Holes 1 to 9

Hole by hole guide to Birley Wood

1st

White 395 yards, Par 4; Yellow 355 yards, par 4; Red 348 yards, par 4

A downhill hole to open with, fairway bunker to the left with out of bounds to the far left. A good drive will leave you a short iron into the green.

2nd

White 395 yards, Par 4; Yellow 355 yards, par 4; Red 348 yards, par 4

Stroke index 2, this hole can be tricky with trees to the right and out of bounds down the left. Hit the fairway and you will have a clear route in to the green which is flanked by two green side bunkers

3rd

White 276 yards, Par 4; Yellow 269 yards, par 4; Red 219 yards, par 4

Uphill from the tee box, the first shot is blind once it goes over the ridge of the hill. Anything left can be in trouble with the dense woods. Right is over on the 7 but you can be blocked out from the green with the trees dividing the holes. Small green that is long rather than wide, can be a tough par 4 this one.

4th

White 501 yards, Par 5; Yellow 455 yards, par 5; Red 444 yards, par 5

First of the two par 5’s, straight hole and reachable in two shots for the big hitters, for the regular golfers it’s more likely in three with a short iron on to the green after a drive and a fairway wood. The two tiered green is protected with bunkers on each side and the back of the green.

5th

White 157 yards, Par 3; Yellow 150 yards, par 3; Red 144 yards, par 3

First of the 5 par 3’s and despite the large two tiered green this hole can be harder to play than it looks. No bunkers to worry about but if you miss the green to the left it slopes away in to danger.

6th

White 611 yards, Par 5; Yellow 541 yards, par 5; Red 424 yards, par 5

The second and final Par 5 on the course, almost the entire hole slopes from left to right and he trees and brook flanking the hole to the right can get you in all sorts of trouble. Again the big hitters will fancy the green in two but this green is well guarded with elevated rough to the left and thick rough that drops away from the green to the right.

7th

White 168 yards, Par 3; Yellow 159 yards, par 3; Red 155 yards, par 3

Downhill par 3 with a small green and this can be difficult to hold. Stroke index 10 suggests this is the most difficult par 3 on the course, many handicap golfers are happy to take a bogey and walk to the 8th.

8th

White 273 yards, Par 4; Yellow 264 yards, par 4; Red 260 yards, par 4

Slight dog leg right and a drivable green. If you can make the green you have an eagle putt, beware of the bunker to the right of the green though.

9th

White 356 yards, Par 4; Yellow 348 yards, par 4; Red 342 yards, par 4

Dog leg right again and uphill so plays longer than it states. Irrigation ditch between the final part of the fairway and the green catches a few golfers out and the green has a bunker to the right.