Year Two: Hole Commentary

The short 11th hole is one of the finest par threes on the course and the changes proposed here are about improving both the playability of the hole and the golfer traffic through this hole to the 12th tees. At the tee end, changes will be limited to path resurfacing and the installation of a defined kerb at the tee edge. In the carry the existing fescue rough will be broken up into more sandy patches, with the fairway extended back some 10m towards the tee. The large Pines either side of this hole will be trimmed back to widen the corridor. The pair of existing left and right pot bunkers short of the green will be removed and the ridge across the fairway here lowered. This will result in a wider fairway area here in the approach with improved ball retention for shorter hitting golfers.

One of the new features of this hole will be the creation of a high sandhill at the right of the green, between the green and the adjacent 10th fairway. This will be a distinctive high point feature for this part of the course and will be vegetated with tussocks and with open areas of sand. The existing long and deep bunker right of the green will be reconfigured into two smaller bunkers. The first of these at the front right, will be fully revetted and set back from the green edge slightly, with a downslope off the green to the bunker lip. The second bunker will coincide with the back section of the current bunker, but will not be as deep, and this is planned as a ‘hybrid’ bunker with its back rising into the adjacent sandhill. Traffic around the right of the green will be stopped.

The green itself is to be resurfaced and returfed with its existing contours retained, but it will be widened along its left side by around 1.5 to 2m. The existing fescue hollows left of the green will be removed and the area left of the green lowered and returfed in ‘Santa Ana’ to make a much broader traffic area here. The hazard element will be provided by a steep bank off the left edge of the green, similar to those recently constructed at the right sides of the new 2nd and 14th greens, where more recovery options have been given to golfers. This will have the overall effect of making the green feel more elevated, even though the green level is being maintained.
At the rear of the green the existing hollow will be made more shallow, and behind here the two large Pine trees will be skirted up and the area below them made more sandy. The Hole 11 works will be undertaken concurrently with some works on the adjacent 10th and 12th holes. The upper section of fairway on the 10th will be lowered and flatten for better ball retention and the excavated sand used in the shaping of the new sandhill. A pair of ‘hybrid’ fairway bunkers will be set into the side of the sandhill. The tees on the 12th will also be redeveloped and these works involve moving the rear tee across half its width to the right, and the lowering of the front tee to allow better views down the 12th hole from the rear tee. A new path will be formed with a turnaround set further away from the 11th green between the two tees. A forward tee will be formed just past the path to the toilet facilities.

Work at the 12th tees will be undertaken as part of the Hole 11 works, and further down the hole the proposed changes are quite minor in nature, until the green is reached. The pair of fairway bunkers on the right will be retained, and reshaped to extend a little farther into the fairway. The left side bunker will be enlarged and reshaped as a ‘hybrid’ bunker, and the fairway widened out at the left leading up to this bunker. Some small Pine trees at the left will be removed and the area here lowered to form a sandy rough swale, adding another hazard element for golfers endeavouring to cut the corner. Beyond this bunker, the fairway is to widened out again and a leaning Pine tree that extends out into the line of play is to be removed. Further on, the fairway is to be widened out at both sides and the right approach bunker is to be retained with replacement revetting installed and fairway cut turf extended around its right side so that it appears to be set within the fairway.

Work at the 12th tees will be undertaken as part of the Hole 11 works, and further down the hole the proposed changes are quite minor in nature, until the green is reached. The pair of fairway bunkers on the right will be retained, and reshaped to extend a little farther into the fairway. The left side bunker will be enlarged and reshaped as a ‘hybrid’ bunker, and the fairway widened out at the left leading up to this bunker. Some small Pine trees at the left will be removed and the area here lowered to form a sandy rough swale, adding another hazard element for golfers endeavouring to cut the corner. Beyond this bunker, the fairway is to widened out again and a leaning Pine tree that extends out into the line of play is to be removed. Further on, the fairway is to be widened out at both sides and the right approach bunker is to be retained with replacement revetting installed and fairway cut turf extended around its right side so that it appears to be set within the fairway.