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.
Rory Sabbatini – “The key is hitting a good central drive. Then, it’s vital to be knowledgeable about the wind direction and not be afraid to go long. Otherwise, the lay-up isn’t the tricky shot, it’s the third where you are coming off a downhill lie over water into a green that isn’t very deep. You have got to hit a good drive to put yourself in a position to go for it but it’s still not always possible to do that. You could be hitting a five wood, 5/6 iron on approach, it really depends on wind conditions.”
