GolfTraxx: A fusion of Golf, GPS, Database, Mapping, and FUN technologies

Hole 1

Hole Name

From The Tee The views to Lake Victoria provide a thrilling start to the round and a sign of what’s to come as you wander down to the first tee from the clubhouse.

From The Fairway A reasonably gentle opener, this short par four plays up and over a large dune on the left and a well struck drive over the hill will funnel down towards the green. Anything too far right runs the risk of finishing in the waste and leaves an awkward approach to the long, narrow putting surface.

On The Green The 1st hole took inspiration from the 3rd Hole at the National Golf Links of America.

Hole 2

Hole Name

From The Tee Played from an elevated tee with some great views of the farmland and lake, this medium length par three plays to a large green with a pair of bunkers on the right and another couple just short.

From The Fairway The real hazard however, is the deep chasm which runs across the middle of the green. This distinctive feature is one of the key characteristics of a template hole known as a Biarritz.

On The Green First built in the town of Biarritz in France by a Scottish born golf professional and designer – Willie Dunn Jr.

Hole 3

Hole Name

From The Tee This hole is played over ground once mined for shells and evidence of this can be seen in the exposed pits that border the fairway.

From The Fairway The main obstacle to avoid is the salt marsh down the left which runs the full length of the hole and a reminder of what this ground looked like centuries ago.

On The Green Whilst the ideal line for the second shot is dependent on the pin position of the day, the preferred line is close to, or over, the ‘Principal Nose’ bunkers on the left.

Hole 4

Hole Name

From The Tee

From The Fairway A knee trembling tee shot with the salt marsh left and Lake Victoria to the right. The best line from the tee is down the right as it leaves a significant better angle into this narrow green.

On The Green The smart play is a mid to long iron but if feeling confident a well struck drive can get very close to or even on the green, but anything offline is an almost certain bogey…or worse.

Hole 5

Hole Name

From The Tee The 5th is set within a pristine environment largely untouched. The Moonah forest to the left, with some specimens older than Australia itself, and the sea rushes to the right creates a wonderful sense of place and a unique setting which contrasts with the high sand dunes later in the round.

From The Fairway

On The Green Line not length is important here…play up the middle and you will be fine……. but perhaps easier said than done!

Hole 6

Hole Name

From The Tee This par 3 plays out of a shute of Moonah’s and was inspired by the Eden hole (11th) at the Old Course at St Andrews.

From The Fairway

On The Green For those that know the hole well they may recognise some of its famous elements…. the Cockleshell bunker short and right; the hill to the front left of the green, the Strath bunker nestled into the putting surface and finally the Eden valley at the rear of the green.

Hole 7

Hole Name

From The Tee A short but challenging par 3 if the wind is blowing (which it often is)! The tee shot plays over an easement referred to as Gill Road hence the name Gill’s Carry.

From The Fairway

On The Green The tee shot plays slightly uphill to a green which is perched up like a tabletop which can make it difficult to hold. Surrounded by shortgrass at the rear and right which often suggests a putter is the best method of recovery.

Hole 8

Hole Name

From The Tee

From The Fairway The fairway at the 8th tips off severely from left to right and down towards a natural pond hence the name “drop off”.

On The Green The smallish green is often best suited to a running approach and care is needed to keep the ball under the hole. Anything above the pin makes for a difficult two putt.

Hole 9

Hole Name

From The Tee The Leven template was first conceived at Lundin Links on Scotland’s Fife coast. A short 4 played to a green positioned on the edge of a dune that runs up the left of the hole.

From The Fairway

On The Green Our version features the same dune along the left and an out of bound fence down the right which must be played close to in order to have the best angle into the green.

Hole 10

Hole Name

From The Tee Perched on the edge of the 9th dune this tee shot plays across the edge of a deep valley. The lookout at the back of the tee provides a terrific view across the course and to the nearby lighthouse as well as seeing if play has cleared ahead.

From The Fairway Be sure to avoid the trench style bunker on the corner of the dogleg… its deep and difficult and many have unraveled from in here.

On The Green The green is small with the easiest pin positions near the front and most difficult up the plateau in the back left, corner.

Hole 11

Hole Name

From The Tee The long 11th can switch between being a par 4 or 5 and plays around the Southern border of the property with views across farmland and the coastal dunes.

From The Fairway The tee shot often plays straight into the wind, so this hole plays longer than the card suggests and the large sandy blow-out on the right guards the shortest route to the green.

On The Green Be sure to check the sign at the tee to find the pin position for the day as the putting surface is blind with just a narrow gap in the dunes as the entrance to the green.

Hole 12

Hole Name

From The Tee A green with a large indent in its centre, shaped almost as if a thumb had been pressed deeply into its middle.

From The Fairway Such thumbprint greens were a common feature of the ‘short’ template hole commonly used by Macdonald and Raynor in the early 20th century, with the best examples found at Sleepy Hollow (New York), 10th at Chicago GC and the 6th at the National Golf Links of America.

On The Green Three distinct pin positions here, left, centre or right with the centre in the middle of the thumbprint probably being the easiest. Any shot running off the back is punished so the play is to be short.

Hole 13

Hole Name

From The Tee The longest hole on the course this par 5 plays over a beautiful tumbling piece of ground. The fairway cambers to the right so your tee shot is best aimed a little left of centre.

From The Fairway

On The Green The large bunker affectionately known as ‘Hell’, after the famous trap at St. Andrews, guards the preferred line for the approach to the green. A shot across Hell should finish close to the bunker less green.

Hole 14

Hole Name

From The Tee A hole designed to sit amongst the old Moonah trees on what was the neighboring farmland, the ground naturally sloped from left to right which we felt was perfectly suited to a reverse Redan.

From The Fairway The original Redan tilted from right to left but a feature of that hole and this one is the green that slopes from front to back.

On The Green Guarded by a short-left waste bunker and a right green side bunker, the ideal shot lands close to the front edge of the putting surface and uses the large mound on the left to feed the ball down towards the pin.

Hole 15

Hole Name

From The Tee Named Samphire after the low growing succulent that covers the salt marsh on the left of the hole, this is a Cape style hole where the approach to the green is shorter the closer your drive finishes to the salt marsh.

From The Fairway

On The Green A unique green that is almost square and a throwback to the days where some putting surfaces in the UK shaped that way as a result of the fences used to keep the sheep out!

Hole 16

Hole Name

From The Tee Either played as a long 3 or a short 4 this hole was inspired by the famous road hole at the Old Course at St Andrews.

From The Fairway In theory, the approach is a little easier from the left but no matter where the pitch is played from, care must be taken to avoid the out of bounds fence that sits against the green and the ‘Road hole’ inspired bunker on the right.

On The Green Although this bunker may seem small, its sphere of influence is quite large, with the surrounding contours funneling many running approach shots into the sand.

Hole 17

Hole Name

From The Tee

From The Fairway A medium length par 4 played up a slight rise to a green that is shaped around a large mound or ‘Hillock’. If the pin is positioned in the back right of the green it is possible to play a running shot out to the right and use the contours to run the ball around the mound rather than trying to play the more difficult shot directly over it.

On The Green

Hole 18

Hole Name

From The Tee The home hole plays up a gentle rise to a green perched in front of the clubhouse and on top of a prominent ridgeline. The closer your tee shot is played to the Church-pew like bunker made famous at Oakmont Golf Club (USA), the more the flag is visible back in the fairway.

From The Fairway

On The Green After putting out and a last look across the course and Lake Victoria, it’s time to head inside for a drink and to reflect on the good shots and those that might have been!