Jack Nicklaus's playing tips for a successful game

1st – Par 4
This shortish Par 4 should help the Golfer off to a quick start, but poor decision making or execution could leave the golfer with a big score to start with. The best play is a fairway wood off the Tee, favouring the right half of the fairway. This will leave the best angle into this gently contoured green.

2nd – Par 4
Although a bold play, the best tee shot on this long Par 4 will be played to the right half of the fairway, bringing the water on the right side of the tee shot into play. If successful off the tee, the golfer will find themselves with a shorter shot to the green with a much better angle into the green. The green pitches from left to right, so balls hit to the green with a draw will be more likely to hold the green than those hit with a fade.

3rd – Par 3
This mid-length Par 3 favors a variety of shots depending on the pin location. A fade to the green works best when the pin is up front or right center, but the always-difficult high draw is favoured when the pin is in the back section of the green.

4th – Par 5
Do not let the wide fairway at the first landing area give you a false sense of this being an easy tee shot. The best tee shot is played close to the deep, small pot bunker on the left. From here, the golfer has the chance to hit the green in two when playing down wind, or to clear the cross bunkers at the second landing area when playing into the wind. Clearing the cross bunkers on the second shot is required if the golfer is to get a clear view of the putting surface for their third shot.

5th – Par 4
This may be the most difficult tee shot on the golf course with it’s narrow fairway width and multiple bunkers protecting both sides of the fairway. A well-struck tee shot, avoiding the bunkers is a must on this long Par 4. Not to be outdone by the tee shot, the second shot is one of the most exciting on the golf course. While avoiding the bunker short left of the green, the golfer will have to use the fairway contours to keep the ball out of the collection bunker on the right and onto the putting surface.

6th – Par 4
Although distance of the tee is a real advantage, accuracy off the tee is the key to par or birdie on this hole. With bunkers protecting both sides of the fairway, finding any one of them will bring the pond protecting the right hand side of the green much more into play.

7th – Par 3
This long slightly uphill Par 3 demands an accurate well-struck shot to reach this well bunkered green. Because of the green angle and contours, a draw is the best shape for your shot here.

8th – Par 4
An accurate, strong tee shot is needed on this long Par 4. Although the second shot looks quite intimidating, it can play much easier than it appears if the golfer takes advantage of the contours in the approach and the green which strongly slopes from right to left, to help the ball feed towards the center of the green. When the pin is on the left half of the green, a ball flown to the center of the green should pick up the elevation change in the middle of the green, and feed left to the pin. Trying to fly the ball to the left half of the green is as difficult a shot as there is at St. John.

9th – Par 5
This mid-length Par 5 is very reachable in two if a strong drive is struck over the fairway bunker on the left. If successful the ball will reach the elevation change in the fairway, which will feed the ball forward another 10-20 meters. If the golfer achieves this then they will have a good angle to the green where they have the luxury of being able to hit their second shot short of the green and still have a good chance to bounce the ball on the green.