The first golf course to open at Osprey Valley, back in 1992, was Heathlands. More than a quarter century later, many aficionados still consider it the best. With its sister courses, Hoot and North, both highly regarded, that's saying a lot. Traditionalists, in particular, continue to be seduced by the links style layout, with fairways shaped by fescue covered dunes and pierced occasionally with seemingly innocuous bunkers. Having played a few rounds there recently, I'm going to forgo my usual personal accounts, in favour of a “how-to” of sorts. What follows is a hole-by-hole examination of Heathlands, with a few tips designed to help you navigate it.
Hole 1 -- A par-5 that doglegs to the left. A group of fairway bunkers on the left side can be carried comfortably with a good drive, leaving you in excellent position. If you're not feeling confident with your drives, the tendency is to aim right of the bunkers. This will bring the right rough into play, where your stance may be uneven. Right handers will have the ball above their feet, making a pulled second shot more likely. Even with an excellent drive, think twice about going for the green in two. Two deep bunkers lie in front of the green, collecting any shots that come in low. It's better to lay up in a spot that will leave a full wedge into the green on your third. With a high lofted club, the ball will take an aerial route and land softly on the green.
Hole 2 -- A relatively short par-4. Once again, a cluster of fairway bunkers, this time on the right side, will influence your tee shot. If you hit to the open left side, you're more likely to run out of fairway and you'll have a longer than necessary second shot into the green. From that angle, a bunker on the front left side of the green looms large. It's better to take your drive straight over the fairway bunkers on the right side. There's some room to miss right, but a straight shot on that line will finish in the middle of the fairway and leave just a wedge shot into the green. The green itself is deeper than it is wide, so choose your approach club accordingly.
Hole 3 -- A par-4 that doglegs to the left and forces you to carry a creek with your second shot. A drive left of the fairway can get close to the winding creek, while a miss to the right often ends up in one of two bunkers protecting that side. Attacking the green from either of those bunkers is a recipe for disaster. If you find yourself there, just advance the ball back to safety. The fairway itself is quite wide, so just try to find the centre with your tee shot. 3-wood might be a good option if you control that club a little better than driver. The creek must be crossed twice with your approach shot – the second leg closer to the green being far more gnarly. If you miss the green, it's better to be short and right, as bunkers and a slope down to the creek cover the left side.
Hole 4 -- Another relatively short par-4 from a slightly elevated tee. A good drive will easily carry the creek and should also carry the cluster of bunkers on the right hand side. If you're playing the blue or black tees, you'll be coming directly over those bunkers. If you're playing the white tees, you can aim just left of those bunkers for optimal positioning. This will leave just a wedge into the green. Two very deep bunkers protect the front left side of the green and should be avoided at all cost. It's better to miss the green short and right than to be in one of those. A pitch up to the elevated green is much easier from that position than playing out of those traps.
Hole 5 -- A medium length par-3 that often plays into the wind. Take an extra club or two, depending on the breeze. This will also help carry the front right bunkers that protect the green. There is a collection area left of the green that is not a bad place to miss. From that position, you can often putt or chip uphill to save par. This is one of the easier holes on the front nine, so take advantage if you can.
Hole 6 -- A long par-4 that plays uphill and often into the wind. This hole can feel like a par-5, especially if you don't hit a great drive. There is not a single bunker on this hole, either in the fairway or by the green, so if you hit a good drive, feel free to go for the green, even with a long iron. On the other hand, if your drive is weak, take your medicine and play the hole effectively as a par-5, aiming to reach the green in three. If you find yourself in the fescue at any point, your first priority is to get back to safety. Sometimes, it looks like you have a decent lie in there, but it's extremely deceiving. You need to add loft and give up yardage when hitting from those lies. This is one of the hardest holes on the front nine and needs to be respected.
Hole 7 -- A medium-length par-4, with a tee shot once again influenced by a cluster of fairway bunkers on the right side. If you're not feeling good with the driver, the tendency is to start the ball left of those bunkers. This brings the left rough and fescue into the equation. A good drive will carry those bunkers comfortably and finish in the middle of the fairway. This will also improve your angle into the green, the front left of which is protected by a large, deep bunker. The green is deeper than it is wide, and slopes down a fair degree from back to front. Watch your speed, especially if putting downhill.
Hole 8 -- A short par-3 over a pond, usually requiring no more than a wedge. Anything short or left of this green will end up in the water. The safest play is a medium depth shot to the right edge of the green. There is a bunker nearby if you stray a little too deep or too far right, but playing from there is preferable to taking a penalty stroke. With a decent shot off the tee, this becomes one of the easier holes on the front nine to make par. Of course, a bad tee shot here can easily lead to double-bogey. Pick a club and swing with confidence.
