There are no respites, every hole is pretty strong.
A smart cookie, armed with a touch of adventure and good ball striking skills will prevail at Dundonald Links in the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship.
That's the verdict of the man who knows the course better than most - Guy Redford, director of golf operations at the spectacular links near Troon in Ayrshire.
Redford is looking forward to welcoming more than 150 of Britain and Ireland's best players to compete in the 72-hole tournament from June 16-19 and has identified some key ingredients for success in the £78,000 event.
"It's a great risk and reward course and good players from tee to green will be rewarded on this course," said Redford. "I would describe it as a modern day links with quite generous driving areas and undulating greens and the further you can get the ball down the fairway, the tighter it gets and the more you get rewarded. You don't get rewarded for irons off the tee."
In its short but increasingly illustrious history, the Kyle Phillips-designed course has already gained a glowing reputation, dubbed an 'instant classic' soon after it opened in 2003.
The course has hosted qualifying for the Senior British Open as well as the European Tour School with the course record a 65 fired by Sam Hutsby who birdied the last four holes on his way to winning the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy in 2006.
Redford revealed several pros have already been up for a sneak preview and insists strategy will be vital.
"It's a fair course but also because quite a few of the greens are elevated and undulating the players will need to be smart with their thinking from the point of view that if they miss they need to make sure they miss on the right side and don't short side themselves," he added.
"There are a lot of greens where you need to carry your ball onto the green. It's not the traditional bump and run type links where you can use the contours to get the ball close and because quite a lot of greens are raised good ball strikers are going to have an advantage because the greens will reject a poor shot.
"There are no respite holes, every hole is pretty strong!"
Signature holes
Third hole 540-yard par five
The first of four par 5s on the course requires a well guided tee shot to avoid the ditch which encroaches on the right. The safe play is to lay up short of the fairway bunker then play to the left of the ditch with your second shot. If conditions are favourable longer hitters may want to go for the green in two, avoid the gorse on the right at all costs. The green is very undulating and a hidden bunker lurks at the back for anyone that takes one club too many.
Sixth hole 170-yard par three
Accuracy is the key where a ditch sits in wait to the left of the green. The second of the par 3s demands excellent distance control. A cavernous ditch runs down the left of the green and gathers any shot hit left. You may feel little or no wind on this sheltered tee but beware of the right to left prevailing wind. Play your tee shot to land on the front right half of the green and you will find a generous bounce toward the middle of the green. There is a hidden pot bunker at the back of the green.
18th hole 560-yard par five
The longest hole on the course. Play your tee shot down the left side of the fairway avoiding the three bunkers on the right. Cross bunkers await a second shot that is hit less than perfect. The green is guarded at the front by an imposing ditch and pot bunkers await any shot hit long. This is a three shot hole, so don't be tempted to go for the green in two as it will bite a hole in your scorecard!
Host professional
Director of Golf is Guy Redford - for more information visit dundonaldlinks.com
12 June, 2009 | The PGA