:: Saturday, 30 August 2003 ::

 The Coast Golf Club

	1430 Anzac Parade, Little Bay, NSW, 2036
	Tel: 61 (2) 9311 7422
	Course Level: Medium
	Opening Hours: Bookings essential
	Green Fee: $22
	Website: http://www.coastgolf.com.au
The Coast is made up of 18 holes which hugs the coast line of south eastern Sydney. It is a Par 71 championship course with an Australian Course Rating (ACR) of 69.

Hole 1 - Par 4, 366 Metres

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The first appears to be a straight forward par 4. What you cannot see from the hole image on the right is that quite often your playing into the wind, making this hole play a lot longer than its 366 metres. The wind plays a big role in how The Coast plays, as you will find out when you step out onto the exposed tees and greens. It is certainly not for the faint hearted. The first hole is protected by several water hazards. On the left, an exposed natural drain winds its way down the majority of the length of the fairway. On the right (just the right length for a solid drive) is a small dam which is not quite visible from the tee. Further up on the left, is another small dam which would normally only come into play when a stray drive places you onto the 2nd fairway. The green is reasonably long, though not too wide. It slopes gently from the front then also drops off at the back. A small shoulder protudes onto the left mid section of the green also.

Hole 2 - Par 5, 445 Metres

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Hole 2 presents you with a fairly simple Par 5. It plays downhill, allowing you to get a little more distance for your shots. This is of course you stay out of trouble with your drive... The drive on this hole presents you with the most problems. Down the right hand side you have scrub which has a tendancy to leap out and swallow your ball. On the left is the same natural drain that you would have seen playing up the first hole. The fairway is still a wide fairway, so be sure to use it. You can really attack the green on this hole with your second shot (again assuming that you have not found the bushes on the right or drain on the left). If your not long enough to make the green on this one, you will certainly be hitting a low iron for your third. The green itself is protected by three bunkers. Two on the right, one of which is about 10 metres short of the green. The other is nestled into this roughly kidney shaped green. The left hand bunker is situated towards the front of the green, but is far enough left to not pose a problem for a straight shot. The green itself has a gentle slope from front to back which sort of plateaus the further back you travel. The ground behind the green drops away very quickly, any ball hit too long will be faced with a chip back with the green well above their heads. Overall, not too long a hole and as long as you get a strong drive here, you should be in good shape for at least a par.

Hole 3 - Par 4, 346 Metres

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The 3rd hole heads north from the tee. The only real trouble that your drive can get into is if you hit a solid shot out to the right. At a good distance from the tee, the fairway drops down into a gully which itself disappears into the Pacific Ocean. Hit your ball here and you can kiss it good-bye. Safe players will be happy to know that the Professional's practice fairway runs up the left of this hole, making this a safe alternative if the Ocean poses a problem. With little in the way of vegetation on the left, you nearly always will get a safe lie if you decide to take this option. The green is reasonably flat here, with only a bunker protecting the back left corner and rarely comes into play. Off to the right side of the green the ground drops away on a gentle slope, but does not pose too much of a problem. Most players will be able to attack this green on their second shot, whether or not you can get a par here, well that is up to you.

Hole 4 - Par 3, 139 Metres

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The 4th hole is one of the most scenic holes that i have ever had the pleasure to play. For the coast, it would be only paralleled by the 14th which also hugs the coastline. The 4th in itself is not a long hole, ranging at only around 139 metres from tee to green. However, each time you play this hole, it is different. It only takes a slight change in wind speed or direction, and you can put your 8 iron away and start reaching for a wood. It can change that much. From the tee, you have to hit your ball over the rocky coastline which juts into the mainland at this point. The green rests on the other side of this little cove and is protected by a bunker on its left edge. The green is also elevated from the fairway level on its right. The green itself can pose some difficulty as it tends to be fast with considerable break as it slopes from back to front. All in all, this hole can be very challenging once weather conditions are taken into account. Try not to be too distracted by the beautiful scenery around this one.