Hole 9 -- A fairly long par-5 and possibly the hardest hole on the front nine. The tee shot is over a penalty area to an angled fairway. For right handers, a slight fade is the ideal shape. Picking a target line can be tricky. Too far right, and your ball can land in the penalty area, which runs along the right side of the fairway. Too far left, and you can cross the fairway entirely, finishing in rough or fescue covered mounds that complicate your second shot. If you have a rangefinder or GPS device, get a distance to the left fairway bunkers to help choose your line. Just right of those fairway bunkers is usually a good bet. The second shot should be down the centre of the fairway. Just be careful not to go too far down the right hand side, as the slope can push your ball into the rough. The approach into this green will almost certainly require you to aim over the edge of the large pond on the right side. To complicate matters, there are bunkers in front, behind and left of the elevated green. There's no safe bail out area, so choose your club and give it your best shot.
Hole 10 -- A medium length par-3 that's all carry over a large pond. As long as you clear the water, the hole is not difficult. For front pin positions, just aim for the centre of the green. If you attempt to land the ball near the front pin and miss hit it slightly, there's a chance you can end up in the water. There is a bowl at the front of the green that will influence your putting. Hit the ball to the edge of the bowl and let the slope do the rest of the work. For middle or rear pin positions, you can putt more aggressively.
Hole 11 -- A picturesque par-5 that plays between fescue covered dunes on either side of the fairway. If you happen to find the fescue, your first priority is to get back to the fairway. Use more loft and sacrifice some distance for a better chance at success. The hole is long, so don't try to do too much with your second shot. Playing a shorter shot will give you more control and offers the best chance at reaching the green in three. A deep bunker guards the front centre of the elevated green. Add more club for the elevation change and to clear the bunker. Depending on pin position, you may also be able to aim either left or right of the bunker. The green is large, so focus on your lag to avoid 3-putting.
Hole 12 -- Another medium length par-3 to a large, angled green. The left side of the green is more accessible than the right, which is deeper and tucked behind a protective front bunker. There's no reason to go pin hunting if the flag is in the back right position. Aim left of the bunker at the heart of the green. From there, it's a reasonable 2-putt to almost any pin location.
Hole 13 -- A good length par-4, typically played with a helping wind. A controlled drive that finds the fairway should get a few yards of roll. The green is large, with a plateau at the front and another at the back, separated by a deep trough in the middle. The hole is perhaps easiest when the pin is located in the trough. When the pin is at the front or at the back, you want to avoid having to putt through the trough, as it can be difficult to judge the speed. Take a moment on the approach shot to make sure your distance is dialled in.
Hole 14 -- The fairway on this par-5 is bordered by some high, fescue covered dunes. If your drive misses to either side, just make sure you get back to the fairway safely. If your drive finds the fairway, your second shot will be influenced by three bunkers that split the fairway further ahead. If you try to hit the upper portion on the left side,, you'll have to fly over the bunkers. The more straightforward option is to target the lower portion of the fairway on the right. The landing area is more visible and you can hit a low shot, or a high one – whatever you prefer. The approach to the green should be no more than a wedge. Just be sure to clear the front right bunker. The green is plenty deep.
Hole 15 -- A downhill par-4 that doglegs to the right. The inside of the dogleg is guarded by a sprawling bunker; it's so huge, in fact, that an island of rough sits in the centre, surrounded by sand on all sides. An ideal drive should be aimed at the left edge of the bunker. If struck well, the bunker will be cleared easily, and the ball will roll downhill to the centre of the fairway. From there, a wedge will be plenty to reach the green. A collection area located short and right of the green is the place to miss, if you absolutely must.
Hole 16 -- A medium length par-3 that offers a chance to score well with a good tee shot. Three bunkers that protect the green are all located at the front. The two on the right side are especially long, which can be difficult to ascertain from the teeing ground. Make sure you have enough club and aim to float your shot well past the bunkers. There is a good degree of slope to this green, so watch your putting speed, depending on your position relative to the hole location.
Hole 17 -- Another good length par-4 that requires two good shots to get on the green. This is a dogleg to the right, with a fairway bunker marking the inside of the dogleg. Aim your drive over the left edge of that bunker to set up your approach shot. You may be tempted to aim further left, as the open space looks inviting. However, most balls hit to that area will run out of fairway, leaving a long approach to the green from the rough. There are no bunkers in front of this green, but there is a ridge running along the left side. Chipping from below the ridge is not bad, so be aggressive on the approach shot. If you happen to miss to that side, you'll still be in decent position.
Hole 18 -- The final hole features another cluster of bunkers at the start of the fairway that may influence your tee shot. If you aim for the open spot left of the bunkers, your ball will roll off a pronounced plateau in the fairway and be pushed left toward the rough. The better play is to aim directly over the bunkers to the right half of the fairway. The carry distance should not be an issue at all. That side leaves an open approach to the green, while the left side brings some deep greenside bunkers into play. It's a familiar design element at Heathlands, so it's fitting that it should also define the final hole.
Here are my latest results at Heathlands, with the most recent shown first. Could be better.
Score: 96
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
Score: 91 (including a 9 on Hole 9)
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 1
Score: 94 (including an 11 on Hole 9)
Putts: 38
Fairways: 4
Greens: 6
Penalties: 4
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