TIP FROM THE PRO

Hole 7

I don't think I'm wrong in saying this is the hole that plays statistically the most easy in the winter compared to itself in the summer. The fairway that slopes away from us, holds instead of allowing the ball to bound through into trouble and the slopey green (??!!) is not nearly as scary as in the summer when some pin positions border on completely unfair. So what can we learn about how to play the hole?
Firstly the tee shot; if you are a reasonably big hitter and haven't got a pronounced draw then you will feel comfortable about hitting over the corner of the trees. The difference at the moment is that you can afford to hit so much more club than in the summer. Off the back tee in calm conditions in the summer I would hit a 3-iron or maybe a hybrid with a fade. From the front tee, where the mat currently is, in the winter I would use a 3-wood almost every time as the ball will basically stop dead. Exactly the same is true of the shorter hitters - club up! In the winter this hole becomes a 3-shotter for many of you and this actually makes it easier and a better way to play the hole. Don't bite off too much on the tee shot - hit a straight ball at the black and white post and then lay up just short! Again the ball will stop quickly and the third then becomes far easier than in the summer.
Now the real tip for the 7th hole - In summer conditions when you have hit a good drive and can easily reach the green - DON'T bail out right! It is NOT the safe shot as so many think it is. If you get pin high or further you now have no shot at all and will always drop at least one shot. No matter what the pin position - go for it! I guarantee if you do then over a reasonable period of time you will save shots on this hole. Clearly if you hit a bad shot and go right that is one of those things and you may have to take your medicine but don't aim there as so many do.
IF you are very scared of bunkers or are unsure about reaching easily with a mid iron or shorter then there are two possibilities - firstly, lay up short in the fairway and chip and run onto the green, and secondly, if you're good enough, aim left of the bunkers and leave yourself a chip up the green from below the hole, but don't block yourself out behind a tree. The second is really for the people who can get there and this is why we should go for the pin. Short and left is the easiest chip by a long way. Long and anywhere right is all but impossible. I have learned the hard way here and always go for the flag making sure that I err on a draw swing. The last thing I want is to lose it right.