides. The green is quite subtle, but can become very fast downhill on the front half of the green which is quite exposed to the wind.

The prevailing south westerly will see drives having to negotiate fairway bunkering left and right to allow a mid to short iron downwind to the green. Into a northerly, a well struck drive to the left half of the fairway will be required to get a full view of the green and the long iron shot ahead. The green setting is spectacular, with enormous drama to the sides and rear in the form of mounds and grasses that form an amphitheatre around the green. Two small pot bunkers guard the approach to the green, but once on the surface, putting should not be overly complicated on a relatively flat surface. Due reward for having got there in the first place.

An imposing tee shot confronts all golfers. Water and sand hills have to be negotiated by the drive, with the safer left line leaving two more shots to the green for the shorter hitter. The longer drive has to avoid a bunker left of the fairway, as well as the wetland waiting for a drive not shaped from left to right.The elevated green setting has been magnificently utilized with a sprawling bunker left ready to swallow an errant approach shot, and hollows and mounds to the right making chipping a challenge. The green itself is large and very receptive to shots from the right half of the fairway with a good old fashioned bump and run certain to come into play from just short of the green.

A small pot bunker sited 230 metres from the back tee needs to be negotiated by the longer hitters seeking the preferred line of approach into the green. The green is long and narrow with a significant ridge extending into the green from the right greenside bunker. This bunker impacts on the line of approach into the green encouraging the preferred approach from the left half of the fairway. Left of the green, a distinct grassy hollow captures shots that roll down from the left bank and to provide a particular degree of difficulty for recovery shots.

Great importance is placed on the length and accuracy of the tee shot, as the crest of the hill needs to be reached to gain a view of the green set below. A cavernous bunker on the right side of the fairway awaits the longer hitter who fails to work the ball to the left. The green has three levels placing an emphasis on precision with the iron shot to the green. Once on the correct level, the golfer is rewarded with relatively flat putts. The green is well bunkered left, right, and long, with successful recovery requiring a delicate bunker shot. The bunkers provide a stunning frame for the green, as do the native grasses and pines, creating an amphitheatre style setting.

The large bunker right of the green has two distinct sections, with the more heavily used first section somewhat shallower than the back section, making recovery for most golfers a little less daunting. The putting surface has a strong fall from back to front, but the front left corner of the green is slightly raised to retain more tee shots and recovery shots from the right hand bunker.Miss the green the left, and a par is difficult to achieve as two deep hollows require a delicate chip to get close to the hole.

The drive is best placed in the right half of the fairway to gain a view of the green, but must avoid two sighter bunkers through the fairway that eliminate any thought of reaching the greens in two. The green is situated in a dell and has a distinct slope away from the approach shot. A ridge runs along the left side of the green, with a small grassy knob sticking into the right side of the green. A spectacular setting for a green that will test even the best putters.

A new green was constructed in a totally new location and is set at the base of the course?s major sand dune, Pine Hill, which is being re-vegetated and will provide a stunning backdrop once matured. Once at the dogleg, the golfer is faced with a mid to short iron, usually back into the prevailing breeze, to a green protected by water on the left and small bunkers to the right and rear of the green. The putting surface is not overly large, but two putts from above the hole can prove tricky when the greens are quick.

Often played down breeze, the tee shot needs to be well struck to hold the gently undulating green, as the steep drop over the back makes recovery very difficult. A running approach shaped from left to right is possible but made difficult by an approach bunker some 20 metres short of the green, which also makes club selection from the tee deceiving. This hole is beautifully framed by native vegetation and water, and is indicative of the character of the course throughout.

Hitting north, the drive on the 15th must negotiate a number of carefully placed bunkers, protecting not only the long drive, but also making players think very carefully about where they lay up with iron. There is no easy tee shot here. Two deep traps protecting the left side of the fairway can be trouble. Similarly, if you try to take on the slight dogleg and bunker carry, you could find yourself needing your bathers as sand and water could come into play. Once the tee shot has been negotiated, a small undulating green is the next target, set on a plateau with deep rough either side catching a wayward second shot. And you?re not guaranteed a birdie if you hit it close either, because both the subtle and obvious undulations of the green could catch you out if the concentration is not quite there.

From the championship tee position, the hole plays a deceptive 144 metres in length, generally straight into the prevailing south-westerly. From here, players are offered an excellent view of the green, situated amongst the wetlands, with water short, right and long. An alternative tee location forward and right of the championship tee makes the hole play around 125 metres in length, but greatly changes the angle into the green, and requires a full water-carry tee shot. The green setting is nothing short of spectacular, with the wetlands framing the front, right and back of the green, and an area recently re-vegetated with native plants framing the left hand side.

At the inside corner of the dog-leg, an existing hollow has been converted into a fearsome pot bunker with a sandy waste area located beyond. Typically out of reach of the average member, longer hitters wishing to cut the dog-leg must carry this bunker at a considerable risk, as it is virtually impossible to reach the green with a recovery shot. Although a wide green, the strong front left bunker guards the shallower left portion, whilst the deeper, right portion is trapped at the right rear. Grassy hollows back and left make recovery difficult for shots slightly off target.

The tee shot must find fairway between water and sand, whilst the shorter shot is afforded a more generous landing area. But it is the second half of the hole where most decisions must be made. From a long drive, the green is reachable in two, but cross bunkers must be negotiated by shaping the ball left to right or by carrying them. The shorter hitter can choose whether to advance the ball as far as possible and risk finding a cross bunker, or lay up sufficiently short and accept a more difficult shot to the green. The green is protected by bunkers to the right and front left, and the ever present lake along the left side. The green itself is large with a great variety of pin positions, and some significant contouring that can test one?s putting skill at the end of the round.