Baviera Golf Club is a thriving club located close to the wonderful coastal towns Caleta de Velez and Torre del Mar just 20 minutes east of Malaga almost exactly halfway between Malaga and Nerja.
The club President, Carlos de la Vega took ownership of the Baviera Golf Club immediately prior to the Covid crisis and has lost no time in improving the golf course and its facilities whilst maintaining its exceptional value for money. The Baviera Golf Club is a jewel!
The golf course is in great condition, the greens especially noteworthy for their blemish free appearance and true running nature. The playing surfaces are all in great conditions, the fairways and greens and aprons present the ball clearly and crisply. The first cut of rough is even and about half a ball deep, not hostile, not ball swallowing, but difficult to get the precise contact you would like. The bunkers employ dense heavy sand and are well padded.It has an informal yet premium feel. This is one of the finest golf courses serving visitors to Malaga.
Not a long golf course – if you are striking the ball well with high confidence then you can create more than a few birdie chances. However this is a course where you need to play to your strengths. Whilst length can reward you with short clubs into greens, it is more important to find a tee shot that eliminates all risk and play the percentage game. This is not a golf course that is suited to being blasted and overpowered, instead this golf course will reward those with the skill and patience to unpick it shot by shot. Baviera Golf Club is a fair test for players across the entire golfing spectrum. Whether you are a highly skilled long hitter or a social golfer this course will entertain you.
Baviera Golf Club has a vibrant members section and also a junior golfers academy numbering 80 young people! It is a joy to see how much Carlos and his team are giving back to the local community.
Baviera Golf Club will make its players feel good about their golf. Golf courses don’t have to be championship venues to make them good. They have to be well designed, properly maintained and organized by a professional, empathetic management team. Baviera Golf Club has all of these attributes.
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You can book your tee time at Baviera Golf Club here. We have also written a guide to the best hotels for Golfers visiting the Malaga area, you can read it here and follow the link for the most competitive rates.
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Location
Facilities
Clubhouse
Bar
Restaurant
Pro Shop
Club Rentals
Changing Rooms
Gymnasium
Sauna and Jacuzzi
Golf Academy
Halfway House
Designer Jose M. Canizares
Opened 2001
Checking in
We arrived at Baviera Golf Club early for our 8.30am tee time. A bright July morning, the sun had begun to arc across the heavens promising to bring scorching temperatures. Oddly we were the only car in the car park. We walked into the clubhouse and followed the signs down the stairs to the caddy master and pro shop.
We were greeted with a smile by all in the pro shop. “Welcome gentlemen ” he gave us a wonderful run through on how everything works and where everything is. He took us to our buggy which was in the underground car park and said, Mr Walker “Please park your car downstairs, keep it out of the sun”. A very kind thought.
Every care was taken to make sure our journey to the first tee was smooth and easy. A very pleasant experience which created a positive first impression.
From the clubhouse we drove towards the first tee which took us past the excellent driving range and academy, the putting green and the fabulous halfway house. We took the opportunity to use all three!
Baviera Golf Club Par 71 White Tees 5609m Yellow Tees 5326m Blue Tees 5046m Red Tees 4744m
Baviera Golf Club Par 36 Front Nine White Tees 2885m Yellow Tees 2718m Blue Tees 2574m Red Tees 2400m
Baviera Golf Club Hole 1
Par 4 Stroke Index 17 White Tees 287m Yellow Tees 271m Blue Tees 251m Red Tees 236m
The sun was coming up, a little dew on the ground, the next hour or so promised to be steamy. The first tee sits high above the fairway. The hole is a pronounced dog leg to the right .
A line of pine trees immediately to the right of the tee box makes any thoughts of cutting the corner and having a go at the green obsolete. The only tee shot is to play to the elbow of the dogleg 175m straight ahead of you leaving 95m into the green.
The out of bounds fence runs to the left side of the hole 15m left of the fairway and will only come into play for those unfortunate enough to suffer from random hooks. Bunkers on the left side of the fairway are the line to aim at.
