Golf Tips

Par 5: Handicap 4/2

Yardages: 509, 500, 451, 439, 439

The Championship Course has no slow start. It begins with a narrow par 5, seldom reached in two shots by the best of players. After a perfect tee shot, the second requires a right to left around enormous 60-year old Australian pines. This leaves you with a short iron third shot to a small, bunker-free, links-style two-tiered green.

Pro's Tip: Tee shot is critical.

Par 3: Handicap 18/18

Yardages: 156, 140, 139, 123, 123

The second hole is a medium length par 3, which usually plays into the prevailing wind. This hole is guarded down the entire right side with more monster Australian pines that will not allow a right to left shot to be played.

Pro's Tip: Take one club more and hit that little fade!

Par 4: Handicap 2/6

Yardages: 431, 399, 388, 373, 373

This par 4 is a little more forgiving off the tee allowing you to let out the shaft a bit. Tee shot must still bisect two trees, one on the left, the other on the right. A solid tee shot leaves a mid to long iron into another bunker-free, links-style two-level green.

Pro's Tip: Don't go left, favor the right a little to always leave yourself a shot!

Par 4: Handicap 8/12

Yardages: 420, 389, 330, 302, 302

This par 4 is the sister hole to the third. It requires a right to left tee shot to avoid a pine forest to the left and a fairway bunker down the right side. A solid tee ball leaves a mid to long iron into a two-tiered, bunker-free links green.

Pro's Tip: Must avoid the pine forest to the left to have a chance for a birdie here!

Par 4: Handicap 10/16

Yardages: 397, 338, 293, 250, 250

A slight dogleg right, short little par 4 that is guarded on the left with a large fairway bunker and on the right with more tall trees to block out your approach. Second shot to this green is a medium to short iron, which must carry a large gaping bunker in the front of the green.

Pro's Tip: Don't hit too far off the tee, the further you drive, the tighter the hole gets, and take enough club to carry that front bunker on your second shot!

Par 4: Handicap 12/10

Yardages: 344, 325, 250, 230, 230

A very interesting par-4 dogleg to the right requiring two well-played shots. Tree trouble all down the right side with a short iron second shot to a mounded, L-shaped, links green with water short and left. The two-tiered green is unique with the back tier lower than the front tier.

Pro's Tip: Got to hit that tee shot solid and favoring the left side of the fairway to get out past the corner.

Par 3: Handicap 16/14

Yardages: 186, 145, 86, 80, 80

A medium-length par 3 to an extremely sloped and rolling 3-tiered level green guarded by water to catch any ball short, left or long. There is also a deep bunker placed short right to catch the conservative player.

Pro's Tip: Hit a good solid shot to the center of the green and hope for a two-putt.

Par 4: Handicap 6/8

Yardages: 307, 298, 258, 250, 250

With a fairly wide tee shot landing area, this little par-4 hole really starts on your second shot. Water short and right on the way to this diagonally placed, kidney-shaped green, with large mounds just over to make it difficult to save any par.

Pro's Tip: Favor the right side of the fairway for the best angle for your approach shot. Take a deep breath before hitting your approach, it must be on line and the correct distance to avoid a sure bogey, or worse. After hitting, don't forget to exhale!

Par 4: Handicap 14/4

Yardages: 324, 313, 296, 211, 211

A great tee shot on this straightaway par 4 can leave a short shot of a hundred yards or less, but you must avoid the deep fairway bunker right, and the out of bounds tight to the left. The well-bunkered, three-tiered green doesn't allow many shots close to the pin.

Pro's Tip: Don't drive too close to the green. Leave yourself a little longer shot in to be able to put more spin on your approach.

Par 4: Handicap 11/11

Yardages: 368, 340, 326, 294, 294

A straightaway, medium-length par 4 that requires a good tee shot that favors the right side on your best approach to the green. This will leave you with a mid iron shot to a very well trapped, elevated green.

Pro's Tip: Careful off the tee with bushes and out of bounds left as well as a reachable steep- faced bunker on the left and a pine forest on the right. Best shot is a draw just inside the fairway bunker on the right not reachable by most. This hole has one of the steepest sloped greens - making two putts often difficult.

Par 5: Handicap 1/3

Yardages: 515, 478, 455, 391, 391

This par-5 dogleg right is a real beauty. It requires a great tee shot just to get out past the dogleg and fairway bunker on the right corner. Keep your second shot well back from the green because the front green side bunker is enormous and comes well out into the fairway.

Pro's Tip: Do not let your tee shot go right, trees and out of bounds await.

Par 4: Handicap 3/1

Yardages: 395, 374, 308, 302, 302

Perhaps one of our signature, and most photographed, holes at The Links. It doglegs right around a large lake and finishes with a true links-style green. It is also guarded with a canal down the left as well as a thick wooded area, and out of bounds, to the left of the green.

Pro's Tip: Tee shot should favor left center to avoid the water and tall pine guarding the corner of the dogleg. Take an extra club to avoid the deep grass bunker on the right and to allow for the slight uphill approach.

Par 4: Handicap 13/7

Yardages: 353, 336, 321, 316, 316

One of the easier straightaway par 4's at The Links. Keep your tee shot down the left side and avoid fairway bunkers left and right, and you will have a short iron shot into a large gently sloping green with only one small bunker to avoid in the front.

Pro's Tip: Maybe you can make up some shots here that you lost on the last hole!

Par 4: Handicap 9/13

Yardages: 329, 306, 226, 215, 215

This short par-4 hole has a lake on the left all the way to the green with trees and a difficult fairway bunker down the right. A good tee shot leaves you with a mid to short iron into a long, diagonal two-tiered green.

Pro's Tip: Take a little extra club when the pin is on the right side of the green.

Par 3: Handicap 15/9

Yardages: 179, 159, 102, 96, 96

This medium-length par 3 is across water to an undulated L-shaped green. There are bunkers to the right and long if you get too carried away with not wanting to go in the water short or left.

Pro's Tip: Hit one of your best solid iron shots to play this hole. If you chicken out and go to the right, the fun just starts with a difficult bunker shot toward the water.

Par 4: Handicap 5/15

Yardages: 386, 369, 300, 292, 292

Par 4, sharp dogleg left around some monster pine trees. This hole always plays longer than the yardage on the card says. After a good tee shot straight out, you are left with a medium to long iron shot to an elevated, well-bunkered green.

Pro's Tip: The tee shot is the key to this hole, it must be accurate as well as the correct distance off the tee, too far or too short can be blocked out. Left off the tee is dead, too far right is out of bounds. This hole needs to be played a few times to get the feel for the proper tee shot.

Par 3: Handicap 15/9

Yardages: 179, 159, 102, 96, 96

This is a great medium-length par 3 with the green set out into the water.

Pro's Tip: Take an extra club and play a little left or the next time you see your ball it will be in the used ball basket for sale in the pro shop.

Par 5: Handicap 7/5

Yardages: 515, 493, 475, 398, 398

This is a long par-5 finishing hole with mounds and pine trees on the right for the length of the hole. Out of bounds lurks down the left side with a large gaping fairway bunker to avoid off the tee. The second shot to the lay up area is a narrow one with more pine trees and bunkers to avoid. The hole finishes with a very long and narrow undulating green that is always difficult to get near the pin with your short iron third shot.

Pro's Tip: Accuracy is more important than length to play this hole properly.