The Back Nine

Coming Home

Leura Golf Course is a par 70 classic mountains course. It is carved into the magnificent Blue Mountains clifftops and challenges golfers with its rolling fairways and well manicured greens. The back nine summary follows an excerpt from Peter Hume’s essay – The Beauty of the Challenge.

Narrow chutes, acute shot angles, blind tee shots, doglegs, forbidding rough and rolling slopes combine to set up a challenge that will stretch one’s concentration and technique.

These next 8 holes require a high degree of commitment to the best play one can manage. And they yield great satisfaction when mastery wins out. The consolidation of breath-taking scenery, adventurous shot-making and sheer sense of achievement at regulation figures, are not to be missed by the serious golfer on these highly individual, delightfully distinctive holes. They are a great opportunity to refine one’s temperament as well as display the best shots in one’s bag.

Some of the highlights would include the drives on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th dealing with water, OOB, narrow shot lines, precipitous slopes and untouched eucalypt forest with all its difficulties of leaf and stick and bark litter, overhanging branches, nasty roots and tree trunks everywhere. The fairway was never more aptly named than in these parts.

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10th Hole – 351 m – Par 4

Dog leg right. The dog leg is protected by a large gum tree. Drive to centre left for a clear approach to the green. Aim at the left side of the green, OOB lurks metres from the right fringe.

11th Hole – 200 m – Par 3

Elevated tee with a bunker protecting the left half of a large green. Check the wind as this is vital to club selection.

12th Hole – 498 m – Par 5

Tight driving hole. Tee shot over water to fairway which slopes right to left. The national park (and OOB) is on your left and heavy going. Accuracy is needed for the second shot leaving a simple pitch to green. Big hitters beware, bunkers protect this green in front and to the right.

13th Hole – 355 m – Par 4

Dog leg left. Fairway wood or iron aimed at the gum trees straight ahead. OOB if you hit too far and on the right. Right to left sloping fairway to a large 2 tiered green.

14th Hole – 371 m – Par 4

The world famous 14th at Leura. Index 1. This hole is bordered by one of the biggest penalty areas in golf – the Jamison Valley. Best to stay left off the tee (OOB on the right) leaving a mid to short iron to a smallish undulating green. PS. Bring out the camera at the green and take a few shots from on top of the world.

 

15th Hole – 136 m – Par 3

Tee shot to elevated green protected by bunkers right and rear. A large gum stands halfway in the centre of fairway. An accurate tee shot required to a fast sloping green from back to front left.

16th Hole – 500 m – Par 5

A tough par 5. A good tee shot is required to get over the hill. The hole dog-legs right to two very large water hazards. Once the drive is negotiated it’s best to lay up to 150m marker. Play a medium iron to the left hand side of the green which is perched on a hill.

17th Hole – 171 m – Par 3

Toughest par 3 on the course. 174m over a gully and with water on the left of an elevated green. Pick a club then take 1 more. Shorter hitters can bail out to the left then rely on a good pitch and putt for par.

18th Hole – 302 m – Par 4

Uphill par 4. Fairway wood off the tee and there is OOB on left. For your approach shot aim to the left side of the green, there are bunkers front right and right side.

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