  Well
known Australian golf course designer, Al Howard has
accounted for all variables with this course, even
taking into account the prevailing south-easterly wind.
It is a course designed to be played from the fairways,
so those who have issues with hitting it straight -
bring a few extra balls.
Although visitor friendly from the yellow tees, off the
blue tees, the course length, water hazards and well
placed bunkers, not to mention low trees and thick grass
in the rough, set it up as a players’ course. For those
who like to back themselves, there are many challenges.
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The first hole sets the scene for the rest of the round.
The 537 metre par 5 has water hazards to the right, and
is a double dogleg requiring some course management. The
length of the 380 metre par 4 - 6th, and the 206 metre
par 3 - 7th will also influence club selection. However,
the most challenging part of this course is the final
four holes, which will do a good job separating you from
your playing partners just when the scores start to
matter.
 The
fifteenth is a dogleg left, and you are forced to draw
the ball back into the usual SE wind, which picks up a
bit of speed as it reaches you at this section of the
course. It does not seem to take much, for an otherwise
straight drive, to catch a gust and end up out of bounds
to the right of the fairway.
The sixteenth is the course’s signature hole, and
perhaps the most testing on the course. At well over 500
metres and into the wind, it is also one of the longest
holes you are likely to encounter. The double dogleg
around a large water hazard however, means that you
cannot just drive the 538m. You should really give a bit
of thought to your approach. It is holes like this one
that mean you have to think about before hacking away.
 The
seventeenth tee provides a great view across the lagoon
to the Botanic Gardens. Relatively short at 285 metres,
the bigger hitters take on the water corner and go for
the green. But don’t become too friendly with the
lagoon, because it is just waiting to swallow your slice
as you line up the 17th green.
It is unusual for a course to finish with a par 3, but
the 167metre 18th seems like the perfect finish to this
course, as you knock one uphill with water on both
sides. Be careful of hitting it too short on this one,
because if you do miss the sand, the roll back down the
hill will punish you.
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 Location Address:
Ann Street extended
Rockhampton
Queensland 4700
Postal Address:
PO Box 8385
Allenstown, Qld. 4700
Telephone : +61 07 4927 3311
Facsmile: +61 07 4922 4054
Email:
admin@rockygolfclub.org.au
Pro
Shop: +61 07 4922 4098
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