Course

Eastern’s first hole is a gentle one and begins with a short, straight forward Par 4 giving golfers a good birdie chance. The ideal line is down the right side of the fairway; but ensure you avoid the deep bunker positioned there. The green complex is a moderate one in terms of break and speed and short left makes an up and down difficult. One of the friendlier holes on the course.

After a soft opening, things get a little tougher at the 2nd Hole. A moderate length Par 5 gives a couple of options from the tee. Playing left is the desired line – although narrower – and there is plenty of room right of the fairway bunker for the less confident. The green complex is one of the most difficult on the course and must be approached from the middle of the fairway. Any approach from right or left makes stopping the ball on the green extremely difficult. A lay up here leaving an approach of 60 to 90 metres is generally a better option.

One of the most spectacular, and difficult holes, awaits at the Par 4, 3rd hole. A downhill tee shot to a wide fairway sets up one of the most daunting shots on the course – a 200 metre carry over water to a difficult green. The smart play for most is to lay up out to the right, away from the water, and make par that way; although that can be ‘easier said than done’.

This hole is a favourite. The tee shot plays uphill adjacent to the 3rd hole with a big bunker splitting the fairway. Lose your tee shot right and you face a much more difficult second shot to a green that sits on an angle to you. The best line into the green is from the left; two bunkers long left and short right to the green can make Par difficult.

Another great short Par 4 that gives lots of options from the tee. A 200 metre carry is required to clear the bunkers on the right, making the approach easier. There is lots of room to the left, however the angle becomes poor and makes the second shot very difficult. A long narrow green makes getting the ball up and down from anywhere a challenge. A good chance for a birdie but six or more can also be on the cards with poor shot selection.

The first of the Par 3 holes at Eastern has the hills along the Yarra River as its back drop. The wind is often into the player’s face on this hole making club selection challenging.  The large green provides numerous options for different pin locations. A birdie here is a real chance.

From the black tees this hole is a monster but from the blue and white tees, the hole shortens considerably. Hit your tee shot as hard and as far as you like towards the left side of the fairway bunker as there is plenty of room beyond. The second shot is played to a multi-level green that sits on an angle.  Ensure you leave yourself plenty of green between yourself and the pin when chipping. Being on the same level as the pin when putting is a must.  A strong hole where Par or Bogey are good results.

A long and challenging Par 3 awaits here. There is lots of room to the right of this large green making three a possibility but with the pin on the left of the green, the large bunker becomes more and more in play making the hole very challenging.  Play to the middle right of the green where ever the pin is positioned, and you give yourself a real chance of Par, without causing yourself too much grief.

The front nine finishes with a downhill Par 5 with Eastern’s magnificent Clubhouse as the back drop. A powerful drive off the tee gives you a real chance at getting the ball close to the green in two shots. The second shot is also played downhill with more room out to the right as it seems but beware – the green is a difficult one to hold and very fast from above the hole. A good Par 5 where birdie is a real chance.

The second nine begins with a strong Par 4 that often plays into the wind – depending on the weather conditions this hole can play relatively short to extremely long. The tee shot is played downhill; and water down the left side will catch a wide tee shot. Playing down the right is the safe line but makes the second more difficult. Long on this hole is not a bad miss at all with a relatively flat putting surface.

Water lines the right side of the tee on this hole but will only catch a wide tee shot. Both the tee shot, and second shot are played to a generous fairway, but it is an advantage to have your second shot as far down, and as far left as possible – making your approach shot far easier. A big bunker guards the front right section of the green so it’s best to avoid that if you need to make Par – although Birdies can be made on this hole.

Hole 12 is the beginning of a three- hole stretch that can make or break a good day on course. A long and straight drive is needed to have any chance of reaching this hole that is played to an elevated and undulating green. If not on the putting surface, a challenging shot awaits no matter where you are, so best to hit the green and keep the damage to a minimum.

Standing on the 13th tee for the first time can be somewhat daunting. A shot of around 170 metres is required to circumvent the huge beach bunker which will catch any ball that is short and left of the target. The pin position can change the look of the hole completely, and par will always be a good score here.  At first glance, short right looks to be okay, but it is far better having enough club to get on, or past the pin, and out to the right to avoid a big score.

If you thought the last two holes were tough, then take a breath and prepare for another one. After getting your ball on the relatively wide fairway, your second shot is played into a narrow area with water on both sides so simply hit it straight. The trouble doesn’t stop there – the approach to the elevated green is tough with short or long being penalised heavily. Short left is the best option if conservative and watch out if putting from above the hole as balls can easily run past the hole and finish off the green if you’re not careful.

A good chance for a birdie here.  Ideally your tee shot needs to be played down the left-hand side of the fairway to give a better angle on the approach. The length of your tee shot will dictate how aggressive you can get on your approach but ensure you get on the putting surface as there are lots of run offs around this green. Short and left is not ideal at all.

There are decisions to be made on this tee as the hole can be played with a 3 wood or long iron from the tee; or use a driver and play down the right side of the fairway to save some yardage. There is more room to the right than it looks off the tee but go with what feels best on the day. Water guards the green short so it’s best to take an extra club if in doubt. The green is a large one with lots of pin position option. Another realistic Birdie chance.

One of the shorter Par 3 holes on the course, but not without its problems as it plays uphill and is guarded by bunkers that will catch any poor shot. Club selection can be difficult on his hole  and it’s a tricky green, especially if you’re putting from above the hole. It is important to take enough club to carry over the large front bunker but be careful as long is definitely not the place you want to be. Take three and move on.