In a new feature for 2019, the European Challenge Tour will speak to the club professional at every club we visit during the season to get the keys to the course from the person who knows it best.
First up, it’s Çağatay Ural from Samsun Golf Club, host of the Turkish Airlines Challenge.
Firstly, let’s get the pleasantries out of the way. You might have heard of Çağatay Ural before.
A promising teenage golfer, Ural had just finished caddying for his best friend in the Eisenhower Trophy at Antalya Golf Club when he was asked to attend a golf clinic with a professional golfer playing the following year’s Turkish Airlines Open.
To cut a long story short, that professional golfer was non other than Tiger Woods and Ural was asked to hit a shot in front of the then 14-time Major winner. He hit not one, but three shots; all of which were shanks.You can read more about the day Çağatay Ural shanked three shots in front of Tiger Woods here, but back to the matter in hand.
Ural is now the Head Professional at Samsun Golf Club and he believes this week’s Challenge Tour competitors can shoot low scores by attacking the right holes.
“There are a couple of short par fours where it is possible to hit the green from the tee,” he said. “The second, fifth, sixth, seventh and 12th are all par fours which are reachable if you hit a good shot and the wind is in your favour.
“These are the holes where the guys should be looking to make birdie on.
“We also have long par fours and par fives which are the toughest holes because it depends on the wind. If you are downwind, you could hit seven iron or six iron into the green with your second shot, but if it’s wind into the face, drivers and three woods could still leave over 300 yards into the green.”
As with many links courses, the direction of the wind at Samsun can be pivotal in how good a round will be, with the longest holes showing a huge difference in which club is required for the second shot, depending on wind direction.
“As it is a links course, the wind can make the easy par fours harder, so it depends totally on the wind,” he said.
“The rough is very deep and hard to find the balls, so they could make double bogeys even on the easier holes if they aren’t accurate. It is tough to find the ball in the rough.
“Players with good short games will do well this week because the greens are very big and very slopey. You need to be good around the green, in the bunkers and with the putter because the course isn’t that long so that’s why you don’t need to hit long to shoot low scores.”
