Holes 13 and 14

This is a short and straight forward, albeit downhill par 3. Stream in front and pond to the left so don't be in there! There really isn't anything to worry about here and a large green makes for plenty of opportunities for a bird so just go do it. OK?

 Now before you get started here you might want to just have a little sit down for youself. This par 5 is long and involves the only real climb in Gowran. Its a nice view backwards though from the top of said hill. Long and straight off the tee here leaving a 5-7 iron for your second shot which in turn leaves about 100m odd to the green. If you are on the upslope of the hill after your tee shot remember that a fairway wood will launch the ball a lot higher than off the flat so not a lot to be gained by tying yourself in a knot. The green is shallow enough and protected short right and left by bunkers so really try to give yourself the best possible approach with your third shot. This is quite a contoured green and can often be 2/3 putt territory if you're not careful. All in all a lovely hole and one of my favourites.

12th Hole - Index 1

This is a genuinely tough hole. Its long and a left to right dogleg with water all along the right hand side of your tee shot. The fairway slopes down to that lake if you are too far right (I know this) and OB is located along the length of the right side. Most players take out the Big Dog for this shot but let me offer a little insight as someone who has lost balls to both the lake and the OB. Next time you go to play this hole try a five iron. Then when that takes you down to a point wher you can now see the green, take another five iron. Can you guess what that will leave you with for your shot to the green (which will be invariably played into a headwind)? Yep another five iron leaving all but the most unfortunate amongst us you with a birdie putt.

Now before you jump up and down, just think for a minute. Have I sent you wrong yet? No, so just try it and let me know how you get on. This hole does deserve its rating as the hardest hole on the course for a number of reasons really. The difficulty presented with the tee shot, and the subsequent shots usually played into a stiff breeze. A babbling brook  runs the length of your second and third shots on the right with the left side tree lined and not easy to deal with if you are off course. In truth I haven't seen too many birdies but they can be scored. (Disclaimer: If you lose the monthly medal by playing this hole badly whilst following the advice I gave you.......Tough). What do I know?

The 11th

I've "borrowed" the official description from Gowran Park for this one because it explains it very well.

There is danger on all sides on the approach shot. Concede distance for accuracy as you will be out of bounds all up the left with bunkers on the right at 207 to reach and 266 to carry.
Always favour the right of this green, which is well protected both left and right with green side bunkers, as this leaves you a relatively easy putt. Anything big here is dead as there is a severe slope behind this green. Note that this green is only 22 metres deep on its left side and 29 metres deep on its right side.

Straight forward enough stuff boys and girls. I can't add too much to this except by way of a little vignette of knowledge that couldn't be bought if you tried. A good friend who for legal reasons will not be identified (there you go Bob I promised I wouldn't name you)  has a theory on the best way to play this hole. On a normal day playing from the forward tee a rather large tree tends to be, well in the way really. Actually its in the way no  matter where you stand. But Bob reckons that its much easier to play this hole from the back (about 5m further back) because now you take the tree out of play by (wait for it) going over the tree.

Go have a look at that tree or better still go play the hole and tell me if its me or Bob that needs professional help. There is always a bird on offer here so chart this hole as one to move your score on a bit.

How are you feeling? The back nine and Hole number 10

Well, how are you feeling at this stage? How have you done on your scoring? Have you threatened the course record at the halfway point?
Of course the reality is that it doesn't really matter! If you know the course well then you know you have just played nine beautiful golf holes, all different and all presenting their own challenges. If you are new to Gowran Park then you will undoubtedly have enjoyed the front nine and be looking forward to more of the same. You are not about to be disappointed.
Sometimes depending on whats going on it is possible to get a burger at the starters hut (not a common occurrence though) and although the locker rooms are not far away there is a toilet block available near the tenth tee box. So lets move on to the back nine. Unusually enough you are about to play another par 3 (two together...yeah I know) but this one as with all other holes in Gowran makes you stop and think about what you are going to do. Have a look at the picture...go on then come back to me.

