Gujarat Kensville Challenge defending champion and the first ever Indian Challenge Tour winner, Gaganjeet Bhullar, gives you his hole-by-hole assessment of the beautiful and challenging course at Kensville Golf Club…
“This course is all about putting. At this level everybody is a good ball-striker and everybody hits the ball well and pure so it all happens on the putting green.”
Hole 1 (Par 4, 432 yards)
“It’s a good start to the golf course. You need a good drive and of course the pin position is crucial.”
Hole 2 (Par 4, 388 yards)
“A short par four, the fairway is pretty wide open and the green is pretty flat.”
Hole3 (Par 4, 435 yards)
“There’s out of bounds on the left and there’s a wide fairway on the right so it’s an appealing hole. I played this hole in four under last year so it’s one that I like.”
Hole4 (Par 4, 414 yards)
“This is quite a dodgy hole, you’ve got to think a little bit before you take a driver or rescue from the tee. There are two options, whether you lay up at 240 yards from the tee or you just rip a driver hard.”
Hole5 (Par 3, 198 yards)
“This is a straightforward par three, you can’t hit short of the green because there’s a water hazard.”
Hole6 (Par 5, 598 yards)
“A good par five, a fairway on the right but you can also miss it on the right too. Two good shots can reach the green here.”
Hole 7 (Par 4, 465 yards)
“This is a good hole, you’ve got to be on the right side of the fairway and then the green is on the right. The green is quite hard, you’ve got to pitch it short of the flag and try to roll it up.”
Hole8 (Par 3, 205 yards)
“Quite a simple par three with an uphill green, it plays about 170 yards to the front.”
Hole9 (Par 5, 600 yards)
“This is a birdie opportunity, it depends on how long you go and which line you take with the driver. I putted really well here, I think I was two or three under for this hole so I played it well.”
Hole10 (Par 4, 418 yards)
“Going onto to the back nine, this is another good hole. Some players go with driver, some with three wood depending which yardage you like with your second shot.”
Hole11 (Par 3, 158 yards)
“This is a short little par three and is not too difficult.”
Hole12 (Par 4, 366 yards)
“This is a lay-up hole. You can with your driver for the edge of the green or you can lay up with a five or six iron and then go for the green.”
Hole13 (Par 4, 390 yards)
“I would hit a rescue off the tee and then maybe a nine iron to the green.”
Hole14 (Par 5, 531 yards)
“This is definitely a birdie hole, but there’s a water hazard at 340 yards and as the ball is rolling a long way I think it will be a three wood off the tee for me and then a high five iron, depending on the pin position.”
Hole15 (Par 4, 380 yards)
“Again, a rescue hole. You’ve got to hit it in the middle of the fairway, which leaves you about 125-130 yards to the green.”
Hole16 (Par 3, 195 yards)
“This is a straightforward par three, it depends where the pin position is but you have to be intelligent enough to give some space to miss the ball on the right and still be safe.”
Hole17 (Par 5, 621 yards)
“This is a long par five and quite a narrow fairway, so I think it’s definitely a three-shot hole and there’s very little room to mess up, just go for the middle of the fairway with the three wood and that leaves you with a good approach shot."
Hole18 (Par 4, 430 yards)
“Again this is a lay-up hole, maybe a rescue or a three iron from the tee and that leaves you 150 yards short of the green so it’s not an easy one.”
