Hole #15 Par 4 321 meters (353 yards)Turning for the final time into the wind, the long slog home against the wind begins from the farthest eastern end of the course at fifteen tee.
The aerial nicely demonstrates the dilemma of the hole; whether to chance the narrow gap, what I'll call Doak's Alley, on the right of the centreline bunker for a better angle into the green, or to bail out to the left creating a semi-blind and daunting angled approach to the green.
The tee presents one of the most pleasant settings in all of golf.
The tee shot is much more unsettling than the setting. The direct route to the green is along the upper right side of the fairway through an opening pinched to 20 yards wide by the centreline bunker and the dunes. In the bunker is bad; the marram covered dunes are worse. The reward - a straight on shot up the length of the green.
The centreline bunker is only 230 yards from the tee, but the distance is more daunting being into the wind and uphill a bit. With the wind against, the hole plays much longer than the seemingly manageable 353 yards on the card. For me, it was a full out drive followed by a full out low 3 iron that was rejected by the green. This is a difficult hole, worthy of being the 7th stroke hole. It kind of sneaks up on you and then bites hard.
To the left of the bunker is a vast area of fairway. The far dune looks reachable, but, against the wind would be out of play for all but the longest hitters. From the left the approach shot may be semi-blind over the bunker built into the dune. Worse, there is a steep 10 foot drop off from the front around to the left side of the green. It calls for an aerial shot from an awkward angle into the wind. The further left, and safer, the tee shot, the longer and more blind the second shot.
From the right side of the fairway, in the picture below, the challenges of approaching the green are evident. The closely mown bank on the left rejects balls down into a collection area. The dunes and bunkers loom to the right. The green rejects balls off its left side and off the front right. An approach from anywhere left on the fairway requires a very deft touch to carry the bank and avoid overcooking it into the back bunkers or worse, into the dunes.
Recovering on the third shot from any miss is a challenge regardless of where the miss is, with each presenting its own unique requirements.
The green is no bargain, sloping from back to front with the wind, and with the potential to run the ball off the left side and front.
Did I mention that this is a difficult hole where many will be left wondering what just happened to them.