Hole 5 - Par 4, 365 Metres

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Hole 5 is a 365 metre par 4. The fairway gradually descends the further you go, until you reach an area around 150 metres from the green where it begins to rise again until the ground drops away again more steeply from around the 100 metre marker (100 metres from the green) right down to the front of the green. This undulating fairway can often lead to a blind second shot towards the green, where all that is visible is the top portion of the flag stick. From the tee, the dangers lie in a dam on the right and the ever present Pacific Ocean on the left. The championship tees on this hole are positioned on a specially constructed tee area right out on the rocky coastline which once again gives you wonderful views of the ocean meeting the mainland. The second shot here is more often than not (except for those that find themselves towards the left rough line) blind to the green. The green itself is we protected by a series of bunkers on both side of the green. Behind the green is very little room for error as it is pegged out of bounds. Your ball may either find a watery end or encroach on the neighbouring St Michaels Golf Course. The green slopes sharply from back to front and is much longer than it is wide. Finding yourself a long way from the pin here is a commonplace occurrence and can easily lead to a dreaded 3 putt.

Hole 6 - Par 5, 482 Metres

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The 6th hole is the longest on the course. Playing uphill all the way makes it seem even longer than its recorded distance of 482 metres. From the tee, the main danger is the out of bounds markers along the left side of the fairway. This continues for the length of the hole, but from about 250 metres onwards, it is also heavily guarded by thick scrub. A ball that enters here, will surely never be seen again. The right is clear from the tee, with only one tree that can pose any problems. A long drive may just find a fairway bunker on the right however, so be sure to stay clear of this as well. For the second shot, it becomes more and more important to hit the ball straight. From your second shot onwards, scrubby bush land borders both sides of the fairway, and a second fairway bunker lies around 150 metres out from the green on the right hand side. If all this is not bad enough, the 6th green is one of the slickest on the course. It slopes strongly from the back to the front and to give yourself a good chance here, you must ensure that you leave your ball below the hole. Having to chip or put from above the hole can easily see it slip by the hole and continue to roll on for another two or three metres. A tough par 5 which cannot be reached in two. Just hope your not playing into the wind as well.

Hole 7 - Par 5, 460 Metres

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Just when you thought you have had enough with par 5's, you find yourself on the 7th tee looking down the barrel of another 460 metre par 5. Luckily, this one is not as daunting as the 6th. It is possible to hit this green in two with a solid drive and second shot. From the tee you look out onto a fairway that appears to be sloping downhill. The left and right edges of the fairway are obscured by the trees and bushes that are located near the tee here. The fairway however does open up further out, although it is safer to err on the left rather than the right. It takes a solid hit from the tee to clear the trees running down the right hand side, whereas you can hook the ball slightly off the tee and still find yourself in the open further down on the left. This hole runs up beside the old Prince Henry Hospital which has now officially been closed and marked for re-development. Development which is scheduled to start in 2003/2004 will turn this area into a mixture of townhouses and unit blocks whilst keeping the historical aspects of the older Hospital buildings. As you would expect, the Hospital grounds are marked as out of bounds and this continues for the entire length of this hole. Halfway up the left hand edge of the fairway, you will find a couple of bunkers which can severely impact your chances of making par here and as such should be avoided. Further towards the green, which by now is progressing uphill, another bunker is positioned about 20 metres short of the left front edge of the green. A bunker also protects the right hand side of the green, ready to catch any stray approach shots. The 7th green slopes once again from back to front, albeit, not as much as the 6th. The green itself is quite large, so long putts are not too uncommon, but as long as you keep away from the dangers mentioned above, you have a good opportunity to make par here.

Hole 8 - Par 3, 156 Metres

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Hitting back toward the clubhouse, the 8th is a 156 metre par 3 which transverses a fairly steep gully. From the tee, which is above the level of the green, you are presented with a shot that is really only threatened by the dam on the left. Any miss-hit shot will also find trouble in the scrub and ditch at the base of the gully. The green does slope from back to front, but in no way as severe as the previous two holes, putting the chance of holing that all important putt even closer to your grasp.

Hole 9 - Par 3, 157 Metres

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To finish off the front 9, you must tackle this little 157 metre par 3. From the tee, you must carry a dam (which is out of play except for an extremely poor shot) and carry up the hill to what can only be called the most wicked green on the course. The 9th is won or lost on the green. This green has undoubtedly the slickest slopes on the course. From the back of the green, the tiniest tap can send your ball rolling all the way to the front. If that was not bad enough - the break in the green can leave you wondering how on earth your ball finished so far from the hole. This hole is ranked as the 7th hardest hole on the course, but in my opinion, this green puts it way up the list.

