Golf: RBS Canadian Open, St. George's Golf and Country Club course design
Defending Canadian Open Champion Nathan Green and other players will be at St George's Golf and Country Club, from 19th July to 25th July 2010.
The club is one of the best top 100 golf courses of the world and among the top 3 in Canada .It was constructed by America’s most renowned golf architect, Stanley Thompson. Here are the details of the course.
Hole #1 is a Par 4, 370 yards and it has an elevated tee shot to a generously stretched fairway. It is surrounded by several greenside bunkers.
Hole #2 is a Par 4, 478 yards and it is a long and accurate tee shot. There is a bunker on the left of the fairway which is the easiest trap for the ball from the tee. The second shot is along the upwards sloped hill with a bunker at the left side of the green.
Hole #3 is a Par 3, 213 yards and is famous for its green which is severely sloped from back to front. The best a player can get is a par only if the green is hit straight from the tee.
Hole #4 is a Par 5, 474 yards. This hole faces many predetermined challenges. The approach to this hole is set up by long tee shots to reach the greens. The downward sloping green is well guarded by a deep greenside bunker so a wayward shot can card a bogey easily.
Hole #5 is a Par 4, 459 yards. The fairway of the 5th funnels most tee shots to the bottom, while leaving a narrow path for drives to the green. A short iron is the club should be used to tackle the fairway that invites trouble. There are fairway bunkers and a large strategically placed tree in the middle of the fairway leaves no room for error.
Hole #6 is a Par 3, 210 yards. It is a very challenging par 3, as it has many steep slopes on the putting surface. It’s very difficult to par even if the player reaches the green from the tee.
Hole #7 is a Par 4, 446 yards. It is a long par 4, with downwards slope and undulating greens. The approach to reach the greens requires 2 shots. The first shot from the tee, should be kept in centre-left of the fairway to avoid a bunker on the right. The second shot is uphill, thus club selection is vital to reach the undulating green.
Hole #8 is a Par 3, 223 yards. It is the signature design of Stanley Thompson. The approach requires playing at the right of the green as there is a ravine in the centre which conceals a bunker on the left. The green has a comparatively steeper slope from left to right than other slopes.
Hole #9 is a Par 5, 538 yards. Tee shots have a generous landing area with fairway bunkers on the both sides. The approach requires 3 accurate shots from both the tee and to the layup zone. As the player approaches the green, bunkers become a huge problem.
Hole #10 is a Par 4, 377 yards. The idea is to avoid using a long driver on the tee or else the ball will soon end in the valley with a double bogey on the score card.
Hole #11 is a Par 5, 528 yards. The approach to reach the green requires two shots. A lay up to the left of the green is a safe shot.
Hole #12 is a Par 4, 399 yards. It is a very challenging tee shot which demands more accuracy between the stack of hillside bunkers facing left and the tree line on the right. The green is elevated and it slopes from back to front.
Hole #13 is a Par 3, 213 yards, and it faces downhill. Avoiding the greenside bunkers is the only condition for a guaranteed a par.
Hole #14 is a Par 4, 480 yards, with the fairway sloping from left to right. It is the toughest hole on the course. A long and accurate tee shot is essential to reach the green. While a second shot aimed at the fairway needs to be accurately angled to avoid trouble from three greenside bunkers.
Hole #15 is a Par 5, 570 yards and it is the longest par 5 on the course. The approach to reach the layup zone requires a well-directed drive. The second shot aimed through a maze of bunkers cannot afford to be miscalculated. The final approach requires a straight shot to the elevated green.
Hole #16 is a Par 3, 214 yards. An extra club is required to play the uphill tee shot while the approach to the fairway requires shooting the ball on to the middle of the downward sloping green.
Hole #17 is a Par 4, 486 yards, that requires an accurately positioned tee shot directed towards the left of the fairway. A shot taken aimlessly at the right will surely get the ball stuck in the fairway bunker.
Hole #18 is a Par 4, 467 yards, which requires a long and an accurate tee shot making its way between the fairway bunkers on both the left and right. The challenge to tackle the uphill green is to choose the right club.
Given the course design, players will require a high degree of accuracy and putting skills to be successful in the Canadian Open 2010.
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