Hole 15 – Firethorn
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PAR 5 – 530 YARDS
Another hole that has changed a lot over the years. Left side of the fairway will leave you blocked out by the trees and the second is a good 10 yards downhill.
It’s a tough green to hit and the right-hand bunker is a good miss. This is perhaps the toughest club to call of the round, not just because of the elevation change and the wind, but also because the green is a small target, shallow and firm.
It normally plays downwind, but, again, you can check by looking over the clubhouse at the flags on the driving range. So many things happen on this hole. If you’re going to lay up then you should do so down the left side, even in the rough on the left, because then you have a flatter lie with a chip up and across the green.
Over the green is very tough because the grain is into you and the ball won’t jump forwards if you’re short with the chip back. It’s such a fine line between success and failure.
The Quiros way: I always try and shape the ball from right-to-left to gain yards and make the second easier. Laying up doesn’t cross my mind; if there’s no wind, it’s just a 6-iron at the pin. Targetscore: 4
The Wilson way: Ideally you need to hit a driver down the right side of the fairway as trees on the left can block you out. Playing safely, I’ll lay up with my second shot. Targetscore: 5
