Golf Asia – July 2019

9
One of the toughest holes,
and the original 7th. It usually
plays back into the breeze and
most players will hit a 3-wood off
the tee to take the bunkers out of
play. The green falls away sharply
to the right and slopes from back
to front. Two fairway bunkers
guard the entrance.

10

Another dog-leg where
avoiding the sandhills and
mounds on the right is a must.
Players will favour the left side,
knowing that the further down
you can get the tee shot, the
more the putting surface reveals
itself. The green is long and
narrow, with a couple of elevation
changes which can easily catch
you out.

11

Traditionally a par 5 for
members. It’s one of the
most intimidating tee shots on
the course and you’ll see a lot of
missed fairways from guys trying
to cut the corner. It’s probably
one of the toughest holes
because even if you find the front
portion of the green, your ball
can roll 40, 50 or 60 yards back
down the fairway, leaving a blind
chip shot up the hill.

12

The last of the par 5s, played
from an elevated tee to a
well-bunkered fairway. There’s
plenty of room left to attack with
a driver, but those who get into
trouble will be laying up to a
fairway which squeezes in at
around 100 yards from the green.
It’s a dangerous hole, with lots of
run-off areas surrounding an
upturned saucer of a green.

10

12

9

11

PAR 4

YDS 447

PAR 5

YDS 532

PAR 4

YDS 432

PAR 4

YDS 474

A new tee

means the

hole plays

nearly 100

yards longer

than it does

for members.

Used to be

a dog-leg,

but now

plays straight

downhill to a

tight fairway.

The old

7th, which

used to be

stroke index

one on the

scorecard.

It’s 260 yards

to carry the

corner and

clear the

mounds on

the right.

The green

has been

recontoured

and is now

45 yards

long.

Favour the

left half of

the green

to avoid the

many swales

and slopes.

Ranked as

the hardest

hole on

the course

during the

Irish Open in

2012.

A natural valley

sits sunken

in front of the

green; it collect

balls off the

false front.

Sandhills

feed into

the green

two thirds of

the way up,

pinching the

back section.

A little

stream sits

level with

and to the

right of the

green.

The fairway

falls away

on the left

side towards

some thick

rough.

A great

hole for

spectators

as it shares

a big

grandstand

with the 9th.

HIMALAYAS

DHU VARREN

TAVERN

P.G. STEVENSON’S

GMAC’S PLAYING NOTES

‘THE REAL TOUGH
PAR 4S ARE 1, 4, 9
AND 18. IT’S
CERTA INLY NOT
A BEAST OF A
GOLF COURSE’

COURSE GUIDE

If you miss

it right, there’s lot

of dunes and low

points where you can

leave yourself a very

nasty second

shot.

It’s a very easy

green to putt off, but

if the pin is cut back

left, expect to see a

few eagles.