Hole 1
This medium-length par 4 provides a fairly benign opening tee shot to ensure people can ease themselves into the round. A tee shot played down the right side of the fairway will provide the best angle into the green, although the left is certainly not a bad option. Either route, accuracy is key on the mid- to short-iron approach into a green protected on the left-front with a bunker, and bailout a bit right. The green has a fair amount of movement, but a well-played shot will give you an excellent chance for par or birdie.
Hole 2
The tee shot on this shortish par 4 is protected on the right side of the fairway by deep, gaping bunkers. The preferred tee shot is as close as you can get to the bunkers, just left of them, or over them, which opens the green from the right. The left side of the fairway leaves you with a shot slightly blinded by some dunes, but certainly still playable. A deep greenside bunker protects the front left of the green and an up-and-down par from here will be challenging.
Hole 3
The first par 5 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea is also the longest par 5 on the course, but one that is still reachable in two shots with a good, solid tee shot helped by the prevailing winds, and then a gamble over some cross-bunkers that sit about 60 to 70 yards short of the green. There are three options to carefully consider on the second shot: play well short and safe; play to the left; or play over the bunkers into the front approach. You just have to pick your poison. The putting surface slopes gently.
Hole 4
This short par 4 is a right-to-left dogleg around the lake, and the prevailing left-to-right winds will give this hole some teeth. Here, a precise tee shot should be played conservatively. Tee shots played along the lake on the left will continue their way down toward the green and should leave an easy, short iron approach into the putting surface. The gamble will be on the second shot because it is a narrow green that is protected in front by water and a bunker.
Hole 5
The shortest par 3 on the golf course is protected on the front left by water and on the back by bunkers. Tee shots that finish to the right of the putting surface will present a tough up-and-down for par as the green will be sloping away from you to the lake. This is a fairly simple golf hole, but still provides plenty of excitement on the green.
Hole 6
The longest par 4 on the course is bunkerless off the tee, with a fairway that plays through a valley and into a green protected on the right by a large hollow. The green is long, from left to right, but fairly gentle. The hole requires two good solid shots. If you play your tee shot to the upper right plateau, you are left with a shorter, almost level approach.
Hole 7
This longish par 5 tempts you on the tee with a gamble over the left bunkers. Be careful not to reach the bunkers on the right, or attempt to hit your tee shot through the gap between the two bunkers to give yourself a chance to get home in two. If you hug the left bunkers off the tee or take it over the top of the bunkers, the ball will feed gently down the fairway. Second shots played over the two cross bunkers should feed down on to or around the putting surface. If you choose to lay up, play it close to the lake for the best visibility into the pin. A long swale flows along the base of the back right green support and it will likely collect your approach should you bail too far away from the lake. Since this green has some excitement in it, make sure you get the ball into the right side of the section where the pin is located.
Hole 8
The longest par 3 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea plays 233 yards from the back. The left-to-right green is bunkered well on the short-left and front-right. This is a good, solid par 3 that requires different strategies, depending on where the pin is that day. When the pin is front or middle, you can run your shot through the left approach. When the cup is cut on the right, you can work your tee shot around the right greenside bunker and into the right-center of the green.
Hole 9
Usually playing downwind, this medium-length par 4 is a wonderful conclusion to the outward nine. There are bunkers sitting in the right-center of the fairway, and a tee shot over those bunkers opens up the green on the second shot. A tee shot to the left of the bunkers requires a second shot over water into a well-protected green. With the green perched atop a rock cliff bordering the lake on the left, a right-to-left approach is the safest play into this putting surface.
Hole 10
The inward nine begins with a very aesthetically pleasing hole set up by a dramatic tee shot to a landing area set above a rock cliff. Many players will probably play less than a driver off the tee out to a shelf, and then play a medium iron into somewhat of a punchbowl green that is protected on the front-left by a bunker. Play it along the cliff for a nice approach angle to the green, or close to the left fairway bunker complex for a slightly shorter but more challenging second shot.
Hole 11
This sweeping dogleg-right par 4 is protected down the entire right side by water. Play it close to the water for a shorter approach and the best angle into the green. If you play to the left side of the fairway, which is split by a grass mound, you are left with a longer shot off a high perch. It’s not a dramatically different way to play the hole, just longer.
Hole 12
One of my favorite holes on the course, this long, dogleg-left par 4 is bunkered on both sides off the tee. The hole plays downwind and flows through the bottom of the dunes before rising up to a perched green. Challenging the left fairway bunker off the tee will leave you with a nice approach and view into the green. Tee shots played out to the right will leave you with a much longer second shot. Distance control will be key on any approach into a green that has a great deal of excitement in it and some interesting pin placements.
Hole 13
With tees set atop this steep cliff, you’ll have wonderful vistas into this 207-yard par-3 green. Although there is water well short of the green, it should not come into play. The front of this green is fairly open and there are ample chipping areas provided around the putting surface. Avoid going long and right as the green pitches away from this area. The green has good movement in it and a variety of strong pin placements.
Hole 14
A true risk-reward par 4 that provides the player an opportunity to gamble. The shortest par 4 on the course is split by water down the middle. A tee shot to the right landing area offers a more generous target and thus easier tee shot, but you are left with a challenging approach across the stream to a narrow green. A tee shot taken over the lake and along the stream to the left peninsula fairway will allow for a much easier pitch or chip into the green. So you must make a decision on the tee box: Do you prefer a hard first shot or hard second shot?
Hole 15
This rolling par 5 flows across dunes and valleys on its way to a dynamic green complex set above the cliff and lake. The tee shot plays to the top of a ridge or fairway plateau. So a drive played over the right fairway bunker will find a speed slot that will throw the ball forward and give you an opportunity to get it home in two. A deep fairway hollow and bunker protect the right edge of the green, while water guards the left. Aesthetically, this is a very pleasing hole and one that presents many options.
Hole 16
The longest par 4 on the inward nine plays across the dunes and down into a deep valley. The tee shot shouldn’t be a problem for better players. You can draw your tee shot around the small left-center bunker or take it over the top of the bunker to the deep valley beyond. This will provide you with a great location from which to attack the green. The greens drop off on the left with a bunker protecting the left side. The putting surface has a bit of excitement to it, and the back left pin placement will be very strong. A birdie or even par here, and you’ve set yourself up for a great finish.
Hole 17
This middle-length par 3 on the water sets up to be a nice penultimate golf hole for the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea. There is ample chipping area provided short and left of the putting surface, but a difficult pitch over the left greenside bunker could prove challenging. Use the wind to work into the pin for an opportunity to make up a shot with a good birdie. But watch out: A bad shot and you’ve got problems.
Hole 18
This beautiful 542-yard finishing hole could decide a tournament, or make or break your round. This reachable par 5 protected along the entire right side by water and bunkers on the left side of the tee shot. The green is perched above the lake and surrounding chipping area. A second shot played to the left leaves an easy pitch into the green. Play it close to the lake off the tee and take your chances with a forced carry on the second shot, and you can find this green in two.
