OCALA – Some of the most iconic holes in the game of golf have come together in Ocala, Fla.
Golden Ocala Golf Club hosts this week’s Coates Golf Championship Presented by R+L Carriers. The course features seven tribute holes similar in design to the stretch that makes up Amen Corner at Augusta National Golf Club and the famous road hole, the par 4, 17th at St. Andrews.
“The golf course is unique in that there are seven replica holes of some of the most famous holes in golf including holes #11 and #12, which are replicas of holes #12 and #13 at Augusta National Golf Club,” Pete Lis, LPGA Manager of Rules and Competition, said via email. “Last year, hole #13 proved to be the most difficult. This is fitting because it is a replica of hole #17 at St. Andrews (The Road Hole) which is usually around the most difficult hole, if not the most difficult hole, when British Opens are played there.”
Lis says the par 4, 13th will play tough again this year despite the addition of a new tee, which shortens the hole by 40 yards.
“The key to this hole is getting your drive far enough down the fairway to open up the very tricky green, a little too short and players may not have a clear look at the entire green as there are trees that creep in on the right,” said Lis.
Driving will be a premium throughout the course, Lis said, in order for players to properly position their approach to target the difficult hole locations. The greens are Tif-Eagle Bermuda with Hybrid Bermuda grass on the collars. They are extremely undulating and will run at 11.6 on the stimpmeter this week. Fairways and tees are a mix of Bermuda and overseeded Rye.
The course will play to 6,541 yards this week at a par 72. In the inaugural playing of this event last year, Na Yeon Choi won at 16-under par, with a total of 272.
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