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Course Open (updated 22 February at 06:32)
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The first hole is one of the original holes. The tee shot should present no problem except for the Out of Bounds to the left. The large green is guarded by a stream in front and out of bounds a few yards from the back. Golfers will get to know the stream and its tributaries as the round progresses because it features on many holes. Club selection is critical for the second shot and the wind can be an added complication on this open hole.
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| Pro's Tip - 391 Par 4 |
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The second tee is reached by crossing the A264. The hole is a slight dogleg to the left and actually a combination of two of the original holes. Like the first, this hole is played into the prevailing wind and the second shot can be anywhere between a 4 iron and a 9 iron to a green which slopes away from the approach. Beware the 20-30 yards of dead ground in front of the green and the Out of Bounds close to the left of the Green.
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The 'Bowl' is a tough par 3 to a relatively small green surrounded by trees. Reputed to have been an arena for cock fighting and bare knuckle bouts the green on this original hole presents a difficult target. The secret of success is to keep the tee shot straight and not long so that if you miss the green you are safe and have a relatively simple pitch.
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'Old Well' is the shortest par 4 on the course and, again, is an original hole. It brings the first introduction to the avenue tee shot which is encountered on many holes. Although the landing area is wide the player feels intimidated by the proximity of the trees leading out from the tee. The hole is a slight dog-leg to the right and any tee shot right of the fairway will require a carefully played second, under or through the trees, to find the green.
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This hole is the first of four successive holes built in the 1980s. It is a true dog-leg right to left and at 397 yards is a difficult hole from start to finish. A good tee shot should be aimed to the middle of the angle leaving a view of the green. The green slopes sharply down from right to left and the ideal second shot is a left to right shot, avoiding the Out of Bounds left, to hold the green and finish below the hole. The green is arguably the most difficult on the course and very few putts will be conceded here. The hole, as many have discovered, is aptly named.
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The sixth hole is a straight 483 yard par 5. The 600 year old Beech tree that gave this hole its name, unfortunately, fell in a storm in 2000. However, other trees, line the fairway from tee to green presenting problems that are more psychological than physical. Big hitters can get home in 2 but the majority need to lay up short of the ditch which crosses the fairway 70 yards from the green to leave a pitch of 80-100 yards.
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The seventh is a par 3. The backcloth to the hole is provided by two large and beautiful beech trees and to the left are two 200 year old yew trees. There is a ditch across the hole some 40 yards short of the green and two well placed bunkers guard the approach. The large green offers a generous target but clubbing can be difficult as the wind is hard to read below the trees which surround the hole.
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The eighth hole is the longest on the course. Despite this it is the easiest par 5 hole to get home in 2 shots. The safe way to play the hole is to lay the second shot short of the stream in front of the green leaving a pitch into the green for a possible par. However, in the height of summer, beware the speed of the slope down to the stream. Better short than sorry!
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At the ninth we return to the "old" course with 'Braids Best'. This is certainly a difficult hole and is considered by many to be the best hole on the course. The hole dog-legs left to right and the tee shot needs to be placed in the left half of the fairway to give a clear second shot to the green. The stream is at its widest as it crosses the fairway some 140 yards short of the green. A par 4 here is very satisfying and will certainly send you into the back 9 in good heart.
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The tenth is a most attractive start to the second 9. A slow dog-leg left to right to a slightly elevated green. Both tee and approach shots have to negotiate the stream. The tee shot must stay straight for 50 yards to clear the narrow avenue of trees and, ideally, should finish in the left half of the very wide fairway. The green is framed by beautiful oak trees, two of which guard the narrow entrance. The stream across the approach is wide and deep and is a source of much anxious head movement. Going long on this hole also guarantees at least a bogey, because of the difficulty of pitching back to a green that slopes sharply away from the player.
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The eleventh marks the start of a run of six new holes. It is named for the Canada Geese which inhabit the lake on the left during the breeding season and the sharp left to right dog-leg which makes the drive look very tight. The fairway falls right to left towards the lake and a fade is the ideal tee shot which avoids the necessity of trying to carry the high trees on the corner of the dog-leg. The second shot, usually off a sloping lie, is very difficult to get close to the pin because the green slopes both right to left and from front to back. A par here always gives pleasure.
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'Atop the Bank', is the shortest hole on the course. The name describes the elevated nature of the two-tier green. The tee shot is relatively straight forward to a large green guarded by deep bunkers, but reading the putt is extremely difficult - particularly on the lower tier.
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The thirteenth hole is a straight 482 yard par 5. Again the big hitters can get home in two but most golfers have to negotiate a narrow tree-lined gap some 120 yards short of the green. The elevated green makes an inviting target but take enough club to clear the bunkers guarding the approach. Look out for the moorhens which have colonised the lake to the left of the green.
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The fourteenth is the windiest hole on the course. The belt of oak trees which used to provide shelter from the prevailing winds, went down during the hurricane in 1987 and it will be some time before the re-planting becomes effective. Meanwhile, the rhododendrons provide a very colourful backdrop on the left of the fairway. The hole is a tight,right to left dog-leg. Only half of the fairway can be seen from the tee and the out of bounds is uncomfortably close on the left. The second shot should be played into the left half of the green which has no bunkers but has plenty of trouble both right and left.
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'Sandy Oaks', the final par 3, offers a long and elevated green well guarded by two bunkers. The surrounding oak trees which escaped the hurricane are a feature here.
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The sixteenth marks the turn for home. At 465 yards with a double dog-leg this is a daunting par 4. The hole was designed as a par 5 but was shortened to a Par 4 to keep the course Par the same as the SSS. The hole is tree-lined from tee to green and the best advice is to hit a 300 yard late fade off the tee! Take consolation from the fact that the hole was difficult enough when it was a par 5!
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The seventeenth hole, a par 4 of 366 yards, marks the return to the original course. From the back tee the drive looks impossibly tight but, in fact, the fairway is very wide at the landing area. It takes its name, 'Ridge', from the ridges which cover the width of the hole some 60 yards short of the green. Negotiate the avenue of trees into the wide fairway, judge the distance of the second shot accurately and this is a definite birdie chance.
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Head back across the A264 to the final hole. The hole rises from the tee to the green which is alongside the Clubhouse. The tee shot has to clear a 100 yard carry over heather and stay between the rows of of Scots Pines which line the fairway. Be sure to take enough club on the second shot to allow for the rise in the ground but not too much so as to go Out of Bounds right or beyond the green. Take care in lining up the putt as there is always an audience for your chips and putts around the 18th green. Good shots are often rewarded by a round of applause usually led by the shrewd member who has won a wager betting for or against your skill around the green.
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We hope this short description of our course will fire your imagination and encourage you to come and test your skill.
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