Hole Details

Playing Tips

After two holes of inland golf, it is time to start the run back towards the coastline. A double bending par 5 into an elevated green with unimaginable views of the ocean behind, it doesn’t get much better. The 9th is a common pick by many golfers as their favourite hole on the course.

From the tee box you will see sand dunes down the left and sand dunes down the right, and glare into a two-tier fairway with the lower left tier being the ideal position. The mounds in the distance create a ‘V’ shape, the bottom of that “V” is your perfect line. For the lay up shot, there is a large drop in the fairway as it bends left to right into a valley that it is well below the green. It is important to realise where this second bend of the fairway leads as there is wasteland and long rough up both sides of this hole. Going for the green in two is an extremely tough task (even for pros), as the green is again very firm. Playing downwind on a par 5 usually plays to your advantage but not on this hole, hitting a long iron or wood into the green will most likely end with you rolling off the back and down the slopes behind the green. Better to lay up in the valley right of the green, and leave yourself an uphill pitch shot. Or alternatively leave your second shot high and left and pitch across the valley, which is a truly thrilling shot.

Pro’s Tip: Simple is key. A course management kind of hole, where you must play to get into the second part of the fairway in two shots. Aim for the V created by the mounds from the tee box, hit a mid-iron towards the second bend in the fairway and that will hopefully find the valley and the heart of the fairway. This is the only way to avoid a card wrecking score on this hole. It may seem achievable to hit the green from a long distance away, however the risks are substantial. There is too much trouble around an extremely guarded green. Compared to the other holes, this green is not as big and poses another reason why the lay-up and short pitch up to the green should be the choice of play. Don’t try to be heroic with the second shot, you could be left feeling a villain.