Championship
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The first at Plover Cove Golf Club begins with an uphill tee shot to one of the more generous landing areas on the course. The approach shot to the elevated green is in the spirit of the second hole of the Pine Valley Golf Club – the top ranked course in the world – with a series of cross bunkers built into the face of the rise to the green. The bunkers are more psychological than penal, as the green sits over 40 yards beyond them.

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The second hole is the longest par 4 on the course. The tee shot rises slightly to a crowned landing area that is the highest point on the course affording views in all directions. The green is a “horizon” green – meaning no framing and a steep drop-off behind it. It might be wise to play this hole more as a short par 5 and leave the approach a little short and chip to this green rather to try to hold it with a long approach.

The third tees off near the club entrance and doglegs left around a steep tree-covered slope to the left. While it might be tempting to try to “cut the corner” with the tee shot, the smart play is to hit to the right side of the fairway to get the best view of the slightly downhill approach to a deep, but narrow green. Be cautious of the bunkers to the right of the green as they sit well below the surface of the green.

While fourth hole is the shortest on the course, club selection will be important as the green is over 35 yards from front to back. It is better to miss to the left where the ball may bounce off the slope toward the green than to the right where the player will face an uphill chip or bunker shot.

While not the longest par 4 on the front nine, the fifth is probably the most difficult. The tee shot is uphill to a narrow fairway sloping left to right. Accuracy is the premium on this shot. The most important thing is to just get the ball on the fairway — with a tree-covered slope to the left and bunkers to the right — even if it means hitting less than a driver. The approach is the most uphill shot on the course. Make sure to hit enough club to get the ball over the stream crossing the fairway and all the way up to the green benched into the side of the hill. No one should be disappointed with a bogey 5 on this hole.

A little bit of a breather after the last hole. This hole plays across the top of the high plateau in the middle of the course. Not an overly demanding tee shot, unless one tries to carry the left side fairway bunkers. The approach, while not long, is tricky. A delicate touch will be needed into this horizon green with a deep pot bunker right in front of the green.

The seventh goes back across the high plateau offering views in the opposite direction of the previous hole. The tee shot is more demanding than the sixth hole with several fairway bunkers guarding a narrower fairway landing area. The approach is to an open fronted green which may favor a bump-and-run type of approach shot. But the golfer does need to worry about the steep drop-off from the back right of the green.

Club selection will be critical on this par 3. The green is one of the largest on the course, so pin position will be important and the green is well guarded by bunkers. The only par 3 on the top plateau means that wind will also be a key factor in playing this hole.

The finishing hole of the front nine may be the most dramatic on the golf course. The tee shot is to a landing area that is on a point of the upper plateau. From this point there will be excellent views down to the clubhouse and the harbor beyond and the surrounding mountains. Once the player is done taking in the views, they must decide how they want to play the rest of the hole. The green sits 12m below the first landing area and better players may be tempted to try reaching this par 5 green in two shots. But beware, there is stream crossing immediately in front of the green with bunkers to the right and left. Safer play is to place a second shot to the lower fairway and leave a short pitch shot to the green.

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The back nine begins similar to the front nine with an uphill tee shot. But the tee shot on 10 is much more perilous than the first hole. The narrower fairway is bordered by a stream flowing down the right side of the hole. If the stream can be avoided on the tee shot, the green is guarded by a pond on the right front. It is not a long hole, but one that needs to be played with finesse.

Playing from tees benched onto the side of the hill, this hole offers the chance for the longer hitters to let loose a little. The fairway landing area is more open than most of the holes with only a single bunker at over 310 yards from the back tee. The longer approach is to a fairly open green with the nesting bird sanctuary as a backdrop. Looking to the left offers a great view of the harbor and its surrounds.

This par 3 is what many might call a “postcard” hole. The hole drops sharply to a green set with an immediate backdrop of the harbor and all the surrounding area. The greatest challenge to this is to keep your focus on the target and to determine the effect of the 15m drop to the green.

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Even though it is the shortest par 5 on the course, the thirteenth hole might be unlucky for many as plenty of trouble awaits. The tee shot is uphill 8-10m to a narrow fairway with a steep drop-off to the left. The fairway bunkers are “saving” bunkers, to catch golf balls and prevent them going further down the steep slope.

This is the hole long hitters have been waiting for. This is their chance to try to drive a par 4. But it also carries plenty of risk. There is a stream flowing down from the right that must be carried and several fairway bunkers at the end of the landing area plus the elevated green might be difficult to hold. The safer play is to place a tee shot down the fairway and leave a short approach to the green benched out from the hillside. But even that approach carries the risk of the false front that protects the green and may cause the ball to roll all the way back to the cross bunkers.

This hole may present one of the more dramatic tee shots on the course. From an elevated tee, players hit across a valley with a pond and stream well below to a sloped fairway rising back up from the valley. The tee shot must be maneuvered between bunkers short left and long right. The approach is to a diagonally shaped green protected by bunkers short left and short right. There is a sharp drop-off behind the green, so don’t be long with this shot.

The tee shot on the sixteenth hole is unique. The tees are on the top of a plateau but the fairway drops down so the golfer is hitting their tee shot to a blind fairway in the valley floor. Hit the shot on line with the green in the distance and the player will be in good position for their approach to the green. The narrow green extends out from the end of the point with high elevation to the right. There is a stream crossing the fairway at the base of the slope going up to the green but should be easily avoided.

This par 3 starts a tough finishing stretch. This is the longest par 3 on the course and very narrow. The hole is benched out from the steep tree-covered hillside on the right and drops off quickly to the left. The green is open in front with the front portion much wider than the back of the green. Playing a little short – but on line – may be the best play on this hole.

The finishing hole is a strong finish to the Plover Cove Golf Club. The tee shot is slightly uphill to a sloping fairway reminiscent of the seventeenth hole at the Olympic Club, site of several US Opens. If the golfer can find the fairway, they must decide how to play the cross bunkers. If the golfer can carry them with their second shot, they will be rewarded with a short approach to the green. But even if the player decides to lay-up short of the bunkers, reaching the green is still possible, albeit with a longer approach.