CM’s guide to Royal & Ancient Mt Barker.1st – Tough par 4. Good golf hole, Index 1. You need to “kick a goal” between the big gum trees on each side of the fairway off the tee. Even a good drive will leave you a hybrid or long iron into the green. Par here is good, bogey is ok.
2nd – Straight forward par 3. Anything from 5 iron to wedge depending on the wind. False front on green to the right, be sure to clear the water that you can’t see from the tee.
3rd – Longish uphill dogleg right par 4. Ideal position is left hand side of the fairway, leaving a mid iron into a smallish green.
4th – Nice par 3, played from an elevated tee to a green the runs downhill front to back. Green is 3 clubs deep, so club selection is the key.
5th – Par 5, big hitters can get home in 2. Be careful with the second shot here, anything right will clunk around in the trees. Don’t go long over the green, nothing good back there.
6th – Another Par 5, where a good drive can set you up to have a crack to get on it 2. Water short of the green, means you need to carry the ball onto the large green. OB right.
7th – A sleeper par 4. Fairway bunkers left & right. Green is 3 clubs deep, keep the ball below the hole, or you will have a tough downhiller.
8th – Short dogleg right par 4. If you’re hitting driver well, have a crack. Otherwise a 3 or 4 iron to the middle of the fairway will give you a wedge in. Don’t miss the green left, tough chip from there.
9th – Good par 4. Water right of fairway, and green protected by big old gum tree on the left. 3 wood off tee is a good play leaving mid iron into a large, undulating green.
10th – Short par 4. Another driveable if that club is working for you. If not mid iron to the left hand side of the fairway, will leave wedge to an elevated green. This green recently replaced, the old one was a nightmare!
11th – Another short par 4. Play to left of fairway, with a long iron. This will leave you a wedge into a rock hard ******* green and it will most likely richochet off the back off the ******* **** of a thing….always did for me. Shithouse hole.
Make 5 & move along!
12th – Good little par 3, bunkers left & right, a good mid iron will find you on the green. Birdie chance!
13th – Uphill straight forward par 4. Avoid the water on the right, that you can’t see from the tee. Green is guarded by bunker left. Don’t be long OB behind the green
14th – Dogleg left par 4, 3 wood off tee is a good play, as you can run out of fairway with driver. Green protected by an old tree about 70 metres out in middle of fairway, and bunkers right & back. The approach shot from fairway here hardest shot on the course IMO, ball below your feet, and shot required needs a draw shape…. Good luck!
15th – Longish Par 3. Water between green and tee, but well short of the green, don’t duff your tee shot. Sloping green, leave the ball below the hole, otherwise the downhill putt will be quick!
16th – Par 4, index 2, but I don’t really know why. Fairway slopes right to left, but a good drive here will leave only a wedge in. Bunkers left & right of the green, and OB all the way down the right hand side.
17th – Par 4 – nice hole, downhill. 3 Wood from tee is a good play and will leave a short iron into a smallish green, that has subtle breaks.
18th – Par 4 to finish in front of the clubhouse. You can either hit a long iron to the plateau short of the creek, or take on the other side with a 3 wood or Driver. Uphill second shot to a large green protected by 3 bunkers. A duffed shot in the sand will bring many laughs from the lads in the 19th!
Enjoy!
CM
1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015.... And don't you forget it!
