Golf Australia – April 2018

12 APRIL 2018 | golf australia

The 339-metre par-4 4th is one of my

favourites on the front nine. Flanked by a steep

range to the left and beyond the green, this hole

runs across the highest section of the front nine

and ofers nice views of the course and the Gulf

of St Vincent. After playing a blind drive over a

gentle rise, you are faced with an interesting

approach shot to an L-shaped green. In my

opinion, the green is a little too dramatically

shaped but it does place a premium on club

selection and accuracy.

The placement of pins on the green will

certainly efect your approach. When the hole is

towards the back, accuracy is so important as

the green narrows considerably. When the pin

is forward, club selection is paramount as the

green is wedged between a small creek and a

bunker that is in the corner of the L-shaped

putting surface. Don’t do as I did and leave your

approach in the wrong section of the green.

While length is always a bonus to any golfer

on any golf course, it certainly pays to stay

straight around Lady Bay. The design team

created several good short par-4s, like the 4th,

where the drive MUST find the fairway and the

approach MUST be directed to the best part of

the green for stress-free putting.

This is no more apparent than on the

330-metre 10th. A picturesque hole with large

bunkers left and mounding to the right of the

fairway, the green is cut near the top of a gentle

rise. A short iron is all that is needed to reach

the green from the valley but it is a tough shot to

get close. Bunkers lurk short and a ridge runs

through the green separating the pin areas at

the back. Anyone putting from the wrong side

will need incredible touch to walk away with

less than three putts.

Accuracy aside, long hitters will come to the

fore on two back nine holes. The 425-metre

par-4 12th is a brute, especially into a tough

south-easterly breeze. The drive is through a

ARGUABLY THE BEST

PAR-3 AT THE LINKS

LADY BAY IS THE

197-METRE 17TH.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL

HOLE. WITH THE

COASTLINE OFF

IN THE DISTANCE

AND DEEP FESCUE

SHIMMERING

BETWEEN TEE AND

GREEN ...

The par-4 4th hole lies at the foot

of a range, which provides a

spectacular backdrop.

There is very little margin for

error when approaching the

green on the par-4 12th hole.