The good Doctor would appear to be a hooker of the ball, as eight of the opening nine holes have water or out of bounds lining the right side! Unlike Red Mountain there is less variety on this opening stretch, and the constant “water on the right” theme makes a few of the holes blur in the memory. The 4th, a pretty, 169-yard par-three over water was made more interesting than usual as it played straight into the wind.
The back nine offers a more varied challenge with several strong holes. In particular, the par-five 11th is a superb hole. Played into the prevailing wind, a downhill tee shot leaves a second over a stream cutting straight across the fairway and a third to an elevated green which slopes sharply back to front.
There are also two very good par-threes, the downhill mid-length 14th nestling by a lake and the tough 16th, a stout 200-yarder with water very much in play. The final hole, like at Red Mountain, is a tight par-five which doglegs quite sharply to the left and requires careful placement off the tee.
The clubhouse has been recently refurbished, with excellent facilities and a decent restaurant. Overall, Loch Palm is a good fun course and a relatively light relief compared to its younger sibling.
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