Hole 10 - Par 4, 223 Metres

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The 10th is the shortest par 4 you will probably ever play. This of course does not necessarily ensure a par by any stretch of the imagination. Most players will take a short iron off this tee to set up a wedge (or 9 iron) to the green. The green itself is raised well above the level of the fairway on which you will be hitting your second shot, and the green is relatively small. Only the very best shots will be able to hit this green, and keep it on it. Most will find that their ball has either flown the green on the full or has rolled through the green to finish up on the slope behind it. For this reason, if you do not reach the top of the green on your second shot, you can kiss your par all but good-bye. For such a short hole, birdies are not easy to come by - even though it is ranked as the easiest on the course. Most of the time, to get your birdie you will need to chip it into the hole from off the green. This of course does not happen all that often, which is something that i am sure that most average players would agree with.

Hole 11 - Par 5, 396 Metres

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The last of the par 5's, and the only one on the back nine holes of the course, is the 11th. A dogleg par 5 that bends nearly 90 degrees to the left and only runs a length of 396 metres. From the tee however you find yourself staring straight down to the dam which guards the inside corner of the dogleg. To the left of the dam is scrubby bush land which is out of bounds, and to the right is a natural rocky ditch that crosses in front of the tee area and runs away along the right rough area at an angle. A long tee shot is relatively safe is sprayed out to the right, but it will also add some serious distance for your second shot. The brave can also try to hit their drive over the dam on the left and basically cut the corner. If successful, you can find yourself no more than 160 metres out from the par 5 green for your second shot! If unsuccessful your ball may need swimming lessons. After the corner, the fairway begins to climb the hill up to the green which is protected by a bunker on the left. Either side of the fairway on this section of the fairway is scrubby bushes which are more than willing to swallow your ball and never give it back. The green is a good size which has a gentle slope from back to front which gets gradually steeper the nearer the front edge you get. A ball has little hope of staying on the green if it struck within two metres of the front edge. This hole is a good hole to turn around any unfortunate scores that you may have had earlier in the round, but don't take it too easy as the distance between the fairway and the bush land near the green is not very forgiving and can cost you dearly.

Hole 12 - Par 3, 141 Metres

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Spanning only 141 metres from the men's tee to the green, the 12th hole is a par 3 that should not be taken lightly. If the fact that it runs up the steepest hill on the course does not worry you, or the fact the any shot more than a metre or two right of the green will almost certainly be in trouble does not cause you any alarm, then you must at least respect the greens' layout and orientation. The green is a kind of kidney shaped green which runs at an angle to the fairway. From the tee the green does not offer a great deal of length with the green being much longer than it is wide (albeit on an angle). When hitting for the green - care should also be taken to be sure that you going for the half in which the pin is located. The green does become quite slippery towards the front edge of the green and any putt made from the back edge to a pin located at the front needs someone with an excellent judge of pace to keep it within a satisfactory distance of the hole.

Hole 13 - Par 4, 378 Metres

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Ranked the hardest hole on the course, you could be forgiven if you wondered why when your standing on the 13th tee. The fairway seems reasonably wide, enough to be forgiving to all but the loosest of shots, except for the nasty out of bounds which runs up the left side of this hole. Even so, there are a few things that you need to know about this hole. Other than the fact that there is an out of bounds fence along the left edge of this hole (as it borders the Randwick Golf Course), you also need to be aware of the fact that the right edge of this hole drops away down the cliffs into the Pacific Ocean. Something that is also not so obvious when your standing on the tee is that both the cliffs and the out of bounds markers converge the closer you get to the green which is 378 metres from the tee. Although not posing too much of a problem on the tee shot - you need to be very careful with your second. Do you take that long iron and risk spraying it into the ocean or out of bounds, or do you take the safe option and lay up. The green is roughly circular, and is protected by bunkers on both sides of the green. The slope of the green is from the back left to the front right, and depending of the pin location can present you with a difficult putt to judge both the speed and break. Finally - as if that was not enough already - this hole is completely exposed to the ever present winds along the coast. Add all these things together and you do get a challenging hole which has bought more than one golfer unstuck.

