Any Tips on Esker Hills

benny79

Lads playing this 2mor for our captains day! Never Played it before has anyone any tips that has played it or knows the course well, be much appreciated!

Serious bragging rights at stake here for the winner!

charlieIRL

Too much to try write here. Driver not needed on all holes.

1 - Over the trees on the right with driver will leave reachable approach shot
2 - Over the trees on the left with driver, but not too far left. Lay up and its a SW down to green
3 - must find fairway on RHS. OOB all along left.
4 - Can use any club but left of the brow of the hill will leave a shot to vry tricky green. Very tough approach shot.
5 - 9 iron don't go long
6 - Drive, lay up before lake, on in 3 and birdie putt! Always into the wind though
7 - Like 4, must find narrow fairway, lake on left, trouble on right.
8 - Cut right hand corner with driver or lay up right of big tree in fairway
9 - Have fun but don't go long
10 - Short iron lay up (or go for the green with driver!!)
11 - Don't go right with drive or second shot
12 - Straight up hill, trouble on left
13 - Straight par 3, don't be short
14 - Don't go too far left, anything right should feed back to fairway
15 - Par 3, don't go left
16 - Drive over trees / farmyard on left, all along LHS is OOB for approach
17 - Don't try cut corner unless your very long off tee, don't go too far right or you'll never get there in 2. Don't go left of green on approach
18 - Bomb it up there but don't go left (OOB)

slave1

Nice one Charlie, I'd also add that the greens are massive so don't be afraid to go for the flag, I'm always short on the 6th...

Dr_Colossus

Do you know what tees are you playing off? I played the course for the first time and from the blue tees about a month ago on a very windy day. Class course but found it tough, especially the greens which are very big with subtle looking but quite dramatic breaks. They were quite slow looking with the wiry links like grass but rolled quite fast so deceiving on all fronts.

Given the size of the greens and the somewhat severe undulations throughout the course where it's often not possible to tell if the flag is front, middle or back my advise would therefore to make sure of your clubbing on your approach shots into the greens as 3 putts are a definite risk. I didn't have a laser or measuring device but it's one course where one would be beneficial so perhaps look into borrowing one if you don't already have one.

The layout is really thrilling, you never really know what to expect around the next corner. Very exciting golf course and you're in for a treat, good use of dog legs, water, trees and a nice mix of long and short par 4s ie the 3rd hole index 1 was a 501 yard par 4 but the 10th index 18 was a 306 yard par 4. The 4th for me was the toughest hole, off the blues at 391 and into a stiff wind I think it's a driver from the tee which makes the landing area very narrow and intimidating. The par 3's are all quite long and require good carries to reach safety.

Not much of a practice area with only a putting green and a short area to hit a few pitch shots up past the club house towards the 18th green so no real need to get there early for an extensive warm up range session. Very friendly club house staff so you're in for a great day, envious and enjoy.

Dr_Colossus

Also it's Esker Hills rather than Ester Hills in case you're searching for it on a Sat Nav. Could be worth modifying the tread title for anyone searching in future.

Henry Ford III

Get a buggy. It's a tough walk.

Bleating Lamb

Very hilly course alright,played it ten years ago and still remember how tired legs were going up 18th!

charlieIRL

I always carry my bag around Esker Hills and i'm not a young lad any more!!

+1 for the staff too.

benny79

cheers lads! here's hoping I pull it out of the bag!!

benny79

@Charlie What holes would you only use driver on? I have a bad habit of just hitting it on every hole as someone told me your a high HCer it wont make a difference and my course maintence is the biggest weakness in my game

PARlance

benny79 wrote: »

@Charlie What holes would you only use driver on? I have a bad habit of just hitting it on every hole as someone told me your a high HCer it wont make a difference and my course maintence is the biggest weakness in my game

There's a very good argument for leaving the driver at home Benny. Especially if it's your first time playing and you'd like to score well

A bad drive and you're scratching a lot of holes there. Moreso than most courses. And off the society tees it's not a massively long course.

