Braid 5

Unusually the course opens with a really tricky par five requiring both thought and care. The drive, from an elevated tee, must avoid the water hazard right and out of bounds over the hedge left. The big hitter will no doubt drive over the ditch crossing the fairway at 220 yards most players however will lay up! The second shot needs to avoid two well placed fairway bunkers to enable approach to the green across the stream running parallel to the fairway for much of the hole. Sensible play for most is to lay up with the third shot to ensure you start your round with a nett par!

Tees - 504/497/478

Claughbane 4

This is a deceptive short par four. A carefully positioned drive is needed to land on the fairway right of centre avoiding the well positioned bunkers on the left. Long hitters need to be mindful of the bunkers on the right at 250 yards. The approach is a testing one to a well contoured green that slopes away from the player. Drag your second shot and you’ll find the bunker, take too much club and you’ll run away over the back!

Tees - 304/287/268

Elfin 3

Even from the front men’s tee, at just 129 yards, this can be a very demanding hole. The difficulty comes chiefly from the sharply sloping two-level green which is guarded by three bunkers, one right and two left. It is rightly considered the most difficult green on the course and especially if you are on the wrong level, your putting will be severely tested. It is certainly better to be short than long with your tee shot since if you overshoot, the land falls away quite steeply from the back of the green.

Tees - 141/129/113

Bahama 4

Named after the distant Bahama Bank in Ramsey Bay, the shortest of our par four holes at 262 yards from the white tee it is within range for the low handicap golfer provided the stream and bunker directly in front of the green can be avoided. Most will choose to lay up short of the water. The errant drive is faced with trees on the right or an out-of-bounds hedge to the left. Be careful not to overshoot the green since there is out-of-bounds to the left and long over the wall at the back of the green into Crossags Lane.

Tees - 262/259/258

Claddagh 4

Claddagh carries the risk of out of bounds down the right hand side over the stream separating it from the first. The drive must be straight with well-placed bunkers 235 yards (right) and 275 yards (left) to catch longer hitters whilst those with a tendency to hook could find lots of trouble in the trees left. The shot into the green is through a narrow entrance with bunkers left and right which readily gather balls just a little off line. The green is generous in size and without the undulations that several of  the Ramsey greens possess.

Tees - 385/369/362

Lane 4

Long hitters can drive the green at this short par four providing they can avoid the bunkers in front of the green at 250 yards. A water hazard runs across the fairway at 170 yards and when the wind is against this can pose a challenge for the higher handicapper. Trees can pose problems right and left whilst a good hook could find the pond by the practice ground! Don’t overclub your approach as the lane close to the back of the green is out of bounds.

Tees - 271/249/226

Crossags 4(5)

Crossags is a long par four(five for ladies) often played into the prevailing wind. The Crossags Lane hedge and out of bounds runs all along the left whilst on the right trees, a lateral hedge and a cross hedge at 230 yards from the competition tee, can catch the pushed shot. So favour the left hand side of the fairway if you can. If you are going to lay up for your second shot the left side again should be preferred as the well protected green is set at an angle. A gross four at this hole is very satisfying.

Tees - 417/387/409

Beaconsfield 4

Accurate driving is essential here since cross hedges at about 200 yards present a narrow gap. Push your second shot and you will flirt with the lateral hedge and trees on the right. The approach to the long green is a demanding one as the putting surface is guarded by three bunkers, one short, one left, and one right.

Tees - 392/383/335

Crovan 3

Godred Crovan, former King of Mann, gives his name to this a long and testing par three usually played into the prevailing wind.  Bunkers left and right of the green narrow the opening to the green whilst the approach on the left is further protected by a grassy mound which recently replaced a much visited bunker. Overhit your shot to the green and you could find your ball in the hedge at the back.

Tees - 201/186/140

Barrule 4

The first hole of the back nine requires a good drive towards the magnificent hills. A ball offline left or right finds clinging rough whilst a hook could put you into or over the gorse hedge which runs all along the left side. The entrance to the green is narrow with tricky bunkers cut in left and right. A further bunker some 50 yards from the green will grab a weak second shot.

