Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts gives his guide to the course at Royal Waterloo Golf Club, his home club and host venue for this year's Telenet Trophy.
Hole 1:Not a very long hole to start. It dog legs to the right, and you just need to try to avoid the two sets of bunkers guarding each side of the fairway. You’ll probably only have a wedge for your second shot, so there’s a fair chance of starting your round with a birdie.
Hole 2:There’s a slight dogleg right on this par four. You can try to hit over the trees, though not everyone takes that option. The green’s quite slopey and is well guarded by lots of bunkers, but if you can find the right spot you’ve got another great chance to make birdie.
Hole 3:Probably my favourite hole on the course. It’s a par five, and it’s like a ski slope – my parents have actually skied across it in the winter! Long-hitters can bomb it over the left corner, and if the course is dry it’s just going to run forever. So you might only have an eight or a nine iron into the green. But if it’s wet and there’s not much run, it’s more like a three iron.
Hole 4:A straightforward par three, although if the pin’s on the right hand side it can be tough to get it close, and the green can also be quite tricky to read.
Hole 5:Quite a long par five, especially if the wind is against you. The fairway dog legs to the left and the green is very small, with a lot of undulations.
Hole 6:There’s a big oak tree on the right of the fairway, and if you hit that you can easily make bogey or worse. The green’s very small and slopes away on both sides, so it’s tough to get your second shot right.
Hole 7:Quite a short par three, so you’re probably only hitting a seven iron to a very undulating green. There are three tiers, and the bottom one is very small so if the pin’s down there, it can be very tricky.
Hole 8:There’s a big dip in the middle of the fairway, but if can carry that you’ve probably only got a wedge into the green. So it’s a good chance to make birdie.
Hole 9:Probably the best par four on the course. You want to try to avoid the bunker on the left hand side of the fairway if you can. There are also some trees you want to avoid, but if you find the fairway you’ve got a mid to short iron shot to a big, flat green. You don’t want to be short or left, because you’ll end up in the sand.
Hole 10:It’s quite a short hole, but you’ve got a blind tee shot. If you get a decent drive away, you’ve only got a flick with a wedge for your second shot. The green slopes away to a bunker on the right, so you want to be just left of the pin, if possible. If you’re careful with your approach, there’s a good chance of making birdie.
Hole 11:Probably the second best tee shot on the course. You have to play up a slope, and there are a couple of bunkers on the right to avoid. If you find one of them, you’re going to really struggle to reach the green. If you find the fairway, most players would probably hit a rescue club for their second shot. The big round green slopes from the back to the front, and it’s really tricky because there’s a ridge right in the middle.
Hole 12:It’s a beautiful tee shot down the hill to a two-tiered green. The top tier’s quite small, so if the pin’s there then your club selection has to be spot on. If you miss the green, you can have a very tricky up and down to save par.
Hole 13:Dogleg right, down the hill. Most players take a rescue club or a three iron off the tee, and you have to try to shape it from left to right. If you go too far left you’ll probably have a tree in your way, and to the right there’s more trees and some quite thick rough. So if you don’t find the fairway, you’re probably looking at making a bogey. The green is protected by a couple of fairly deep bunkers, so it’s a pretty tough hole.
Hole 14:Quite a straightforward par four up the hill – you’re probably looking at a driver off the tee, and a nine iron with your second shot. The green slopes from the back to the front, and if the pin is on the back it can be very hard to put it close.
Hole 15:Not a long par three, but you still need to be pretty accurate with your tee shot. There’s a ridge on the green which slopes away to the left, and on the right is a very deep bunker. But the green is quite big – probably about 35 metres long – so you should be able to hit it without too much trouble.
Hole 16:This is a par five for the members, but a par four for the pros. You direct your tee shot towards the clubhouse, and if it’s into the wind most guys would probably be hitting a driver off the tee and a long iron into the green. You don’t want to miss it to the right, because there’s a big tree by the side of the green, so that’s not a good place to be. It’s probably one of the toughest holes on the course, so par is your friend.
Hole 17:The 17th tee box is right in front of the clubhouse, so it’s a nice tee shot. It’s quite a narrow fairway, and if the wind’s blowing it can be a very tricky tee shot. If you find any of the fairway bunkers, you’ve got no option but to lay up short of the green. If you go for the green in two, your second shot is blind. The green is quite big, but there are a lot of subtle little slopes on it.
Hole 18:You can’t really see much of the fairway from the tee, but the green is reachable in two. The second shot’s not the easiest, because the fairway slopes from left to right. There’s also quite a steep bank in front of the green, so anything short will roll back. The green’s big with a lot of slopes, so if you’re in any of the greenside bunkers then you’re facing a tough up and down to save par.
