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

Hole 1

Hole Name

From The Tee Your round begins with a short par-4. A bunker on the right of the fairway will catch loose drives from shorter hitters, while longer players will assess the risks and rewards of trying to drive the green.

From The Fairway

On The Green Two large bunkers protect the left and right of the green. Ensure you take enough club to clear the front traps. Quite a deep green from front to back.

Hole 2

Hole Name

From The Tee The recently repositioned green has a couple of large new bunkers, too. Still a testing length – particularly into the prevailing wind – and with sand short and long right, the safer target is up the green’s left.

From The Fairway

On The Green The green is large and has some deceptive slopes, making par a challenge.

Hole 3

Hole Name

From The Tee Straight hole with the challenges increasing the longer your drive. The landing area narrows the further you go down the fairway and has a large tree down the left that seems to have mysterious magnetic properties for golf balls.

From The Fairway A good tip here is to check out the pin placement as you walk off the first tee, because you will not be able to see the bottom of the pin from the fairway.

On The Green Remember, also, that there are no bunkers around the green, which makes bouncing the ball back to the pin a viable option on this sloping green.

Hole 4

Hole Name

From The Tee

From The Fairway Straightaway par-4 with the main trouble the boundary fence OOB down the right side. But it’s a wide fairway, so let the “big dog” loose because the shorter your approach to a green with steep run-offs on the right and a cavernous bunker to the left, the greater your chances of sticking this deep, narrow green.

On The Green

Hole 5

Hole Name

From The Tee Recently constructed par-3 with a large, sloping green, a deep bunker on the left and a small pot bunker short on the right.

From The Fairway

On The Green The green can be slightly firmer than others because it’s new. And if the pin is cut back left, play for the green’s centre as you’ll have a tough up-and-down from the left bunker.

Hole 6

Hole Name

From The Tee A par-5 that presents a good scoring opportunity. The chief trouble off the tee is the out of bounds down the right, but it’s a generous driving area that promotes thoughts of reaching the green in two for the longer knockers.

From The Fairway If you are in range to go for it, make sure you take enough club to carry the front left bunker which will catch any wayward or short shot.

On The Green If you attempt to run the ball on to the green, you will have to thread it between the two bunkers at the front.

Hole 7

Hole Name

From The Tee A demanding hole for several reasons, particularly when into the primary wind. It’s a straight hole, but it plays longer than its listed length because of a slightly uphill approach.

From The Fairway Avoid driving right as trees might block your approach shot to another long green.

On The Green Bunkers on either side of the green will catch any wayward second shot and provide real challenges to your par aspirations because the green slopes severely from back to front, putting uphill putts at a premium.

Hole 8

Hole Name

From The Tee Excellent birdie opportunity for the low handicapper or long hitter. This short par-4 with has a wide fairway with its primary defence a picturesque greenside bunker complex, one of which is 20-30m short of the putting surface and the other a deep bunker to the right.

From The Fairway Long hitters can potentially get home off the tee if they navigate past the front sand, but be prepared for a testing 30-40m blast if you don’t.

On The Green For those playing their second shots from the fairway, take one extra club as this short bunker can be deceptive. Once you’re on the green, it’s relatively flat so a good chance to pick up a shot.

Hole 9

Hole Name

From The Tee This short par-5 will yield birdies and even the odd eagle if you can negotiate the line of pine trees off the tee. The fairway bends to the left and if long hitters can avoid the timber, some might even have a short iron approach.

From The Fairway For the majority back up the hill, be sure to not venture too far left, else risk the wrath of trees that will block your second or third shot.

On The Green Whichever shot it is, beware your approach isn’t a flyer, because this green can be firmer than others and there is an O-O-B fence not far behind the green.

Hole 10

Hole Name

From The Tee A brilliant and challenging hole. A drive on this classic par-4 will approach or crest a hill where the hole veers a little to the right.