Would give you a "safe" guide but.... Happy driving

Dr_Colossus

PARlance wrote: »

There's a very good argument for leaving the driver at home Benny. Especially if it's your first time playing and you'd like to score well

A bad drive and you're scratching a lot of holes there. Moreso than most courses. And off the society tees it's not a massively long course.

Would give you a "safe" guide but.... Happy driving

Surely on the captain's day you'll at least be playing the white tees? The green tees are very far forward and more reminiscent of winter tees.
Par 71, Blue = 6619 yards, White = 6179 yards, Green = 5,822 yards.

I have a real problem with golf clubs dictating to societies to play off the forward/winter tees especially on the longer championship style courses. If societies wanted to play it forward who go the likes of Palmerstown House when there are plenty of shorter courses on offer.

Anyway, off the whites on the par 4's leave the driver in the bag on 2, 4, 8, 10, 12 & 14. 10 is no more than about a 5 iron or else you run the risk of running it into the pond or the bunker in front of the pond.

charlieIRL

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Surely on the captain's day you'll at least be playing the white tees? The green tees are very far forward and more reminiscent of winter tees.
Par 71, Blue = 6619 yards, White = 6179 yards, Green = 5,822 yards.

I have a real problem with golf clubs dictating to societies to play off the forward/winter tees especially on the longer championship style courses. If societies wanted to play it forward who go the likes of Palmerstown House when there are plenty of shorter courses on offer.

Anyway, off the whites on the par 4's leave the driver in the bag on 2, 4, 8, 10, 12 & 14. 10 is no more than about a 5 iron or else you run the risk of running it into the pond or the bunker in front of the pond.

True, its way better off the whites but a monster off the blues!
Like Dr. Said above but for first time playing it: Dont need a driver on 1, 2, 4, 7, 8 or 10.
4th is a really tough hole even if the tee's are forward!

benny79

Cheers lads ill let u know how I get on.

Dr_Colossus

benny79 wrote: »

Cheers lads ill let u know how I get on.

How did you get on Benny and what did you make of the course?

benny79

had 34 pts of 17! lost it on a count back! but I was more gutted with 16 & 18. 16 is a par 5 hit a super drive straight up the middle and instead of hitting a iron down I said stupidly I have a crack with my 3 wood even though I'm not great with it off the fairway! put myself in trouble & struggled for a 7 & 1 point.. on 18 after being driving great all day realized 18 was longest drive tried unsuccessfully not 2 think about it & sliced my drive far right and ended up scratching the hole..

Should be pleased though cause my gui is 22, nearly broke standard scratch off 17 and only for the cock up of 16 & 18 would of broke 90 for first time!

ON the course without doubt its one of the best course I have played (and I have played a lot) if not the best every hole I taught was unique the staff where great and we really had good banter with them! they give us all buggies for a tenner a head and a big steak dinner for 14euro have to say I really fell feel in love with the place!

I hit driver on most holes apart from the short par 4 with water just before green I would of liked to of had a crack at driving it but was trying to play sensible for once! but we did play off greens again would of liked to try it from whites but a lot of old timers in our society so it wouldn't of been fair on them. I really would say its a tough course to walk, as I'm not a fan of buggies but was knackered after it so couldn't imagine walking it.

All in All, super day, super people, super food and absolutely super course!! Cant wait to go back!

charlieIRL

Great score, not an easy place to play (well apart from Rikand going around 2 over this year!!!)

Give us a shout if your playing it again and i'll join you.

benny79

Will do Charlie have to say I loved the place even though I played well the 18th ruined my mood to hit 36 pts of 17 and break 90 would of made my year!
but and happy enough just have to play like that at my home course and get my hc down!

My 2 playing partners even told my that my game is all in my head and I think about it 2 much and freeze over some shots as a result! which I totally knew and agree!

Rikand

charlieIRL wrote: »

Great score, not an easy place to play (well apart from Rikand going around 2 over this year!!!)

Give us a shout if your playing it again and i'll join you.

yeah but we were on the forward tees too