[PHOTOS: Gary Lisbon]
Have you ever taken a large family photo only to realise one cousin on the end is out of shot? Or an overzealous piece of cropping has accidentally cut Aunt Jenny from view?
This week at Kingston Heath Golf Club, a much-loved member of the Heath ‘family’ will be simultaneously present and absent: the stunning par-3 10th hole.
Situated centrally within the layout, the 128-metre gem is as exacting a wedge or short-iron shot as you’ll find on the esteemed course, with a slender green ringed by bunkers in the front and sides plus a steep fall-off at the rear. Part of its intrigue is a wicked, genius pin position at the front of the green where the space between the left-side and right-side bunkers is only a few paces. Front flags make the hole measure only 100 or so metres but they present arguably the most nerve-jangling shot of the day.
Sadly for golf fans and the field, the 10th is out of play once more, a victim of its location within the layout that can create a bottleneck for crowd flow and a front nine that’s actually a front 10.
“The front ‘nine’ has 10 holes, so we’ve always got to lose one hole from the front nine,” says Kingston Heath course superintendent Hayden Mead. “It’s got to be either the 10th or five [in the regular layout], and the walk from four to the sixth tee is such a long walk.”
Mead says Wednesday member competitions also adopt the same routing to maximise the number of players. Meanwhile, using the tee belonging to the 10th hole allows the fourth hole to play about 20 metres longer this week.
The 10th hole has been left out at Kingston Heath tournaments for the past 15 years, as the 2009 Australian Masters – won by Tiger Woods – was the first time the 10th was omitted from the routing. Helping matters was the construction of a new spare hole behind the first green, which gave the club flexibility both in tournament weeks and for regular member golf. It will play as the 11th hole this week, as the first 11 holes revert to a tournament sequence rather than the routing Kingston Heath members are used to playing.
The bypassing of the 10th hole is perhaps the one blight on seeing one of the world’s great golf courses in tournament setup for a national championship. It would thrill players and spectators alike to see wedges thrown to such a skinny target.
Unfortunately, it’s a situation we’ll need to get used to.
“Due to its location and during tournaments, it becomes a major congestion point,” says veteran tournament director Trevor Herden. “It is a great hole, however it just makes everything too tight around that section of the golf course for all of the various elements of tournament golf.
“The surrounding area, and holes, also cause a pinch point for spectators trying to take in the action. So improved fan experience is a fantastic byproduct.”
For those attending the Australian Open this week, chances are you will wander past the 10th hole at some stage. Maybe pause for a moment and picture the shots you might have seen.
