Playing the 1st of the Melbourne - Elizabeth I
YARDS: 318
TEE: Yellow
CONDITIONS: Warm, sunny - hopefully!
The first on the Melbourne is a beautiful hole to view from both the Clubhouse and the first tee. With Brocket Hall atop the left hand side of this dog-leg right fairway, and the Broadwater Lake glistening to the right of the hole, the first drive is an intimidating one to say the least! We've got tips from Simon Garner, Head PGA Professional, to talk you through how to play - with all your pristine golf balls safely tucked away in your bag!
Off the yellow tees, you don't want a massive drive off the first or you will run out of room and may find yourself tucked away in the rough on the left hand side of the fairway; this makes your second shot an interesting one! With its drastically slanted fairway and an intimidating tree located on the right hand side, the perfect line is slightly left of the middle and with a long iron or 3-wood - let the hill bring the ball back round the dog-leg. With any luck you will roll right down to the foot of the hill and you'll land on a flat lie. But don't bank on it!
Looking up towards the green you will again face the Broadwater Lake alongside the hole. It is considered better to go left rather than right, so don't be afraid to roll the wrist a little and draw the ball to the left, using the greenside slope to bring you back towards the green. If you don't manage to hit the green you may find yourself inside the greenside bunker to the right of the putting surface. In this case, don't be afraid to open up the club face and 'splash' the ball out confidently - with the knowledge that you have the slope at the back of the green to fall back on if technique goes a little sideways!
Putting on the first is fairly straightforward, look for a solid two putt and move on to the second. With the first out of the way you can now face going over the lake at the par 3 second, running alongside the iconic Paine Bridge.