Hole 14 - Par 4, 345 Metres

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The 14th Hole would have to be one of the prettiest holes on the course. Your tee shot is hit across the cliff face and down to the relatively flat fairway which is quite a bit lower than the level of the tees. The drive from the tees (assuming that you reach across the cliffs) is reasonably safe with the most danger posed from the continuation of the cliff line along the left side of the fairway. You need only to be around two metres into the rough on the left to find your ball disappearing down the cliff and onto the rocks below. However if you put your drive on the right side of the fairway you have a completely blind second shot to the green as it is hidden behind a small hilly rocky area. So the best place to put your drive is on the left half of the fairway. Once you reach the green you will find a two tiered green with the front being lower than the back. Their is also a nasty pot bunker protecting the front right of the green. Behind the green, well there is nothing but a steep slope leading down to the hazardous cliffs below, so be sure to keep your ball on the green. Overall this hole is a fantastic challenge. Put your drive in right spot and you still need an accurate shot into the green. Put your drive on the left and you have a blind, extremely difficult shot in. Anywhere but straight on this hole and lead to a world of hurt.

Hole 15 - Par 3, 158 Metres

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The final par 3 of the course is the 15th. It runs 158 metres from the mens tee to the green and is protected on either side by fairly shallow bunkers. Although the fairway drops down the hill to the 14th fairway on the right hand side, and the fact that the left is lined with the scrubby bushes that you would be more than familiar with by now, this hole is open enough to pose few problems from the tee. The green slopes generally from the back to the front which is not overly challenging, but still requires concentration. The biggest challenge on this hole comes in the form of the wind factor. Even though it does not sound too long (being only 158 metres on the scorecard) it is not uncommon for people to be hitting a 3 or 4 iron from the tee. The accuracy of this shot will determine how well you will score on this one.

Hole 16 - Par 4, 319 Metres

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Another short par 4 greets players who step up to the 16th tee. But what you will immediately notice is "where is the hole". This hole runs down the same steep hill that the par 3 12th runs up. The tee is set far enough on top of the hill to completely obscure the green and your main concerns will be where to hit your drive. From the tee you are faced with a near wall of bushes. These 1-2 metre tall bushes have branches that spread right to the ground. If a ball enters these bushes it is near impossible to hit it out again, leaving you with a penalty shot for an unplayable lie. Luckily the fairway does open up to the left (hidden from view from the tee) which allows you to find relative safety, although to the right is nothing but trouble. The nature of this hole makes most players hit an iron from the tee. Anything more will most likely find your ball on a very steep downhill lie for your second shot. An iron from the tee will leave your ball with a relatively flat lie, but the green may still be hidden from view. The green is at the bottom of the hill, and a wide ditch runs across the fairway just short of the green. Just on the other side of this watery ditch sits the green which is protected by two bunkers, one located at the front left edge and the other on the left side of the green. A reasonably large green, which slopes from back to front can pose some difficult putts, but by the time you have reached the 16th green you would have faced far worse than this.

Hole 17 - Par 4, 346 Metres

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If you thought the 16th fairway was well hidden from the tee, then the 17th is nearly as bad. All but the left section of the fairway is hidden by those all too familiar bushes which run in front of the tee area. The fairway also slopes significantly from right to left, so players who hit their ball down of the centre of the fairway will find their balls on the left edge of the fairway or worse, in the rough. Luckily there is plently of room on the right to hit your ball and very few problems that will stop you from having a shot at the green. Nothing except for the fact that you cannot see the green from the right edge of the fairway. Running across the fairway about 60 metres short of the green is a very deep and very steep drain which is well covered with trees. This completely obscures all approach shots except for those on the left side of the fairway, who then have to put up with what can be an awkward sloping lie. Once over the drain, the green has a bunker in the front right corner but little else. The green is also reasonably flat which leaves a fairly straight forward job of putting the ball into the hole. But be warned - this is not rated as the third hardest hole for nothing.

Hole 18 - Par 4, 275 Metres

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As you walk to the 18th tee you have a feeling of being on the home straight. Your hitting directly back towards the clubhouse and you can almost taste that first sip of your favourite beverage. Just one more hole to take care of and your home sweet home. The 18th is a hole where you have a real option of playing it safe or going for broke. For those longer hitters, it is possible to actually drive this green from the tee as it is only 275 metres from tee to green. But to do this you have to take on the dam that dominates the path to the green. Slightly miss hit your ball and you will be walking to the drop zone to play your third. For the shorter hitters the 18th fairway starts a long way below the level of the tee and almost directly to the left of it and winds its way up the dam wall and around it to the green. Choosing to play it safe here will more than likely leave you with a shot where the only thing you can see is the steep dam wall in front of you. The green is not protected by any bunkers, who needs them when the dam hugs right up next to it! The slope of the green is relatively gentle so should not pose too many problems for someone who has battled through the previous 17 holes.

Posted by Chris @ 10:54 -

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