Royal Canberra Golf Club

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.

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.

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.

The fairway bunker of the left is reachable off the tee for most golfers. A well-positioned tee to the right half of the fairway is ideal. Bunkers protect the right side of the green. Approaching the green from the left side is ideal.

Large pine trees surrounded this is a beautiful par 3. Club selection is important on this hole. The green has a steep tier, which can promote the ball in the wrong direction if the club selection is not correct. Always take an extra club for a flag situated on the top tier. When putting up the tier, ensure that the ball has been struck with enough speed otherwise the ball could easily not make the top of the tier, causing you to putt from further back than where you started.

This is the first hole across the road. It is a short hole, where longer hitters may go for the green, but there a heavy consequences for a miss-hit tee shot. The best play is to aim directly at the fairway bunker on the left. Club selection can vary from a hybrid to a driver. The fairway slopes right to left. The best angle into the green is from the middle- left of the fairway. This green is elevated which requires the player to take an extra club into the green. A front flag position is toughest here; make sure you take enough club to get onto the green.

Beautiful view of the Brindabella Mountains, an accurate tee shot is required; there are bunkers on either side of the fairway. The longer hitters can fly the bunkers leaving a wedge shot into the green. Most golfers will hit to the fairway bunkers, leaving them with an uphill approach shot into the green, a large bunker protects the left side of the green. Taking an extra club into the green always helps, as the wind normally will be blowing into you. This green can be one of the fastest on the course, especially on the left side.

This hole is a favourite with most. The hole normally plays down wind, which allows golfers to open their shoulders and blast away with their driver. The fairway slopes left to right, with a pot bunker on the right waiting for an errant hit from the longer hitters. It is best to aim for the left of this green as the slope from the left helps the ball onto the green.

This is a great par 5! There is a large bunker on the left half of the fairway. The wind normally blows from the right; therefore, a shot slightly left of the right hand bunkers is the ideal line for all golfers. Longer hitters may reach the green in two, but it will require an accurate shot splitting the bunkers situated on both sides of the green. The safest play is to lay-up towards the bunker on the right, which will give you an approximate shot of 110m. Making par here is quite satisfactory as the bunkers can catch you out.

This hole requires a solid drive up the middle or even left half of the fairway. The big gum tree may block tee shots that land on the right half of the fairway. The bunker on the left protects this green. Take an extra club into the green, especially if your tee shot is still on the upslope of the fairway. This green breaks right to left. Hitting to the right of the green is the best play when approaching the green.

This green is protected with a bunker on the front right and another to the left of the green. An errant shot to the left can catch the bunker or end up down the hill making for a tough second shot. The green has a heavy slope from the right, which can catch an offline tee shot and propel the ball back onto the green. Par here is a very good score!

The tee shot is to a narrow landing area. The fairway slopes right to left, but be careful not to hit it too far right as the dense pines await your ball. Once you have hit the fairway, lay-up short of the two fairway bunkers with your second shot. The longer hitters can go for the green, but you will need to take an extra club to carry the fairway bunkers and greenside bunkers. The green has a steep slope at the front; shots landing on the front of the green can easily roll back down off. For the golfer who has played short of the cross bunkers, take an extra club for your approach shot into the green. A par on this hole is a great way to end the round.