Red Hole 1 – A long downhill par 4 opens this loop with a lateral ditch running half the length of the left-hand side of the fairway. Avoid the dense trees populating the right-hand side beyond the fairway bunker and large Oak tree midway down the hole.
Pro's tip
1st Red – A straight drive at this opening hole sets the golfer up for a regulation start. Be off line either way and you are staring at a bogey start. A ditch over 200 yards long guards the left-hand side of the hole whilst a projection of trees down the right will make your approach shot to the green nigh impossible.
Red Hole 2 – A generous width to the fairway on this left to right sloping dogleg. Beware the young trees and lateral ditch up the right-hand rough.
Pro's tip
2nd Red – This hole favours the faded drive provided you direct it along the left-hand third of the fairway. Fade too early or pull your tee shot you are looking at a bogey result.
Red Hole 3 – A short par 4 dogleg severely left to right. A fading tee shot over the corner of the dogleg avoiding the bunker is rewarded with a chip shot to a well guarded green.
Pro's tip
3rd Red – Most golfers are pleased to make par on this supposed easy hole. The brave high fade across the left to right dogleg rewards you with a short chip to a well guarded green. Play the hole conventionally to the corner of the dogleg and your second shot may be 140 yards or so.
Red Hole 4 – The second longest hole at Kings Norton requires an accurate tee shot to enable the second shot any chance of being close to the green. The uphill rise to a narrow opening to the green is protected by greenside bunkers 200 yards away.
Pro's tip
4th Red – One of the longest holes on the course at over 540 yards. This demands an accurate tee shot over water avoiding the Weeping Willow and the bunker on the right-hand side of the fairway. Once in good position off the tee you can set up to make the third shot a short shot uphill into the green. Don’t be tempted to take a 3 or a 5 wood if you end up with a downhill lie for your second shot.
Red Hole 5 – The shortest par 3 of the course is well guarded with bunkers front, left and right. Be careful with club selection as anything too long might never be seen again.
Pro's tip
5th Red – The shortest hole on the course is guarded well with bunkers. Don’t over club here as the second shot may be tricky coming back providing you find the ball.
Red Hole 6 – A challenging driving hole. Straightness is of the essence. Once through the narrow gap at the top of the hill the decline assists in making the approach shot to a back to front sloping green a relatively easy task.
Pro's tip
6th Red – A tight driving hole requires a high degree of accuracy to set up a birdie opportunity as the hole declines steeply for the latter 200 yards. An inaccurate tee shot left or right is trouble and may result in a walk back to the tee.
Red Hole 7 – The Club’s feature hole “The Water Hole”. Decision time – do you play left or right of the hazards? The strength and direction of the wind, together with the pin placement are the governing factors, on what side of the stream and ponds to play.
Pro's tip
7th Red – This hole is fraught with danger as it features three ponds, one fairway bunker, an out of bounds down the left and a stream interconnecting the ponds running the whole length of the hole. Your decision on what side of the stream to take is governed by the wind direction and the pin placement.
Red Hole 8 – This par 3 has wrecked many a Medal card and decided a few Matchplay situations. A long green with out of bounds down the left and water to the right. Club selection is paramount at this hole.
Pro's tip
8th Red – A few deep breaths and two or three swings of your club are needed before taking on this little master. The green runs parallel with the out of bounds on the left and with a long pond to the right. This hole does require an accurate and well struck tee shot.
Red Hole 9 – A very long uphill par 5 with fairway bunkers strategically positioned to catch inaccurate drives and second shots. A 40 yard length green demands a correct club selection to avoid three putting.
Pro's tip
9th Red – A long par 5 to finish, mostly uphill to the longest green on the course. Most golfers are satisfied to make the green in 3. Check the pin position before leaving the teeing ground. Hitting this green doesn’t guarantee a 2-putt!
Yellow Hole 2 – A long par 4. A well directed tee shot over the fairway bunker makes the second shot to a well protected green an easier task.
Pro's tip
2nd Yellow – A slight right to left dogleg. The ideal line is a well struck shot over the fairway bunker, leaving a direct shot down the green taking out the bunkers protecting the green.
Yellow Hole 3 – this short par 4 requires a solid drive clearing two fairway bunkers leaving just a wedge to the green.
Pro's tip
3rd Yellow – The two fairway bunkers on this hole shouldn't come into play for a well struck and directed tee shot. Don’t be tempted to aim for the pin when it is positioned on the left-hand side of the green, as a sandy grave awaits the pulled shot.
Yellow Hole 4 – This long par 3 to a left to right sloping green needs an accurate tee shot.
Pro's tip
4th Yellow – A long par 3 that requires an accurate tee shot just inside the left-hand bunker, as the green slopes severely from left to right. Any tee shot aimed at the right third of the green finds the ditch behind the green or the right-hand trap. A 3 here is well deserved.
Yellow Hole 5 – A tight driving hole on this downhill par 5 with water to the left off the tee. Water to the right to be avoided on the second shot.
Pro's tip
5th Yellow – At almost 500 yards this is a par 5 off the back markers and is reachable in 2 as almost 300 yards of it is downhill. Be aware of the watery outcome off the tee to the left and to the right with your second shot at about 120 yards. This is a more difficult par 4 than a par 5 at 426 yards the second is key to making a regulation par.
Yellow Hole 6 – This tough hole, although only 400 yards off the tee plays very long up hill and longer still into the breeze.
Pro's tip
6th Yellow – Although only 400 yards this index 1 hole on this loop plays considerably longer, as it rises steeply uphill from the 200 yard marker. The hole is well-guarded with three bunkers and a large Oak tree left of the green.
Yellow Hole 7 – Good looking short par 3 requires an accurate tee shot to hit this well protected green.
Pro's tip
7th Yellow – Played from the Medal Tee a picturesque par 3 from an elevated tee over water between trees to an elevated green. Don’t be surprised if you 3 putt this hole first time out – make up your mind which way the green slopes before you tee off!
Yellow Hole 8 – A short par 4 with a short iron second shot to an elevated sloping green.
Pro's tip
8th Yellow – A short par 4 with trees to the left and trees and a ditch to the right. Pass the fairway bunker with a 205 yard carry and this leaves you with a wedge or nine iron to a green sloping from back to front . Don’t be too long when the pin is at the front.
Yellow Hole 9 – A par 5 – doglegs slightly left to right. A well directed tee shot avoiding the trees right gives an opportunity to reach the area short of the green. Beware the out of bounds to the right with your second shot.
Pro's tip
9th Yellow – One of the longest par 5’s on the course (521 yards). Tee up to avoid the fairway bunker and the Oak tree to the right. Your second shot needs to avoid the out of bounds to the right starting about 100 yards from the green on the right.
