The beginning of the stretch of holes that Thirteenth Beach has become most famous for.
Standing on the tee most players are overawed by the sight of this Par 4. The 3 sets of tees for this hole are located next to the old irrigation pump from when Thirteenth Beach was an asparagus farm. The site of the irrigation now lays dormant and cuts diagonally across the length of the hole. Four huge fairway bunkers have been cut into the side of the hill. Masterfully constructed by shaper Barry Hudson these bunkers stand up and stare at the golfer as they look across the first fairway on the drive to the clubhouse. Perhaps the biggest challenge of these bunkers is not their difficulty but gauging how far they are off the tee. Without the help of a course guide, the hole appears a lot longer than it actually plays. Given the right conditions the green is reachable from all three tees. But it does require the golfer to carry their drive in excess of 250 metres over a water hazard and bunkers, another example of Cashmore incorporating risk and reward into his player’s rounds.
TIP: Whilst the temptation to impress playing partners or chase that elusive two may be realistic, many a round has been ruined as players miscue or hit floppy hooks into the water. The safest and most effective way to play this hole is to hit a three wood or long iron from the tee leaving about 100 metres to the hole. This allows the golfer to attack the flagstick and hopefully make a birdie on this tiered green.
