A new centreline bunker 100 yards short of the green make 2nd shots far more interesting:
A water hazard has been brought hard against the edge of the putting surface, which tilts sharply toward the hazard:
Short par-4 2nd where the golfer must flirt with the bunkers on the right:
Or face an awkward downwind pitch to a green sloping away:
The par-4 3rd is as I remember it... extremely difficult with hazard running the entire right side. A remarkably difficult green awaits:
With a predominant wind from the left, the 4th is a difficult par-3 with no real bailout:
A tee shot up the left on the 5th is required to have any view of the flag:
Flanking fairway bunkers at the 6th give way to a sharply angled green:
An interesting tee shot at the very long par-4 7th. A series of bunkers cut into the fairway from the left, and challenging them is a must as tee shots right of centre will kick into a bunker or deep rough:
With water short of the green, missing the fairway will likely mean a lay-up, though a well-played tee shot down the left rewards the golfer with an opportunity to run the ball onto the putting surface:
The 8th is a massively changed hole, with the 8th green being moved some 50 yards to the left. The golfer must think his way around this hole as the more he bails out from the water, the more difficult the approach into the green:
The 9th has a new set of teeing grounds, located where the 8th green once was. Missing short is an option.
Missing right, is not:
A considerably shorter yardage and a much improved angle to avoid fairway bunkering on the lay-up are the rewards for the golfer brave (or foolish) enough to take on the left side. For reference, the white stake in line with the second bunker is a 235 yard carry from the blue tees:
Bunkers along the right have a foreshortening effect as they hide much fairway short of the green. The green is very long, with a dip in its centre, and it wouldn't be a huge stretch to call it biarritz-esque:
Hmmm, what line to take at the 11th? A massive bunker is both cross- and centre- line bunker and the golfer must choose whether to take it on, or play cautiously to the left:
The 12th, the longest hole on the course, is a 600+ yard par-5 made shorter by the usual tailwind. Like the tee shots on 6 and 14, this tee shot requires a straight drive between flanking bunkers. Failure to execute means there is little hope of reaching the green in regulation. Even the lay-up area is flanked by bunkers. Golfers content to leave a 150+ yard approach can play to the fairway's width, but those hoping for a wedge approach will need to challenge the narrowed portion of fairway.
Difficult to see from the fairway, but the green extends well to the right offering a very challenging 'Sunday pin position'. I suspect the back-right pin well be seldom seen in regular resort play, but these types of pins are a great way to make a course more difficult for a tournament while not affecting playability on a daily basis.
If a par-3 that plays 225 yards, uphill and with a cross wind was not difficult enough, Hanse has instated a sharp diagonal ridge that runs the length of the green.
