A Hole by Hole guide for the Waterfall at Mannings
Heath Golf Club in Horsham
Our members know the course well and
perhaps don't need this guide however, if you are invited to play,
a few tips may be of use.
A course plan
The 1st – SODOM (PAR
4 GOLF HOLE, 344 YARDS, SI 17)
A fairly short par 4 to start, a good tee shot
will need to be kept to the left side of the fairway to avoid being
blocked out with the second shot by a towering oak tree. An
elevated green needs a well struck short iron to hold on the
putting surface.
The 2nd – GOMORRAH (PAR 4, 299 YARDS, SI
13)
Another short par 4 that can offer a good
birdie chance. The tee shot will need to reach the top of the
slope, favouring the right hand side to get a good view of the
green. The brave can take on the green from the tee; however
a cleverly placed bunker can catch you out.
The 3rd – GATEWAY (PAR 4 GOLF HOLE, 413 YARDS, SI
9)
A good tee shot that misses the fairway
bunkers on the right will leave a shot to a green through a funnel
of trees. Often wise to play the approach short, if long of
green it leaves a tricky up and down.
The 4th - HELL CORNER (PAR 4, 383 YARDS, SI
5)
“Hell Corner”, very appropriately named.
A tough tee shot that needs to hug the tree line and be long enough
to get to the top of the hill and a get a view of the green.
Anything else will require a long, blind second shot or a
provisional ball! The green is guarded by two deep bunkers to
catch any miss-struck second shots. Par is a very good score
here.
The 5th - PUNCHBOWL (PAR 3, 184 YARDS, SI
11)
The first of three stunning and challenging
par threes. Named “Punchbowl”, the green sits in exactly
that, with out of bounds just yards from the left edge of the
green. A safe bail out is to the right with a chance to
bounce into the green, although too far right will catch the
waiting bunker at the top of the slope. This will leave a
tricky shot down to the green.
The 6th – WARREN (PAR 4 GOLF HOLE, 371 YARDS, SI
3)
Accuracy is more important than length from
the tee here. A shot over the marker will find the undulating
fairway, leaving an approach over a stream to a two tiered
green. Hitting the wrong level will leave a challenging two
putt.
The 7th - JOHN JONES (PAR 4, 431 YARDS, SI
1)
The hardest hole on the course. A tee
shot to a relatively wide fairway will leave a long approach to the
large green. Two bunkers on each side of the green will catch
wayward approaches. A four is a very good score here.
The 8th – HUMMOCKS (PAR 5, 495 YARDS, SI
15)
The first par 5 on the course, but
certainly not a given birdie. Tee shots on the fairway can
give an opportunity to try to get home in two for the longer
hitters among us, but well placed bunkers can make the third shot
incredibly tough, meaning a strategic lay up may be called for.
The 9th – BEECHERS (PAR 4, 378 YARDS, SI
7)
A huge bunker to the front left of the green
swallows many balls, and some players! A severe slope in the
middle of the green makes putting very difficult. Take note
of the pin position, hitting the right level can give a good chance
for birdie, hitting the wrong level makes a two putt very hard
indeed.
The 10th – WATERFALL (PAR 3, 173 YARDS, SI
14)
The signature “Waterfall” hole. Take a
moment to savour the view, before getting down to business.
The shot plays shorter than the yardage from the elevated tees,
with danger left. With the ball in mid air, you will have
more than enough time to cross your fingers and hopes the ball
makes a safe landing hopefully on the green.
The 11th – VALLEY (PAR 4 GOLF
HOLE, 369 YARDS, SI 2)
The hole Gary Player put in his imaginary
world 18 holes. You can see why, the stream winds the entire
length of the hole, and cuts in near the green. The fairway
is very narrow in places, so may be wise to leave the head covers
on your longer clubs for this one. Relative safety is found
to the right hand side of the green to ensure the ball stays
dry. A par here will put a smile on your face. While
enjoying a well earned break at the halfway hut, take a look at how
daunting the tee shot is from the recently added gold tee, not for
the faint hearted.
The 12th – HORIZON (PAR 4 GOLF HOLE, 378 YARDS, SI
8)
Avoid the large copse of trees from the tee to
leave a mid iron approach to a two tiered green protected on all
sides. Well worth knowing the pin position as the green sits
above you.
The 13th – WINTERPICK (PAR 5, 486 YARDS, SI
10)
Another par five that takes its toll.
Avoid the two fairway bunkers from the tee and second shot and you
will be in good shape to play the third, which will play longer
than expected due to the massive elevation change. Breathe a
sigh of relief once you reach the top!
The 14th – BLASTER (PAR 3, 158 YARDS, SI
16)
The last par 3 surrounded by trouble.
Bunkers guard the entire left hand side of the green while a steep
ravine leading to out of bounds is found on the right. Trust
your swing, as a well struck shot which finds the green is the only
way to keep your score going.
The 15th – HILL (PAR 4 GOLF HOLE, 251 YARDS, SI
18)
The shortest par 4 on the course as long as
the tee shot finds the fairway. Bunkers guard the small green
and one thirty yards short of the green may catch what may have
looked like a good drive.
The 16th - OLD HAVEN (PAR 4, 466 YARDS, SI
4)
A long testing par 4 that was once a par
five. Avoid the fairway bunker from the tee and this will
leave a long approach to a very deep green. Again, knowing
the pin position could be the difference here.
The 17th – HOLLYBUSH (PAR 5, 487 YARDS, SI
12)
The last par five and a real opportunity to
improve your score. The fairway slopes from right to left the
whole way, and two grass ditches can pose a problem. Downhill
putts on this green can be very slippery indeed.
The 18th – FULLERS (PAR 4 GOLF HOLE, 417 YARDS, SI
6)
Almost home! An elevated tee shot that
avoids the grass bunkers on the right will leave an uphill approach
to the green. Take plenty of club to find this very shallow
green, with very fast putts for players above the hole. Just
think of the rewarding drink on the terrace whist climbing the hill
to the green!
The 19th hole
at our golf club in West Sussex… sit on the terrace watching others
tee off and come home!
Sounds like the challenge
for me! Tell me about membership