#13 · PAR FIVE
(Stroke 12) Welcome to the second of our 3 Par 5s, the longest hole on the course.
#13 · PAR 5 · STOKE 12
Welcome to the second of our 3 Par 5s, the longest hole on the course. The first thing you’ll notice from the tee box is the line of very tall gum trees on the right. The one thing Gum Trees like more than misdirecting golfballs is water. Here lies the Sluit once again.
Tee Box
Thus going right off the box is nothing but trouble. Aim for the fairway bunkers in the distance and you’ll be a lot safer, the left to right camber will take your ball down towards the centre of the fairway. However, be cautious not to veer too far left, as more of those PV trees are waiting. Even with a big drive, you’ll still have 200 meters + to get anywhere near the green.
Approach
With the ball most likely lying below your feet, a fade is not your friend on this hole. For many players, a middle iron lay-up is the smart choice, setting up a manageable wedge approach to the green. With a deep bunker positioned front right and a rough-covered hump on the left middle of the green, this strategy still requires accuracy. With such a big, sloping green, finding the hole with 2 putts is not easy, and thus the 13th delivers Birdies and Bogeys with equal measure.
Greens
They are legendary, or perhaps infamous. Some love them. Others despise them. To play Parkview is to experience what a green should be: equally parts welcoming and unkind, technical and mysterious. Whether running at 13+ for a club championship, or at a gentle 9.5, the trick to avoiding three-putts at Parkview is more about feel and wisdom, rather than ability. Considering that some of our greens were literally shaped by hand, playing what you feel rather than what you see is often the trick to finding the bottom of the cup.
Water Hazard
Perhaps the most formidable and striking feature of Parkview is the waterway that runs the length of the entire course. It is both a blessing and curse; giving us the water that keeps Parkview lush during the harsh highveld winter, a constant supply of reasonably priced slightly used balls, and adding a constant danger that you must navigate on almost every hole. Beware that not every green slopes to the sluit as you would expect.