The second hole is another short par five, this time with a slight dogleg to the left. Again, out-of-bounds awaits the golfer who is well left with any of their shots. The hole is uphill most of the way, and your second shot will usually be blind over a crest of the hill; there is more room than you think to the left, but it is best to be as straight as you can be. The crest of the hill is about 135m from the green.

A long par three over a gully to a small green: the golfer who walks off this hole with a par has done very well indeed. A hazard stretches down the left-hand side of this hole, and a creek runs at the bottom of the gully. Most shots should carry the creek, but it pays to know it’s there. Long shots flirt with out-of-bounds. There is plenty of room left and right of the green, but to get up-and-down requires a lot of skill.

The shortest of the par fours on the course, the unwary golfer can still be caught out by the tricky green complex. Longer hitters will find the green tempting on their tee shot, but watch out for shots that stray to the left, into the bunker or long, as the sloped green can lead to some difficult pin placements when playing into the green cross-wise. For most players it is best to aim right of the green. A definite birdie chance.

Although it looks reasonably short on the card, this hole is very demanding. Any tee shots right will find a quick path down towards the dam, which will make for a tricky recovery, or even a drop out of the hazard. The best tee shots flirt with the left hand rough. The green slopes markedly from front-left to back-right and there are few flat pin positions. If you must miss the green, miss it right, as missing it left will require great touch to chip or pitch the ball down the slope towards the pin.

A downhill par four, this hole offers a little more leniency on the drive than the previous hole, but the best approach to the green is made from the left-hand side of the fairway. The drive is blind, but aim just to the left of the power pole in the distance and you will be fine. It is possible to land your second short of the green and bounce it in, but you must be straight, otherwise the two bunkers that guard the green will come into play. Women may find it difficult to get home in two, but anything short and in the fairway offers a fairly straightforward third shot in.

Bob Charles’ advice is a little bit out of date, at least as it pertains to us mere golfing mortals. His advice comes from the days when the seventh was a par five, and a reasonably straight-forward three-shotter; these days the hole is anything but easy. For men, the seventh is the longest par four on the course, and although it is downhill most of the way, the small green sees far more bogeys (and worse) than pars. The length makes this a demanding par five for the women. On the tee shot aim a little left of centre, as the sloping fairway tends to be more helpful to balls played there than to the right. Be careful of hitting the ball too far when playing into the green, as out-of-bounds awaits around the clubhouse.

This is the shortest hole on the course for the men, and is also the easiest for both men and women. But be careful: it’s only easy if you hit a good tee shot! Club selection is vital here, as anything too long or short will make par seem a very good score, and you will be flirting with any of the four bunkers that surround the green.

Another par four for men and par five for women. This hole requires an uphill blind tee shot, which makes the hole seem a lot longer than the distance on the card. The small green is hard to hit, and if it must be missed, to the left or short is usually the better option. Par is a very good score here.

A tight driving hole, with an even tighter approach shot required to a narrow green with bunkers either side. The breaks on the green are subtle and it is easy to be deceived due to the lie of the land. Especially from the men’s blue tees, you should walk away very happy with a par here.

Probably the signature hole of the Masterton Golf Club. The views from this hole, especially from the green, are outstanding. As for the hole itself, if you have to miss the green, miss it left — there is a small chance the ball will catch the bank and kick it onto the green. But miss it right, and you’re either out-of-bounds or faced with an extremely demanding pitch, often blind. The green is two-tiered and has more subtle breaks than you realise.

Another great-looking hole. This par four is short on paper, but long on danger. Left and down into the tree-covered gulch is in deep trouble and will often mean another hit from the tee or a drop. Right isn’t much better, with a drain running most of the length of the fairway. Longer hitters will have to be especially straight, as anything in the two fairway bunkers makes for a very difficult second. The approach requires good distance control, as bunkers guard back left and front right and a deceptively tricky hollow guards around the front and left. Out-of-bounds or a very demanding chip down the slope of the green awaits those long with their seconds.

The third hole of what is sometimes called Masterton’s “Amen Corner”. Score well on the 11th, 12th and 13th and you’re usually on the way to a good score. This par three has probably the most severe green on the course; but to even get there your tee shot has to cross a vast gully. Do not be left. Or right. And if you can, try to have an uphill putt. If you miss a downhill putt, you will usually have a longer putt coming back up the green! The women’s tee shot, although the shortest, is probably one of the more difficult on the course, as it is all uphill.

This hole plays with the prevailing wind, and the longer hitters will often want to go for the green in summer. Be careful of hitting left, however, as the ground slopes alarmingly towards the hazard if you’re too far off-centre. And tee shots to the right will have an extremely difficult approach to the green, often having to contend with the tall trees between the 14th and 15th holes. The green looks flat, but has some very subtle breaks. If the ground is soft, try to fly your approach all the way to the green. Attempting to bounce the ball into the green requires accuracy and very good distance control as it is all-too-easy to go through the back.

For such a short par four, this hole really punches above its weight, and it is the first stroke hole for the men, and the second for the women, for very good reason. It is more uphill than you realise, and it plays into the prevailing wind, which often means taking more club than you think you’ll need for your approach. You’d have to be a long way right to get into the hazard alluded to by Bob Charles, but even if you’re only a little right, the giant pine you’ll find between yourself and the green devours golf balls. And if you manage to get past that, the small, narrow and sloping green is difficult to negotiate, especially if you find yourself having to chip in from the left (which many, many golfers do after avoiding the pine). Pin positions towards the back offer the most level lies; beware the front pin positions!

This hole is one of the more generous to your tee shots, so long as you aim left. A drive down the centre or to the left opens up the green nicely. However, on your approach don’t be long or left of the green, or you will be faced with an unenviable pitch. It is possible to aim right on your second and bounce the ball into the green, but the weight has to be just right: too strong and you’ll find the bunker; too weak and you’ll likely roll back off the false front on the green.

The shortest of the par fours on the course, the unwary golfer can still be caught out by the tricky green complex. Longer hitters will find the green tempting on their tee shot, but watch out for shots that stray to the left, into the bunker or long, as the sloped green can lead to some difficult pin placements when playing into the green cross-wise. For most players it is best to aim right of the green. A definite birdie chance.

One of the easiest holes on the course for the men, this hole plays mainly downhill – a welcome respite for the weary. The tee shot is narrow, but the rest of the hole is reasonably straightforward; although, as we all know, there is nothing straightforward in golf!