[Mark Saltzman]

Sorry for the delay!

Unless there are comments about the 8th, I'll get number 9 up tomorrow.

[James Bennett]

Sorry Mark, you must have have caught my punctuality virus when you were down under.  I hope 'normal service' is restored shortly.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 9: Par 4, 350 Metres

The short par-4 9th is a classic dogleg hole -- play to the inside of the dogleg and be rewarded with both the shorter approach and an easier angle.  Some loss of width to the left has, unfortunately, reduced the opportunity of a heroic recovery as most misses will be left with only a pitch out from sandy waste / overhanging tree limbs.




Reminiscent of the Valley of Sin, a deep dip protects the left side of the green.

[Tom_Doak]

The one thing I don't like about this section of the course is that the previous renovation crowded #7, 8 and 9 so closely together.  Moving the fairway on #7 pushed into the fairway on #8 and caused it to be a bit more of a dogleg.  Moving the green on #7 forced the tee on 8 to move up and to the right -- it was a par five before, and the bunkering was different because of the tee location.  But we can't go back to that.

The thick trees both sides of #9 are really uncharacteristic of the course, but with the adjustments to #8 there was a real concern about people playing #9 down #8 fairway.  That might have been a problem before; I don't remember what stopped players from going that way years ago, other than the green on #9 is not very receptive from over there.  I would much rather see a couple of BIG trees between 8 and 9 instead of the thicket, but it takes a while to get to that.  Perhaps, in the meantime, we can get them to thin things out a bit more on the left.

[Mike_Clayton]

Tom

It's true 8 was a 'par 5' but it was under 430m (424 from memory) - so it was only a par five because the club decided not to call it what it had been for years - a par 4.  Every other hole that length in Melbourne has long been a par 4. 12 and 15 on the West are the same really.
Losing the yardage did detract from the hole though -but it's still a good one.

I never saw anyone play 9 down the 8th fairway but I know some did. Why always escaped me.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 10: Par 5, 457 Metres

The stretch of holes from the 10th through the 12th is among the best in Australia, and what is most remarkable is the subtle (read dull) land these holes sit on.  Perhaps it is the tremendous variety created by these three holes?  Surely the triangle routing of the trio that ensures varied interaction with the wind is of assistance.

The 10th hole is a short par-5.  A boundary issue on the right has forced the planting of a line of trees, which to some extent diminishes the strategic and aesthetic values of the hole.  Notwithstanding the trees, the golfer must play as far right as he dare, risking clipping tree limbs and requiring a forced carry over a series of bunkers.  Until 2010, the bunker scheme lay unchanged from what was originally laid out, but in late 2012 Renaissance Golf removed the second of a pair of bunkers and added a trio of bunkers farther left and 60m farther from the tee, bringing the total carry to some 245 metres.  Adding to the necessity of challenging the right is a fairway that runs left, away from the tee, into an area of sandy waste.




Decisions to be made on the second.  Surely the Tiger will play for the green in two, and the golfer who has missed the fairway to the left will be forced to play a lay-up to the right side of the diagonal set of bunkers, but what do the majority of golfers do?  Play short of the bunkering to the width of the fairway?  Play well down the right?  Try to carry a portion of the bunkers to leave a preferred angle?  Wind and pin position and the golfer's comfort level for the day will all play into this decision.






The green is an excellent one.  Large and broadly contoured.  The greens at Royal Melbourne are remarkable in that steep slopes, steep enough to be used as back and side boards, are difficult to see because of the perfect tie-ins to the green's surrounds.  Here a pimple sits at the green's right edge and a ridge runs across the length of the green, creating a small punchbowl at the front of the green and a very difficult to access rear portion of the green.

[Mark_F]

The stretch of holes from the 10th through the 12th is among the best in Australia.

There are a large number of better sequences on the Sandbelt alone.

[David_Elvins]

I never saw anyone play 9 down the 8th fairway but I know some did. Why always escaped me.

If the trees on the right were gone I would fear that players would aim at the green.  A drive carrying 275m and then rolling 30 would put players on the front fringe.  This is doable for good players in the right conditions.  It might also look doable for more average players if there were less trees.  

The danger to players coming up 8 wont come from players trying to hit the 8th fairway but players trying to hit near the green.  That's how 2 of our group ended up on the 8th fairway last time I played there.  Thinning the trees would encourage more players to try this shot.  

[David_Elvins]

Hole 10: Par 5, 457 Metres

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The improvements to this tee shot are fantastic.  One of the best improvements to a boundary issue I have seen. 

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 11: Par 4, 329 Metres

The tee shot at the 11th is an awkward one with the correct line difficult to discern.  The hole moves to the right and the golfer will do well to challenge the right side, a line just inside the tree line on the right, though there is ample fairway to the left for the golfer playing cautiously. 




The green has always been best approached from the right as a narrow green is well-protected by bunkering and a deep swale on the left.  Likely a result of another safety issue, trees have been added on the right to protect from shots landing on Weatherall Road to the north and as a result the width of fairway that leaves a clear view of the green has been significantly reduced.  As seen from below, the angle from the centre of the fairway is hardly appealing!




A very narrow front portion of the greens widens at the rear where a swale will funnel balls off the green to the left and a small back shelf is very difficult to access.




And for good measure, a bit of proof that being short-sided on 11 is a disaster!

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 12: Par 4, 412 Metres

Often playing into the wind, the par-4 12th will play longer than several par-5s at Royal Melbourne.  There is tremendous width between the tree-lines, though finding the right side of the fairway will leave an approach blocked-out by trees, and playing from the left leaves a very intimidating shot over a trio of deep bunkers.  Though only well played tee shots will leave the possibility of playing for the green in two shots, those in position are rewarded with an open green front and a kicker off of bunkering that funnel approaches toward the green.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 13: Par 3, 135 Metres

Surely there is no better collection of short par-3s in the world than the grouping found in The Sandbelt.  Oddly enough, this stunning short hole, which is among the best of its kind anywhere, isn't even the best short par-3 on the property.  The combination of bunkers that eat well into the front portion of green, and irregular green shape at its rear, make for very 'tuckable' pins.  Surely any shot in the green's centre is considered a success.

[Tom_Doak]

The best thing about the 13th at RME -- which is also true of some other great short holes, including the Postage Stamp -- is that a lot of the green runs away to the back at 2%.  Even if you've got a wedge in your hand for the shot, it's hard to make it stop quite where you want it to.  And if you try to land it a bit short, and miss to the sides, then you've got a bunker shot with the green still running away from you.

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