Pacific Golf Club Hole by Hole
Overview
Pacific offers a great challenge to golfers of all standards. It possesses a great variety of holes on this undulating piece of ground and is the nursery to some of Australia's finest young golfers. If you have a good round at Pacific you have played very well indeed!
Cheers
Mark Victorsen
Head Professional
Pacific Golf Club
A Battle Plan for Pacific by Mark Victorsen
No 1: Par 5 - 542 m
In my opinion the hardest opening hole in Australia. The line from the tee is the large gum tree left center of the rough at 265m from the tee. The second shot should be for position with a 4 or 5 iron as the fairway is very narrow. This will leave a shot of about 130m to a long narrow green. A Par5 here feels like a birdie!
No 2: Par 4 - 341 m
A hole requiring a well-placed tee shot as the fairway doglegs to the left around a series of bunkers perfectly positioned for a hooked drive. A short iron into a generous green is what is left if you can find the fairway off the tee!
No 3: Par 3 - 162 m
This par 3 looks shorter than it is and many golfers come up short with their approaches. The front of the green is very narrow so take an extra club and land in the "Fat" of the green!
No 4: Par 4 - 382 m
What a beautiful Golf hole and one of my favorite par 4's at Pacific. This hole requires a fade off the tee started up the left side of the fairway, as the creek to the right will punish any sliced ball. Once you have the drive sorted a mid iron approach to an undulated green awaits making club selection critical. My tip is to take 1 more club as the gully short of the green makes the flag look closer!
No 5: Par4 - 407 m
Not for the faint hearted! A tee shot started at the left fairway bunker with a slight fade leaves a second shot of about 170m over a water hazard to a large open green with thankfully plenty of run-up area at the green front. Rated no1 hardest hole at Pacific (I still think hole 1 is harder!).
No 6: Par 4 - 366 m
I think the perfect line is to take a chance and try and hit a drive as close to the line of pine trees that guard the left side of the fairway. The second shot is straight downhill to a green that is set with a huge bunker in the right side. A good play is to hit the left front section of the green, as the target gets very narrow the further you go up the green.
No 7: Par 3 - 186 m
A real slog with a long iron or hybrid. Out of Bounds all down the left side so tee up on the left side of the tee and draw your tee shot if you can to a green that has a nice open entry that will accept a run up shot.
No 8: Par 4 - 398 m
A great driving hole that is best played with a draw tee shot. This leaves a long iron into a green that looks small but is quite wide. Be up with the approach, as the prevailing breeze affects this hole. The second shot is also uphill. Be careful putting downhill as this green gets very slick indeed!
No 9: Par 5 - 478 m
What a great risk / reward par 5! After you find the fairway the dilemma is which club to select, as you have to hit over Bulimba Creek or lay up! If you have a go you need to thread your way through a series of bunkers to a green that is perched high on the hill and demands a high soft approach.
No 10: Par 4 - 386 m
Big hitters cut the dogleg on this tee shot but I think the smart play is to position your ball up the left side of this fairway. This will keep you out of the bunkers on the corner of the dogleg and the trees to the right of them. Go in those trees and your golf ball will bounce around like it's in a pinball machine! The second shot again should favor the left side of the green as anything short and right kicks further right into the right trap or the area to the right of the bunker!
No 11: Par 5 - 457 m
Unless you intend to have a go at the green in two the smart play is a 3 wood from the tee. A mid iron should follow this into the fairway, leaving just a short iron to the green for your third. This will take out the danger the water that sits down the right side of this fairway. Smart golf will see you to good score on this hole as you can really run up a big number trying to be HERO!
No 12: Par 4 - 305 m
I think a driver is the best club from this tee. Tee the ball down much lower, aim a little the left of fairway center and play for a fade, this will set up a short iron approach to a green that demands correct club selection. Bunkers all around this green keep you on your toes!
No 13: Par 3 - 132 m
A simple little hole that traps many, as anything but a good shot is punished by the greenside bunkers, or the water short and left. Aim to just hit the green center with your tee shot and all should be OK.
No 14: Par 4 - 363m
A fantastic par4 that requires a tee shot left of the bunkers guarding the dogleg to set up an approach to a green that is some 40m long but in places only 6m wide! The uphill second shot is also normally into the prevailing breeze so take enough club to get to the flag! The green is very fast downhill so take care with the putter.
No 15: Par 4 - 370 m
A 3wood from the tee to the corner of the dogleg is the best play on this hole. OOB on the right makes going down the right side a very risky proposition indeed. The green is guarded by a pot bunker at the front so a high soft approach is best or take the risk and run the ball up. The green falls from the front to the back so be very careful when picking the break!
No 16: Par 4 - 302 m
A super short par4 that is set up with a shot played to within 30meters of the dam that sits guarding both the fairway and the second shot. Water always makes a green look closer so be up with your approach!
No 17: Par 3 - 185 m
A lovely par3 and a good test of your long iron play. The breeze is often not felt as the trees near the tee block it out so take care to see what the flag is doing before you take aim.
No 18: Par 5 - 504 m
The home hole and what a test it is! Anything less that a great drive will have you stressing over the choice of laying up or going over Bulimba Creek with your second shot. Once you have successfully negotiated the second shot, a pitch to a green that does not afford you a view of the putting surface is what's left. Many a great round has come to grief on this tough par5.
