Course Review
The course is 7,199 yards in length with four tees: professional, men, seniors and ladies, therefore providing tee-off opportunities for all standards of play. Even though this is primarily a tourist course with a variety of risk and reward challenges, Tower Links will however, when played from the back tees, become a championship courses. The Tower Links project has been built in very unique style covering an area of 420,000 square meters. In the first phase, a nine-hole floodlit facility has set up then followed in the second phase by a further nine holes, a clubhouse and an academy.
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The opening hole is a Par 4 with a tee shot played to a generous fairway and
generally into the prevailing wind, making the hole play a little longer than its
yardage suggests. An accurate mid iron to a well guarded tiered green is
required to leave here in regulation figuresHole #1 -
A good drive here avoiding the bunker on the left of the fairway will
set up a short iron approach to this Par 4. The wide but shallow green is
heavily guarded by bunkers to the right and a grassy swale to the left.Hole #2 -
A short Par 4 requiring only a three wood from the tee.The green
complex is surrounded by water punishing any miscue with the approach.Hole #3 -
The first of the Par 3’s plays across a lake to a shallow green bunkered
to the rear and banked at the front. A long iron into the prevailing wind
that must carry all the way to the putting surface is required here.Hole #4 -
Tiger Woods aside this Par 5 is a true 3 shotter. Mangroves run down the
entire right side of the hole with a handily placed bunker guarding the
left side of the fairway from the tee. The prudent second shot would be
placed just short of the cross bunkers leaving a short iron approach
over the lake.Hole #5 -
This interesting Par 4 sees a tee shot over a lake to the double fairway
split by sandy waste and Palm trees, the left side is the more generous
but requires a longer carry over the water, the right side, although
a shorter carry is also protected by the mangroves to the right.Hole #6 -
At over 600 yards this is the longest hole on the course. The drive of the
teeshould be placed to the left side of the fairway to avoid the mounds
kicking the ball down towards the sandy waste and the mangroves.
The second shot should also be kept to the left as the sandy waste eats into
the right side of the fairway.Hole #7 -
The longest Par 3 in the Emirates is played downhill to a large crescent shaped
green with a deep bunker to the left side and the tidal channel to the right.
If the pin is cut back left you’ll need a high drawing fairway wood to find it.
Good Luck!Hole #8 -
A long iron or fairway wood is needed on this Par 4 from the tee to lay up
short of the mangroves that you then need to cross as the hole swings to
the left. A fair carry it is to, to find a green guarded by a very large bunker.
Time for a drink stop!Hole #9 -
After the last tough few holes of the front nine this Par 4 offers a little relief.
An ideal drive here would find the left side of the fairway, this would open
up the green which sits a little to the right. The green is protected by a large
bunker to the front and a bunker to the rear.Hole #10 -
A relatively short Par 4 with a generous landing area from the tee, from here
on in though this hole can bite. The large elevated, undulating green is
surrounded by a cavernous bunker and with the many contours on this green
only the most accurate approach will leave any kind of birdie opportunity.
Hole #11 -
The shortest hole on the course will require a mid-iron to a relatively flat reen
which is mounded to the left and has the right side of the green protecte
d by a bunker.Hole #12 -
The mangroves are a constant threat on this Par 5, bordering the entire left side
of the hole and eating into the fairway on three occasions. The tee shot from
an elevated tee is played over the mangrove reserve to the island fairway;
a three wood will suffice for longer hitter to avoid reaching the mangroves
the other side.Hole #13 -
A short Par 4 with a sharp dog leg to the left over mangroves and Palms. The
longest hitters may fancy a crack at the green here but anything left of the green
and you leave yourself with a very difficult approach. The sensible play is to drive
to the heart of the fairway leaving a short iron which will play directly up the green.Hole #14 -
Keeping your tee shot out of the sand is the key to this Par 4. Nests of bunkers
guard the entire left side of the hole whilst a large trap sits in the landing area on
the right side of the fairway. A three wood short of the right hand bunker is a good
play which depending on wind conditions will leave a mid to short iron to a small
undulating green.Hole #15 -
The last of the short holes plays across the mangroves to an island green
complex which also possesses three pot bunkers which await anything off line.Hole #16 -
A sharp dog leg to the right, this Par 4 requires the most accurate tee shot on
the course. A three wood to the dogleg is ideal with anything left or long finding
the tidal channel and Palm trees and Out of Bounds to the right side. This if
negotiated successfully will leave a mid to long iron to a slightly raised green.Hole #17 -
The home hole and what a good finishing hole this short Par 5 is. An eagle
opportunity but seven is also a distinct possibility if things don’t quite go to plan.
A well placed drive between the left hand bunker and the sandy waste to the
right will leave a long second shot over trees and water to a green bordered by
a lake to the right side and behind and with bunkersHole #18
SCORECARD
Pro’s Tips for 18 Hole Championship Course
HOLES 1 – 9
HOLES 10 – 18