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St Francis Links Golf Course Map /St Francis Links Golf Holes Map
St Francis Links Golf Course Review in St Francis Bay, SA in 6312SA
ST FRANCIS BAY WEATHER
Hole MAP
Hole 1
Hole Name
From The Tee Enjoy the walk (or the ride) and remember his most valuable advice, Every great shot begins with a smile, play one shot at a time!
From The Fairway The opening hole at St Francis Links teases the eye more than the golf swing. This relatively short par 4 turns left and plays uphill past the blowout bunker on the left.
On The Green There is plenty of room left and right driver here may not be necessary. Make sure you account for the uphill and the prevailing wind when playing to the green. Your safe start is a miss to the right, a chip and a putt!
Hole 2
Hole Name
From The Tee Shorter hitters should aim at the bush on the left. When I arrived on the tee for the first time, I looked almost 270 degrees before I found the hole!
From The Fairway The dune and another blowout distort the shot-making picture here. If you know your own length, carrying the dune and the bush will bring huge rewards.
On The Green Shorter hitters stay left, lay-up and pitch your third. Longer hitters should let it fly. Trust me, there is plenty of fairway over the dune.
Hole 3
Hole Name
From The Tee The first of the four fantastic par 5s, the green was designed and placed "perfectly" between the bushes and dunes take dead aim. Mr. Nicklaus designed this hole simply by letting the land dictate the play.
From The Fairway The little target bunker through the fairway on the left is the perfect line from the tee. Again, the landing area is generous for the average length player, but narrows at the bunker for the longer hitter. Unless you really "creamed it" off the tee, lay up to another wide and safe zone short of the approach bunkers +/- 100 meters from the green.
On The Green It is from there that you will see why the hole got its name. The green is placed perfectly between the bush-covered dune behind and the bunkers and bushes to the left. Trust your swing and walk away with your first birdie.
Hole 4
Hole Name
From The Tee Whether you are playing from the back tee to the front green OR the front tee to the back green, this is truly one great par three. one for the memory books.
From The Fairway Another Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Desert Highlands, Geronimo in Arizona features large greens with two flagsticks and in some cases, two greens for the same hole. Number 4 at SFL offers two great shot-making options.
On The Green Allow for the prevailing wind when playing the bottom green; when it comes from the west, those greenside bunkers get pretty big! When playing to the top, take an extra club - it carries all the way and the green surface is a lot bigger that it looks.
Hole 5
Hole Name
From The Tee The best views on the course and with the wind, the best chance to make a one on a par 4! WOW!!! Get the camera out better yet, get the video out and take a 360 degree shot from the upper tee!
From The Fairway After the photo shoot with your friends, refocus on the golf and make a decision take driver (Braveheart) and have a go at greatness! The safer play is a long iron or fairway club up the well-bunkered fairway, leaving a short iron to the postage stamp green.
On The Green Why take the driver BECAUSE YOU CAN! Keep in mind the word CAN, in this case, may not refer to ability just decision-making. Dont waste a great birdie opportunity by being TOOOOOO Brave!
Hole 6
Hole Name
From The Tee Position is everything at this hole. If you are a shorter hitter, just take clubs that you trust and play to the wider landing areas 3-wood, 5-iron, 9-iron and wedge.
From The Fairway It may take you four shots to get home but thats why you have a handicap! Longer hitters may take on the bunker complex on the right carry it with a draw and you may find yourself in position to have a go.
On The Green The best approach to this shallow green is from 60 to 100 meters from the green. Get to the 2nd aiming pole and play a lofted club that will hold the small green and thank me after the round.
Hole 7
Hole Name
From The Tee Its getting better by the hole and now you are challenged by the 2nd of the four par 3s and the first with water in the picture. I remember years ago when PGA TOUR Champion, Lanny Wadkins (a great long iron player) gave some great advice in a junior clinic that I was hosting.
From The Fairway He said when you have to go over a hazard, water or bunker, to pick a target above and behind your intended landing area it will take your mind and eyes off and above the perceived problem. That is good advice here as you need to carry the water and the bunker to put a smile on your dial.
On The Green The green is deeper than it looks (22m) and will accept your longer club. The conservative play is to the right, chip and putt! Where's your camera when you need it?
Hole 8
Hole Name
From The Tee The eighth hole is beautifully placed between two dunescapes. It is, however, the tightest driving hole on the course.
From The Fairway The good news is that it is not that long. So, put the driver away put the 3-wood away take out a rescue wood or long iron and put your ball in play.