We are high on the hillside looking across the valley. The valley walls are streaked with parallel lines, evidence of ancient terraces cut into the hillside long ago to support agriculture. We are surrounded by working farms, avocado seems to be the harvest of choice for local farmers.
The closest town, just 1km away is Caleta de Velez, we stopped for a coffee and bocadillo there before arriving at the golf club. Caleta de Velez is a working fishing port, nets set on the harbourside being repaired and prepared for the next morning. Small fishing boats even at this early hour were busily bobbing away out at sea no doubt sourcing the finest seafood for the harbourside restaurants.
With the busy fishermen below us and the farmers on the hillside this reminds me of my childhood in Brixham, Devon. It is very different from our usual surroundings on the western half of the costa del sol. This is the sort of place that Rick Stein might fall in love with!
I selected a 6 iron in order to dispatch my first tee shot and reach the corner of the dogleg. A half topped turf burner covered the ground as though being pursued by a racing snake, nevertheless it arrived at the desired spot. JW hit a similar iron, much better than mine, he too finished exactly in his chosen spot, but,with greater elegance.
From the fairway, as we ponder our second shots we note the huge dimensions of the green relative to the length of the hole, very welcoming. We both agreed that it would be difficult to miss this green from the sub 100m range that we both have. Somehow JW did just that! He fatted his wedge spectacularly, the ball covered two thirds of the distance. I on the other hand followed the script and hit mine reasonably close to the cup.
JW salvaged a par with a good up and down to match mine.
This opening hole is a gentle way of beginning your round. It gets you used to the idea that playing strategically is going to be a good idea. Follow the script by finding the fairway and then avoid chunking your chip and a comfortable par can be inscribed on your scorecard giving a nice solid start to your round.
Baviera Golf Club Hole 2
Par 4 Stroke index 12 White Tees 320m Yellow Tees 281m Blue Tees 257m Red Tees 257m
The second tee is just behind the first green. One of the longer par fours, nice and straight but with OBB on both sides for extra spice! The imminent danger is the OOB on the right, it runs close to the fairway and grabs your attention. The boundary fence on the left is 20m beyond the edge of the fairway set on a rising bank. All balls heading in this direction are likely to get a helping bounce back to safety. Except mine.
I took a line on the left edge of the fairway, well away from the omnipresent trouble and made decent contact. My ball bounced on the hardpan high on the bank but rather than kick right it shot forward beyond the white stakes never to be seen again. It was in that moment, grieving for a lost golf ball, that I started to understand how this course needs to be played.
This par four is 320m long. Not a long hole but certainly troublesome with OOB on both sides. I had no chance of reaching the green with even the biggest of drives. In hindsight I had nothing to gain by taking the big dog and hoping to steer a straight one. The correct shot for me was to hit 220m from the tee, my 2 iron or 4 iron and leave a solid 52 degree wedge into the green.
Note to self – Always play to your strengths. Never hit the difficult or risky tee shots. Here at Baviera Golf Club you must always take the easy option from the tee. Hit the shot that brings no fear, no tension and maximum confidence. If you keep the ball in play you will always have a chance of scoring well.
A fairway bunker sits on the right half of the fairway, today it lay in wait for Johns drive which duly arrived a few moments after mine vanished over the fence. The bunker is about 100m from the flag and is not a terrible place to be.
The green is slightly elevated sitting upon a plinth half a meter above the fairway. the bank upon which the green sits runs away to the right . The green, again, is generously wide and deep, another welcoming target. Thank you Senor Canizares for being so kind to us!
The bad shot from the tee here is to be more than 30m away from the centerline of the fairway. I was 31m and missed the golf course. Baviera Golf Club will tell you quite clearly how it wants you to play it. We just need to listen.
Baviera Golf Club Hole 3
Par 4 Stroke Index 18 White Tees 303m Yellow Tees 288m Blue Tees 265m Red Tees 250m
The third tee is just behind the second green. A couple of pine trees on the right of the tee box screen the green from the tee. I can see a small lake in the first cut of rough just short of and to the left of the green. To have a clear view with your second shot you need to be on the right side of the fairway. The lake is 270m from the tee, not in range for most of us. There is a tree in the fairway 200m from the tee. Carry it if you can, although it might be best to slide the ball past the tree on one side or the other, don’t let yourself get stuck behind it!
