And now, on to #4.........
Hole #4 Par 4 271 meters (300 yards)
Walking up to the tee thoughts of birdie are dancing in our heads. A short par 4! Or is it even a drivable par 4!!
The course map and aerials give you a flat plan view of the layout of the hole.
In no way do the aerials prepare you for the three dimensional visual drama. Nothing like standing on the tee and muttering, Oh,,, Wow!!!
Still into the wind. A real head scratcher off the tee. It's only 300 yards and there looks like there's room behind the first big bunker (having measured subsequently on Google Earth, the carry from the tips is around 250 to 260 yards). But that 2 or 3 club wind is right in your face. But, they've cut the long grass to the right of the bunker, so how bad can a miss there be. But if you don't make the carry that bunker looks like death.
So, where can I lay up? Looks like a lot of room out to the left behind the first ridge off the tee. But, that's way left and most of the green will be invisible. Maybe I can drive it straight at the far bunker, but hopefully come up short. Or maybe I'll just bunt it down in front of the first massive bunker. But, in either case I won't be able to see the green.
C'mon wind, lay down a bit, I really want to have a go at it.
On the first day, for once, I opted for course management and tried a 3 iron stinger. My usual little draw was turned by the wind into a full fledged hook. Thank you Tom et al for putting that wide elbow out there on the left. The second day, I moved up one tee and said to hell with it, I'm going with driver. And, pulled it at the far bunker and rolled up nicely short of it.
What is evident from the aerial is tha a significant portion of the green runs to the left behind the dune ridge. The flag in the picture is far right. A right flag is partially visible from most places in the fairway. A left pin, is not visible from anywhere other than if you fly the bunker.
I'm not sure how to describe the green. Is it a deeply delicious dell? Or, maybe a fabulous flying fortress. In any event, if you don't fly the bunker, it's difficult to get the ball close to the pin that you can't really see much if any of.
I made par twice, so it's easy par on a 300 yard hole. Thoughts of birdie flew away on the breeze. I expect that if the wind laid down o 10 knots and you were playing the appropriate tee, then taking a run at the green would be doable for many. And a lot of those would suffer the consequences, but the fun is in the trying.
And, thanks to Andrew for a picture of part of the green. It shows the landing area if you take on the bunker and the options for getting to the front pin position. Getting to the back left pin position from there must be an interesting proposition.
And, another picture of the green courtesy of GOLFselect.com.au indicating how the slopes might gather the blind approach shot over the second bunker to a back left pin position.