Last year’s champion at the Gujarat Kensville Challenge, Germany’s Max Kieffer, brings you a comprehensive guide of the lay-out at the beautiful Kensville Golf and Country Club, which once again hosts the first event of the European Challenge Tour season.
Hole 1, par 4, 432 yards
“This is a tough start. There is trouble left of the tee so if the rough is not too high, the right side is definitely safer. The green is quite tricky; you have to get it onto the right level to have a favourable putt.”
Hole 2, par 4, 388 yards
“This is a good birdie chance. It’s a hybrid from the tee and then a wedge onto a fairly easy green so it’s a good opportunity here.”
Hole 3, par 4, 435 yards
“I always hit a driver here last year and had a short iron in but if you don’t feel great with a driver you can hit a three wood. You just need to be careful because there is water behind the green so if you pitch a bit long you might end up over and in the water.”
Hole 4, par 4, 414 yards
“You just want to bring it into play from the tee with a hybrid or three wood and then it’s straight forward to the green. The middle of the green is the safest part because there is not much slope in the middle.”
Hole 5, par 3, 198 yards
“You really want to hit the green here. If you miss it you have a tough up and down, especially from the right. Any time you have a birdie putt here, it’s good, and there is water short so you have to make sure you hit it long enough.”
Hole 6, par 5, 598 yards
“If the fairways are pretty dry you can try and hit a hard one down there and try and get it in two but if you don’t hit a good enough drive you can still lay up so it’s a good birdie chance.”
Hole 7, par 4, 465 yards
“This is tough because the green is very tricky and it was always very dry so you want to find the fairway from the tee and then you need to be careful where the pin is because there are little slopes there that you cannot see.”
Hole 8, par 3, 205 yards
“You don’t want to go over the green here, especially if the pin is at the back. You just want to be short and have an uphill birdie putt. The chip from behind the green is very tough.”
Hole 9, par 5, 600 yards
“Your game plan will depend on where the tee is here. If it’s all the way back, you just need to hit a three wood off the tee and come up short of the water on the right side. If they move the tee up you can try and hit a good drive and go for it in two. Again, there is water to the right for your second shot and behind the green. The green is firm and slopes towards the water too so you have to be careful there.”
Hole 10, par 4, 418 yards
“This is pretty straightforward. It’s either driver or three wood, whichever you feel more comfortable with and then there are two levels to the green. You just have to make sure you hit the right level for a good putt.”
Hole 11, par 3, 158 yards
“This one depends on the pin again because it’s a very long and slopey green. If the pin is short you can go for it but if the pin is at the back you have to be careful.”
Hole 12, par 4, 366 yards
“It’s just a three iron or three wood off the tee here and then just a wedge in. This is a good birdie chance but there are also some big elevations there on the green..”
Hole 13, par 4, 390 yards
“This is a tough tee shot. It’s very narrow if you have a driver but you will have a short iron in. You can hit a three wood from the tee as well but then you have a tougher second shot to a very difficult green. There is a bunker left and two levels to the green and if the pin is to the higher level on the left, it’s tough because it’s firm and there is out of bounds just behind the green. There are different ways to play the hole, you just have to find the way that you’re comfortable with.”
Hole 14, par 5, 531 yards
“You want to hit a good drive just over the tree that’s in the middle of the fairway and if you have a good drive you can go for it in two and it’s a good birdie chance.”
Hole 15, par 4, 380 yards
“For me, this was a three wood off the tee because there is water and trees and you just want to stay short of that narrow part of the fairway and you will still only have an eight iron into the green so it’s OK. Again, it’s a difficult green where you want to leave yourself a flat putt on the right level.”
Hole 16, par 3, 195 yards
“This is another one with different levels on the green and when the pin is on the lower level you have a good chance of hitting it close but if it’s on the higher level it’s a very tough pitch. You probably just need to hit the middle of the green and make a par.”
Hole 17, par 5, 621 yards
“This is also a three slope hole and is really long so you need a three wood or three iron and you just have a short iron for lay-up, depending on how confident you are on the day. Another tricky green and you have to be careful of the pin position but if you keep an eye on that you might have a good chance of birdie.”
Hole 18, par 4, 430 yards
“You want to stay short of the lake in the middle of the fairway so it’s just something like a four iron off the tee and it’s a big green so you’ll have a six iron in there and you just want to hit the middle of the green and leave yourself with a makeable putt because it’s difficult to get up and down there.”