Tees - 374/357/309

Wall 5

A really testing par five doglegging right and over the hedge (used to be a wall) at some 280 yards from the competition tee. An accurate drive just right of the marker post is ideal – offline to the right and you could be blocked out by trees or even be out of bounds whilst thick rough and more trees await a hook. The second shot over the wall is demanding too since there are trees and out of bounds on the right and well placed bunkers on the left. The green is large but a bunker cut in on the left catches many an approach shot.

Tees - 521/513/449

Glen 3

A beautiful long short hole. The hole is invariably played directly into the prevailing wind and from the competition tee most mid and high handicap golfers will require a wood if they are to reach the green. Trees line the fairway on both sides whilst the green is well protected by deep bunkers both on the right and left. An accurate shot is required to find the generously sized green avoiding the well placed approach bunker on the right and the grassy mound on the left.

Tees - 217/195/138

Milntown 4

Although this is the 13th, don’t be discouraged – it’s not an unlucky hole, just a testing par four or a hole for the hooker as there is out of bounds all down the tree-lined left bordering the lovely Milntown estate. Trees on the right and a grass mound some 200 yards from the tee can catch the faded drive. Big hitters should take notice of the bunker some 290 yards from the tee. The long sloping-away green is very well guarded by three bunkers, one on the left and two on the right. In the month of May you can admire the planting of rhododendrons to the left of the green.

Tees - 395/389/386

Auldyn 5

The 14th Fairway with its views up to the mountain The last and shortest of Ramsey’s three par fives. Normally played into the prevailing wind it can seem extremely long. Tall trees along the right with out-of-bounds  also on the right tend to dictate the shape of the drive.  If you successfully negotiate the tee shot your second is relatively straight forward, albeit with continued out-of-bounds to the right and a cross hedge to the left. A large landing area sets you up nicely to attack the well protected and deceptively level green.

Tees - 489/465/434

Brereton 4

Longest of the par four holes at 438 yards this is a testing hole for players of all abilities. The good news is that this is usually a downwind hole. However the fairway is lined with trees, heavy rough and a cross hedge at 230 yards on the left, and it slopes away to a well-positioned bunker on the right. The medium handicap player will be pleased to find the fairway and will need a long iron or wood to reach the green. The single figure golfer should drive past the initial hazards into more friendly territory. The small tricky green is narrowed by the bunkers left and right.

Tees - 438/415/402

School 4

Take care to play away from the out-of-bounds school playing fields on the left. Two bunkers have been placed on the left hand side of the fairway at 215 and 245 yards from the white tee. Many players will therefore lay up with an iron leaving a shot of some 130-140 yards to the sloping green which is protected by five bunkers, two to the left and three to the right. A short pushed tee shot will find a turfed cross wall some 190 yards from the tee or beyond that a number of mature trees.

Tees - 341/333/268

Fairfield 3

An innocuous looking hole of 184 yards but it is not as easy as it looks! There are problems both left and right. All along the left are the out-of-bounds playing fields of Ramsey Grammar School (East) and nearer the green there is a small copse of trees. To the right there are a gorse hedge and a ditch. There is also a pond some 5 yards past the green. The hole is well bunkered left and right and a pot bunker in front of the green leaves a narrow entrance for those unable to carry with their tee shot.

Tees - 184/178/172

Spion Kop 3

Measuring only 146 yards from the white tees yet it has probably put paid to more potentially winning cards than any other hole on the course! Difficulty comes mainly from it being a blind plateau green. The land falls away steeply to the front and both sides, there are inviting gorse bushes to the left. Aim a mid or short iron at the clubhouse clock – it is better to be long rather than short. Miss the ample green and it’s trouble down the sides leaving a shot to the often invisible pin. The dramas of the hole can be readily viewed from the comfort of a clubhouse armchair!

Tees - 146/135/117