The Course

FOR A ROUND AT NEWPORT

Hole by Hole

Not a long course, but the need for accuracy off the tee is essential.

The 1st is a par 4, dogleg right, with out of bounds on the right and water all the way round to the green.

The 2nd is a par 4, dogleg left with out of bounds on the left. You need a draw off the tee to leave a short iron into the green.

The 3rd is a par 3, 178yds the first time168yds the next, bunker in front and to the right of green with water down the left.

The 4th is a par 4, slight dogleg left, blind tee shot but the fairway slopes from either side into the middle. Needs a good second shot to stay on the green.

The Fifth Hole
The fifth at Newoprt is arguable one of the hardest par 4s on the island. It's not the longest par 4, measuring only 406yds, it's all up hill, fairway sloping from right to left and out of bounds on the left from tee to green. There's a fairway bunker about 180yds from the tee, in that and there's no way you'll reach the green. If you can fly the bunker it doesn't get any easier, for the fairway narrows at about 200yds and the slope is more severe.

If you can manage to keep your ball on the fairway your left with the ball some 2ft above your feet trying to hit a shot onto a two tier green with out of bounds to the left some 6yds from the putting surface. Then the green, two tier as I've said, the top is the size of your score card, and the bottom can only be describe as tricky, it's fast if they don't cut the grass and even faster if they do! A quote by a visitor after playing the course for the first time, when asked if he would be returning to play the course again, he said, "of course I'll be back just to try and par that fifth hole."

The Sixth Hole
You would think you'd have a respite after a hole like that, not a bit of it; you're then faced with 170yds par 3 which is all carry. The tee is cut into the bank above the fifth fairway and you're hitting onto a plateau green right and above the fifth green with bunkers front right and left. On a quiet day, a very demanding tee shot, but with the prevailing wind in your face a totally different story.

The 7th is a par 5, the only par 5 on the course and a birdie hole.

The 8th is another par 3, 171yds first time round and 220yds the next, a straight hole with a grass bank on 3 sides and a bunker on the right. There is a pond short left on this hole.

The 9th is a par 4, slight dogleg to the right. Another blind tee shot, the first 80yds is up and over a hill. There is a small oasis of trees on the left if you pull your tee shot. The green is guarded by bunkers front right, left and right around the back.