On The Green This is not a Hero hole and it has achieved the stroke rating of 9 simply because too many people have been too aggressive. Save you big drive for the 9th as you will need it there!
Hole 9
Hole Name
From The Tee After playing (and surviving) the tee shot on the eighth, you now see the biggest landing area so far and a sign of whats to come.
From The Fairway You need the driver here as this is also the longest par 4 on the front nine. The well-bunkered green runs away from you, from left to right. If a long club is required for your approach to the green, rather lay up (and well back, to allow for a shot that you can apply some spin). Go in for three.
On The Green Mr. Nicklaus has created a wide second landing area for the shorter hitter.
Hole 10
Hole Name
From The Tee If you drive the ball to the left side, you will have a clearer and shorter approach to the green.
From The Fairway There is plenty of room to the right, as well. If this is your first hole of the day or you have just polished off a homemade pie at Halfway, take the safer line to the right of the aiming pole and accept the longer approach to this perfectly positioned green.
On The Green How about that amphitheatre! He has dropped the green down into the dune face creating a natural bowl (great for watching the tournaments golf that will come to St Francis Links).
Hole 11
Hole Name
From The Tee
From The Fairway
On The Green Everything about this hole is big big dunes left and right all the way to a big green; a big tee shot will leave you perfectly placed to play into the green, which sits above what Mr. Nicklaus refers to as an ADAP™ - "as deep as possible" - hollow left of the green.
Hole 12
Hole Name
From The Tee This is my favourite hole on the back nine, because it fits so nicely between the natural dunes on the left and right.
From The Fairway You can bang it™ off the tee and get a birdie reward with good distance control on your second. It may look like an Illusion™ as the green sits between the bunkers front and back but there is PLENTY of room in between. Thats why I like it!!! You will too.
On The Green
Hole 13
Hole Name
From The Tee The next three holes feature water on the left. The 46 meters wetland is a sanctuary for the areas bird life and a catchment for wayward shots. Many have chosen the 13th as their favourite.
From The Fairway It's easy to see why. Mr. Nicklaus has added water to links in such a way that its like adding dressing on a salad, cheese on a burger or chutney on a Worsie (not bad for an American South African by choice).
On The Green Stay left off the tee and safely to the right on your second. Birdies, and even eagles, here, will come to those who take the challenge.
Hole 14
Hole Name
From The Tee This may have been the easiest hole to name on the course for obvious reasons! It's not the distance that presents the mental and physical problems; it's the prevailing winds.
From The Fairway There is usually a breeze into you. You must factor the wind into your club selection. The name GET UP™ can be heard after almost every swing! Take more club and commit to the swing.
On The Green
Hole 15
Hole Name
From The Tee As far as golf is concerned, this par-4 is top shelf by definition. Its a great hole that requires a well-positioned tee shot to the left and on the top shelf.
From The Fairway
On The Green From there, the large green target is only the second challenge. Nothing here is easy going.The hogback design of the green forces you to attack the flagstick or risk another dreaded three putt. It looks easier than it plays stroke-4 for good reason!
Hole 16
Hole Name
From The Tee The 630 yard Par-5 is one big golf hole from the back tees. Fortunately, not many of you should be playing from there.
From The Fairway From the club tees, the white tees and the forward tees, options await you. A Tiger Line down the left side may put the longest hitter in position to go for the green by keeping his shot left of the creek.
On The Green The wider and safer play is to the right aiming pole and a three-shot play to the green. This stroke-4 tester will offer the best result by playing into the green from 80-100m out; this will put you in a position to play a high-flying approach.
Hole 17
Hole Name
From The Tee The design of the green is quite a discussion item (during the Opening round, Mr. Nicklaus stopped everything to have another look at the final shape).
From The Fairway The pin placements are only available on the bottom, back left portion of the putting surface, as the front and right sides tilt severely to the left and back.This feature is by design and adds a little luck to the outcome of the tee shot that strays to the right.
On The Green On the day, Jack thought maybe there was too much pitch and asked that we monitor its performance willing to soften it, if necessary. When he rolled some balls from the front of the green to test it, they all moved toward the hole.
Hole 18
Hole Name
From The Tee The final par-4 is a dogleg left playing into a smallish target that angles uphill from left to right. Factor the uphill by almost always adding another club to the distance remaining.
From The Fairway The natural target from the tee is the last bunker left. Hug the water and leave yourself a much shorter second.
On The Green When you finish, shake hands and go to the Golf Shop for a souvenir book again for tomorrow, and have another go at greatness! Thanks for coming and playing another South African treasure.
