Hole

6 & 15

Par 4

  S.I. 1

  S.I. 1

This is Lobden's signature hole; the tee is elevated and from here at about 175 yards down the hill beyond the rough, the undulating fairway runs away down to the right. It is a sharp dog leg with out of bounds along the inside. The green is nestled at the base of another down slope and is severely contoured, with a sharp gradient from front to back. Behind the green, where many a less than perfect approach shot will run, are more reeds and tough grass.

The tee shot is all about wise decision making and nerve. How much of the dog leg, if any, are you prepared to cut off? A cautious line may see your drive run out of fairway as the ball can run across into the rough at the far side, so therefore a  3 wood or long iron might be the weapon of choice.

Alternatively, carrying the out of bounds with a well struck driver can have the reward of leaving the player at the top of the down slope which falls steeply to the green. An approach from here is usually much easier to judge than from way back up the fairway.

No matter from where you are playing your shot to the green it will require a good deal of imagination. In dry conditions the prudent option will be to land the approach at the top of the down slope, from here it will hop forward and roll down onto the green. Aiming slightly to the left is likely to yield the best results.

Finally, when the player has negotiated the hazards and reached the green he will faced with the toughest test on the course. Despite the fact that the lower portion of the green was re-laid in 2002/3 the gradient is still terrifying (at least from above the hole) for all but the most confident of putters. Study this put carefully as it is not uncommon to find a line that includes 2 or even 3 different breaks.

Info: No. 6 tee is one of the highest, in Lancashire, being over 1,000 feet above sea level. On a clear day the views from the 6th tee on Rushy Hill are superb.

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Hole

6 & 15

Par 4