Right so. Looks simple enough and as with all things if you play it right it is available to birdie, but you will have to take account of the course and the conditions. The breeze plays a big role here so allow for it and the hole is starkley downhill so again allow for this with club selection. Bunkers on the left and tough rough on the right with a rather large tree for those that are wayward and have over clubbed it.
The hole is a good birdie shout so aim to get one here.
As always all comments are very welcome. Let me know  what you think

Coming up to the turn. The 8th and 9th

Now despite the fact that I have actually eagled this hole from the 12th fairway it isn't as simple as it seems. Fairway rolls left to right and the wind seems to blow the same way so really just put your drive on the short stuff leftish if anything. Now from here the length of your drive dictates your next shot. If you want to go for the green make sure you can reach it without over pushing yourself on the shot, the lake runs along the right side of the green and a babbling brook (nice touch) lies along the front. Big green and always a chance of a bird. Following on from my opening comment the eagle was a fluke.

 This photo is only of the back of the 9th tee box (for the benefit of the webmaster). Anyway straight forward par three with just a load of water to contend with if you're greedy. Its often windy in da face so you might need a bit more club than you think. Remember "into the breeze swing with ease". Take a par and move on.

Captains Day 2011

Saturday 25 was Captains prize with Sean Kiely's prize on offer for those who put their reputations on the line. I played at 8.36 with Ray Kent which made for a very enjoyable morning in good company. We didn't pull up trees on the way around but we didn't get wet and the craic was good. Well done to Eoin Jordan with 69 to lift the glass at the end of the day. Congrats to Sean and Breda on a lovely day for all.

Around the bend-6th and 7th

 If at this stage you are feeling smug after a bird on the par 3 and a well made par on the previous hole, this next hole would on the face of it look like a good opportunity to drive home your advantage over the course. In truth this is not the most difficult target on the planet but its index 12 and you have to play this hole the right way.

Unless you hit big you should just knock one down the middle leaving a short iron into a generous green that generally slopes from back to front with a flattish section at the top. From the tee the left side curves with the race track and is out of bounds, and on the right are a continuous stand of tall trees that despite looking threatening do leave enough room to recover if its not too wayward. Some will try to cut off the left corner but I don't think there is a lot to be gained because the grass is longer in the landing area and if you pull it its out of bounds. Stay on the short stuff.

Now assuming you get the perfect or otherwise drive away, what then? Well if you've middled it you've got a really good position to shoot straight at the target. Left or right and the grass is a bit longer but still manageable with some thought. Now let me share a little thought with you here. I sometimes tell people how important it is to play the right shot even when it may not be the beautiful shot or the one you think you want to play. What do I mean? Almost without exception most of the players I've seen play this approach shot choose from their vast array of wedges and attempt with varying degrees of success to do a "Leftie" on it and lob one high to land soft or "get some action goin'on". But as I said the green slopes back to front so a short ball won't go up the green and if it spins it will come back down. So my advice is to run one in low and especially when the ground is dry it will run in.

The green is big with plenty of contours and as I'm not the best putter in the world you're on your own from here. Good luck.

The 7th is Index 4 and well worth the tag. Trees down both sides leave a wayward tee shot in trouble with generally no chance of making the green in two. A straight drive leaves a thought provoking second shot here. A body of water protects the front of this green and runs more or less right up to the edge of the green so whatever shot you decide on it has to carry all the way or else its wet. At the back and to the right are trees that make a shot back on to the green difficult. The breeze also needs to be considered here. I'm not sure which direction one would describe as the prevailing one but to me it always seems to be right to left, right to left or in your face (thats them all covered)so take account of it.
So whether you decide to lay up with your second or go for it just make sure you commit to it and then let fly. Lads if you get a par here take it and be eternally grateful to whatever deity you deem important.

Holes 4 & 5 - Into the woods

Now lads when you reach the fourth you are as they say "Cookin on gas". This is index 2, the first hole in the trees and an absolute smasher of a golf hole. To the more observant of you this hole is reminiscent of Augusta National (OK without the magnolias) but if you pay attention you'll see what I mean. Par 4 with a right to left dog leg and a severe slope from right to left just where you want to have your tee shot position itself. All along the left runs a stream which continues and becomes a very much in play barrier to your approach to the green.

Your ideal tee shot should favour the right side of the fairway to negate the slope but you will see the odd hero take on the corner with mostly predictable results. However of course if you can cut the corner in anything approaching a controlled manner you do leave not much more than a short iron for most players. The pin position here is key to your approach shot. The fat part of the green is left and has the shortest route over the stream, whilst the right portion is narrower with more carry required to reach the putting surface. Bunkers back left and stream in front I pick the cowardly option every time regardless of pin position. A par here is a great score moving on to a lovely par 3 fifth hole coming up next.

