KEEN golfer Paul is supplying his top fives for each of the 18 holes that make up a golf course (and will conclude with the 19th arguably the most important hole of the lot).
Today, he reaches his best seventh holes – and his series will run through Recommends over the coming weeks as we head into the big golfing season. He welcomes comments on his selections, which are entirely personal and unlikely to be shared by anyon
e.
1: TURNBERRY AILSA475yd, Par 5, Roon the Ben
This is a relatively short par 5, but the drive needs to be well struck – and needs to avoid the burn on the right. The fairway then swings to the left so, if you can draw the ball, it makes life much easier. However, if you fade it as I do …
2: MURRAYSHALL379yd, Par 4, Dog's Grave
The ideal drive to this left-to-right dog-leg hole will be faded – but watch out for the out-of-bounds down the right. Manage that and all you have to do is knock your approach over the burn which guards the green. Simple.
3: MURCAR411yd, Par 4, Serpentine
You need to carry the Serpentine Burn and reach the fairway (around 220yd from the tee) to have a realistic chance of making the green in two. A very strong par 4.
4: CARDRONA402yd, Par 4
I know that some golfers find Cardrona, situated beside the River Tweed, rather a long walk – but I like the layout. The 7th is a dog-leg right, with water and trees on the inside corner. The outside corner is protected by a large bunker, so there is really no place to hide! As if the tee shot wasn't hard enough, the green is also well-guarded.
5: MOUNT ELLEN461yd, Par 4, Glaudhall
Ask the locals how to play this hole. The fairway slopes steeply from right to left and, especially when the ball is running, it can be very difficult to gauge the amount of roll that your drive will take. If you are going to miss the green with your second, (perish the thought), it's probably better to err to the left, from where a recovery shot is more straightforward.
The full article contains 379 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
