Ahead of the sixth Rolex Series event of the year, europeantour.com breaks down Turkish Airlines Open host venue Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort with the help of defending champion Thorbjørn Olesen.
Located in Belek-Antalya, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the pristine Regnum Carya hosts for a second year running in 2017 and will this week play at 7,159 yards and to a par of 71.
Turkey’s first heathland-esque layout, the course was designed by Thomson Perrett & Lobb – the international design agency founded by five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson – and is inspired by the classic British courses on which the Australian enjoyed much success in the 1950s and 1960s.
Set on undulating sand hills, with large, undulating and fast greens, more than one million heather plants were added to the existing areas of indigenous heather to create a distinctive look alongside some spectacular bunkering as the holes weave between native pine and eucalyptus trees.
Twelve months ago, Olesen was in blistering form over the first three days in Antalya, following a first day 65 with a red-hot 62 and a solid 68 to lead by seven going into Sunday.
Despite a spirited challenge from England’s David Horsey, Olesen stayed strong to win his fourth and biggest European Tour title by three strokes.
“I think the key was that first round, when I didn’t actually play that well but I managed to shoot 65," reflected Olesen.
“In the second round I just played great overall - hit the ball well and holed a lot of putts - but I think the key was that first round to get over, I made a good score when I wasn’t playing my best.
“It feels pretty special. It’s a great place, a good golf course, really good hotel and I’m just looking forward to getting this week started. I have a lot of good memories so hopefully I can do something similar this year."
Overview
“I think it’s one of those courses, especially last year, where you can make ten or 12 birdies in a round. But saying that, you can also easily make bogeys with a couple of really tough holes out there, including a tough finish on 17 and 18.
“If you nail your driver, though, you give yourself so many good birdie chances. There are some reachable par fives with some good eagle chances so it’s definitely a place where you can really get on a roll if you’re hitting it well.”
Getting aggressive, saying safe
“Those opportunities also bring danger, too. You want to make a lot of birdies so it’s easy to get too aggressive, end out of position and all of a sudden drop some shots. You have to keep your concentration or you will still be punished.”
Greens
“The greens are big and undulating and have lots of different sections so Greens in Regulation are important but being accurate into the green is even more important. That’s why it’s key you hit driver most places from the tee. Even if you end up in the semi-rough you still have a chance to get it close.”
The Roof Tee
“The tee on 16, sitting on top of a villa above a swimming pool, is quite spectacular and provides a good view! You have the par five 15th before it, which provides a good eagle chance, then you can see the villa from the green and where you’re going to tee off next. It’s pretty cool – and if it all goes wrong then you can throw your club in the pool!”
The Key Holes
The 505-yard par four tenth
“A strong par four. It’s a tough tee shot with water all the way down the left and trees down the right. If you miss the fairway then it’s pretty much a guaranteed bogey, double bogey or worse. Getting out of that hole with four pars would be ideal…”
The par fives (seventh, 12th, 15th)
“In general, you need to take advantage of the par fives because there are a lot of birdie and eagle chances. Par at those and you’re basically dropping a shot if not two.”
It's one of those courses you can potentially make ten or 12 birdies every round.
Thorbjørn Olesen
How it played last year
Olesen won at 20 under par in 2016, the sixth lowest winning score of the season, while his 62 in the second round was the lowest round recorded last year at 8.2 strokes better than the field average of 70.2.
The course average 12 months ago was exactly one under par at 70.0 against a par of 71 while the event saw the second lowest bogeys per round of any event last season with only 2.33 (the Portugal Masters at 2.19 was the lowest).
Compared against the last five seasons on the European Tour, Regnum Carya had the fifth highest Greens in Regulation percentage of any European Tour course at 75.7 so the key this week could well be putting well and converting the birdie opportunities.
Hole superlatives
Most likely to birdied:15th hole (45 per cent birdie or better)
Most likely non-par five to birdied:Ninth hole (31 per cent birdie or better)
Most likely to be bogeyed:Tenth hole (34 per cent bogey or worse)
Easiest GiR:Ninth hole (88 per cent)
Toughest GiR:Tenth hole (53 per cent)
Easiest fairway to hit:Fifth hole (80 per cent)
Toughest fairway to hit:13th hole (46 per cent)