From The Fairway The tighter you can finish to the fairway bunker up the right will give you a better line to the green which can be blocked by timber if your drive goes left.

On The Green From the fairway on top of the hill, you peer down to a large green protected by a bunker on the right, while a tall gum tree sits short of the green and covers the left half of the green.

Hole 11

Hole Name

From The Tee Another “gettable” par-5 which dog-legs sharply from right to left alongside the ninth hole. Shorter hitters should try to reach the corner, leaving a straight shot towards the green.

From The Fairway Long hitters should aim to hit a high hook over the corner, but hook it more than you think otherwise you will run through the fairway into the trees.

On The Green Second or third shots must avoid pot bunkers down the right side that sit 100m short of a green that is small and severely sloping.

Hole 12

Hole Name

From The Tee Redevelopment in 2012 produced a hole that would not be out of place on Melbourne’s famous Sandbelt courses, making this one of the best holes on the Bellarine. Like most great holes, there is a great risk-reward aspect in play here.

From The Fairway Access to the green is easier from the left, but you’ll have to avoid O-O-B up the length of the hole and a wonderful fairway bunker complex at a length that will test most players.

On The Green The approach shot to the medium-sized green is guarded by a front bunker, but there is more sand at the rear if you’re overly defensive.

Hole 13

Hole Name

From The Tee Another birdie chance beckons here. This short hole can be reached comfortably by long hitters, but keep in mind the boundary fence down the left and tricky bunkers left and right at the front of the green.

From The Fairway For the majority, knock a precise tee shot down the right side of the fairway, the best place from which to attack the angled green.

On The Green But beware the large bunker that extends across half the fairway, just at driving range for the average player.

Hole 14

Hole Name

From The Tee Gun barrel straight, yet one of the course’s toughest holes with O-O-B down the left of the fairway and large pine trees protruding.

From The Fairway Drives too far right will bring sand at the front right of the green into play, but the putting surface itself is largely accessible and fairly flat.

On The Green When the sou’-wester is blowing into your face here, scramble a par and run to the next tee – you’ll have picked up a shot on the field, maybe even more!

Hole 15

Hole Name

From The Tee Another genuinely challenging hole, even with the help of the prevailing breeze. A sweeping dog-leg to the right features the course’s largest water hazard down the left and fairway bunkers to the right.

From The Fairway An ideal drive is to skirt the edge of the fairway bunkers, but if you hit your drive too long and straight you will find a watery grave, as the fairway slopes in that direction.

On The Green From the fairway, you still have a difficult second shot to an angled green which has large bunkers right and left in its defence. This hole is greatly affected by the wind, so club selection is crucial as long can be in deep trouble.

Hole 16

Hole Name

From The Tee

From The Fairway Short par-4 with a water hazard left and fairway bunkers up the right. Long hitters can carry that sand, but for the majority, a drive positioned just to the left of the bunkers will leave you a manageable approach to a large green.

On The Green Drives that leak to the left will have a more difficult assignment ahead to score on a large green that is flanked by some of the course’s deepest bunkers.

Hole 17

Hole Name

From The Tee This is Portarlington Golf Club’s signature hole. It’s a par-3 that requires a water carry of about 120 metres to a green that sits right to left with a significant slope.

From The Fairway The tee shot is played from amongst the pine trees which shield the wind, so ensure you pick its influence once the ball starts flying. The green is guarded by two bunkers and a right to left tee shot is ideal so you can use the slope of the green to get closer to the flag.

On The Green Putting can very difficult depending on where the cup is cut and it is not uncommon to see the ball roll off the green. Par is always a good score.

Hole 18

Hole Name

From The Tee Not a long hole, but another challenge to finish your round. The fairway is wide, but narrows where long drivers generally reach.

From The Fairway The hole bends to the right for the second shot, so long drives can run into trees left that will make a second shot over water far more problematic.

On The Green The water meanders along the front and right of a green which is large and generous to approach, but has quite subtle breaks with the flat stick.