This par 3 has a raised tee box playing to a raised green set back in very tall trees. Bunkers front and right and also back left make front left your best bet each time regardless of pin position. I have to say at this point that I seem to spend a lot of time in the bunker at the back and as often as I've played it I don't seem to be able to change that fascination with the sand. However front left leaves an uphill putt the majority of the time and despite my best efforts birdie attempts are common enough (at least amongst my playing partners).

I like these two holes and I think that if you give them a little thought and respect you can cover yourself in glory as your partners lose more shots and trail in your wake (due in no small part to the excellent advice you are getting from me at no charge.....try that in Ballybunnion or Kinsale).

Onward.

The Third-Good hole this one

Now at the risk of sounding a little bit like I keep robbing the first couple of lines from the other descriptions this hole has a good wide fairway to mess about with. If you are straight but not the longest hitter you will find the short grass without much difficulty. The danger here is racecourse on the left and out of  bounds. On the right are some well placed bunkers that catch a longer but wayward ball. Now when I say well positioned I mean that based on the amount of time that I spend in them which is most of the time. Actually when you get down to the bunkers you will see that in reality there isn't a lot to be gained by going over them as the fairway stays to their left (you'ld think I'd have figured that out by now eh). A very large and indeed very solid tree stands on the left of the fairway as it narrows and will block out any wayward leftish drives.

So what does that tell you? A 3wood will do if you are a strong hitter leaving a 7-9 iron shot to the green off the short stuff as long as you are straight. As for the green I think its one of the harder targets on the course because its a narrow enough green from 120m+ or so. I don't doubt that the overall square metreage (is that a word?) is similar to other par fours but it seems very small with that usual cross wind blowing. Oh and by the way there are a couple of hefty bunkers to the right front and right of the green. Index 6 but can play a lot harder than that. (Did I mention that the green is raised so you have to stay on it with the approach shot. No? Well it is so stay on it!)

What should you hope to do here? A good tee shot staying on the left side of the fairway leaves a straight iron to the narrow green. You can be short or left and still make par or bogey at worst but this hole has seen so many well made birdies that theres no reason that you can't help yourself to one aswell. Unless you are me. Enjoy.

Hole 2............If you're not straight be RIGHT

Now you see the thing is that this hole like the 1st (that you have just had a respectable par at) has a more than generous fairway. At its narrowest its still wide but the fly in the vaseline jar here folks is the expanse of water that runs most of the way up the left side. Also the camber of the fairway will take a tight shot towards the lake so the local knowledge is if you dont hit it straight be right. The right hand side of the second fairway runs along the right side of the third so loads of room out there (just don't forget the players who have hit a wayward one one that hole!)

There is some longer grass and some furze thingys on the right but it isn't wet. The green on the second is a difficult animal with some nice little breaks dependant on pin placement and how good your approach was. There isn't anything in front but a couple of big bunkers to the left and rear make an overcooked approach shot a bit harder to recover from. All in all a nice hole that has seen its fair share of birdies but again don't be disappointed with a par, and move on.

Plan for today

Well I'm off to Charleville , Co Cork to play 18 holes in a charity gig (Charleville Lions Club). Much thanks to Bagenalstown man and Charleville member Jimmy Doyle for the kind invite. I have played there a few times before and it is one of the nicest all round experiences in my golfing calender. Do you know the kind of place where everyone says hello to you from the time you arrive, well its like that. Sort of America without the sugar. Enjoy your day. I will. www.charlevillegolf.com

The First

This is the easiest hole on the course...ahem. I think I have had par here on two occassions in competition since I started playing. Large bunkers on the left and racetrack on the right so the big wide fairway is the simplest solution. You would think so wouldn't you. Thank God for stableford is all I can say. Still if you can get a good drive away then the best approach for the higher handicap is probably a utility club leaving a 100m or so to the big green. Now at this point I must say that I am not best tooled up to advise anyone on putting so do it yourself. It is a great way to start the round if you can get a birdie here but to be honest be happy with the par because it will help you to get a feel for the place before the water appears on the next hole.


Medal on next Sunday and I'm out at 14.15 or there abouts. I will move onto hole 2 next time so if you have anything to add please leave a comment....even a bad one.  FORE