Hole by hole at Gleneagles: Ryder Cup 2014

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1st

Hole 1

Par 4, 442 yards
“The opener is generous and players should be able to get off to a good start,” says Gleneagles head pro Andrew Jowett. “For mere mortals, drive left of the fairway to open up a green that is slightly raised above the fairway, and lies at an angle.”

2nd

Hole 2

Par 5, 516 yards
“A risk-reward par 5 giving players the chance to impose themselves on their opponent(s). Drive down the right to open a green angled to the fairway. Avoid the loch and bunkers left of the two-tiered green. It’s narrow and rises from front to back, creating a high-tariff approach shot.”

3rd

Hole 3

Par 4, 431 yards
“The third starts a tough run over the next three holes. “The drive should be aimed well left to avoid the cluster of bunkers on the right of the fairway. There’s a very narrow entrance to the green which widens at the back and the green slopes very gently. A demanding hole.”

4th

Hole 4

Par 3, 239 yards
“Played off the tips, holes 3, 4 and 5 are all very tough. A tee shot played to the right half of the green is advisable while the green itself is three-tiered and rises from front to centre and drops off towards the back. Only a pure strike from the tee will do here.”

5th

Hole 5

Par 4, 461 yards
“The bold shot here is to drive left of the centre of the fairway to give a good line into the green. The entrance to the green is tough – it’s very narrow and usually requires one more club than you’d think to reach a putting surface that undulates gently.”

6th

Hole 6

Par 3, 201 yards
“The shortest hole on the front nine looks simple and picturesque but it can be very testing indeed. The green has been recently redesigned and softened slightly, with a ridge running through the middle of it and the bunker cutting in quite dramatically from the front left.”

7th

Hole 7

Par 4, 468 yards
“The drive on this slight dog-leg right should be aimed just left of centre to avoid the fairway bunkers. The approach is up to a green that doesn’t show itself entirely and where the back edge just drops off, but it’s large, for once unguarded by bunkers and relatively flat.”

8th

Hole 8

Par 4, 419 yards
“The dangers on this shortish par 4 are pretty evident from the tee. The perfect shot is to carry the cluster of four bunkers and get a shoot forward towards the front edge of the green. The green itself is the most exposed on the course and slopes front to back.”

9th

Hole 9

Par 5, 564 yards
“A monstrous par 5 and a tough finish to the front nine. The drive should be aimed down the centre between the fairway bunkers. The really big hitters can go for the green in two; for everyone else it’s very strategic. The green falls to the left but it’s not too hard to read.”

Gleneagles

10th

Hole 10

Par 3, 208 yards
“It looks like a relatively simple par 3 but the major issue is elevation change and then how the wind is going to affect your shot. The green itself is well protected by bunkers on either side. A two-tier green means it’s important to find the correct level.”

11th

Hole 11

Par 4, 350 yards
“This hole is all about position off the tee so you can expect to see the players hitting long iron or hybrid rather than driver to leave themselves with a comfortable second shot. They can’t afford to be short or long on that approach.”

12th

Hole 12

Par 4, 445 yards
“A slightly more generous fairway than you find on the front nine, despite bunkers up the right. It used to be a par 5 but is now a lot tougher par 4. There are two levels on the green and a really tricky run-off that offers some stern challenges if you end up missing the green.”

13th

Hole 13

Par 4, 481 yards
“This used to be a shorter left-to-right dog-leg par 4 but it was extended to a very demanding right-to-left challenge. It’s two big, big shots into the green. I’d expect a driver off the tee, or a 3-wood for the bigger hitters who want to stay just short of the three bunkers.”

14th

Hole 14

Par 4, 320 yards
“A real risk and reward hole and one of the stand-out holes. The bigger hitters can really have a go at it, carrying the bunker front-right of the green at 280 yards and getting on in one. It will need to be an exceptional shot but the hole has that flexibility.”

15th

Hole 15

Par 4, 463 yards
“This needs a draw off the tee to follow the shape of the hole. You need to aim for the fairway bunker and then move it back into the centre of the fairway. The approach is tough, with such a narrow, long target and an elevation change. Pin position will be key here.”

16th

Hole 16

Par 5, 543 yards
“The water dictates so much here. The state of play will determine if the players decide to lay up or go for the green in two. Even for the Ryder Cup guys, playing 16 into the wind takes reaching the green in two out as an option, so it becomes all about wedge play.”

17th

Hole 17

Par 3, 194 yards
“A real amphitheatre and a hole built for drama. The 17th is one of the trickiest greens on the course, with so many options that offer difficult pin positions. Yardage control will be paramount here. Many matches will be won and lost here, so a prime spot for the fans.”

18th

Hole 18

Par 5, 533 yards
“It’s potentially reachable in two but the priority has to be to hit the fairway off the tee. Even if you do, the green is a tight target to hit and if you miss, that’s not an easy up-and-down, particularly with 45,000 people watching and the Cup on the line. A very fitting finale.”

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