Hole 9 "Boat House"

The last hole of the outward half is a long, demanding par four. Part of the difficulty results from length. For many, for most of the year, two very good hits are needed, often a third. Shape is another problem; the hole bending further left than might appear at first glance from the tee. In fact, the most direct line involves a drive up the fourth fairway, then an accurate shot diagonally across an area of woodland, trees growing taller each year, always the risk of clipping a top, leaving at best a hack onto the fairway, at worst a lost ball. By contrast, the designer route up the middle, avoids a bunker short right, another further up on the left, and leaves a long second down a relatively narrow fairway. But there is room on the right before dense undergrowth comes into play, though less space on the left. The green, sloping from the back is not easy to read, although the entrance, bunkered on either side, is comparatively wide. The cottage behind gives the hole its name, reminding of days when the journey from castle to church needed a river crossing.