Beware of the out of bounds fence running along the extreme right of the hole alongside the cart path. The left of the hole has a line of trees, some sitting atop a stone walled bank, beyond the trees is the 7th fairway. A bad shot to the left is not fatal, but you are leaving a tough shot either over the trees and the lake or through the trees and the lake. There are far more ways of cocking it up than making a par if you miss the tee shot on the left!
The 3rd fairway is 70m wide, more than enough. Really folks this should be a gentle hole, a good chance for a solid par or better, all you need to do is play percentage golf. No unnecessary risks.
For me the ideal tee shot would have been a 2 iron missing the tree to the right and leaving myself with my preferred wedge range. Instead, as usual, with no forethought whatsoever I took my driver and hit my signature snap hook over the 7th fairway which came to rest 40m left of target, stymied by the canopies of the trees unable to reach green from a range of 58m.
A simple hole made punishingly hard.
Baviera Golf Club Hole 4
Par 5 Stroke Index 2 White Tees 491m Yellow Tees 472m Blue Tees 463m red Tees 429m
The first par five of the day and it’s a big one! From the fourth tee I can see out of bounds markers on the right side next to the cart path. There is an internal out of bounds line on the left side of the hole. Do not go left of the line of palm trees set deep into the first cut of rough on the left side .A generous fairway awaits, despite its girth I cannot get the threat of the boundary fence on the right out of my mind. There is a lake on the left 275m from the tee which also marks the inside corner of a slight dog leg to the left. The lake is connected via a drainage gully to a second lake sitting greenside on the left making the final third of this hole more complex to play yet easy on the eye. The line from the tee is easy, follow the stripes on the tee box and aim up the centerline of the fairway, fingers crossed for a straight one!
Young Banana and Avocado trees are dotted around the first cut of rough which serve to add a natural beauty to the surroundings. Baviera Golf Club enjoys a delightful parkland setting with fabulous Mediterranean flora.
The widest fairway so far has been kind to JW and I*. We both commented on its immaculately cut surface. JW’s drive was not a sterling effort, with 290m to the green and the lake 106m on the left side JW needed to choose his lay up shot carefully. The maxim at Baviera Golf Club is “don’t take unnecessary risks” – bashing a three wood might not be the best option. To the right of the lake the fairway is still 60m wide, JW’s sliding five wood got the job done finding safe haven leaving him with a short iron shot with which to attack the flag.
My drive was rather good. Only 4m from the fairway* I will count that as a fairway hit! I have 235m to the green. It is just about in range, but my downhill lie and the proximity of the water on the left eradicate any thoughts of attacking the green in two. I applied the lesson learned so far in the round. I wanted to have 40m to 90m for my third shot, therefore I needed this one to travel 140m to 190m as straight as possible. I selected a 7 iron which delivered accuracy and covered 160m.
Upon reaching our balls we learned that our strategies had worked, JW had only 105m to the flag and I was right in my sweet spot with 80m! It’s a rare feeling for me to be pleased with myself on a golf course. The green is 3m above us. A bunker guards the front right access meeting the lake as it extends to cover the front left leaving only enough room to walk onto the putting surface, another good reason not to attempt attacking with the 2nd shot. A cracker of a par five!!
My 80m wedge was not quite as fine tuned as I had hoped and came to rest in the back bunker. The defenses at the front of the green led me to give it a bit more just to be sure and bamboozled me into an elementary mistake – exactly as a great golf hole should! JW did exactly the same!
Having been in perfect positions just moments ago we both walked off with bogies having been outsmarted by the golf course!
Baviera Golf Club Hole 5
Par 3 Stroke Index 6 White Tees 163m Yellow Tees 149m Blue Tees 135m red Tees 126m
On this par three there is a safety fence on the immediate right of the tee box which will stop balls destined to leave the confines of the golf course. A lake sits on the left side of the hole, not a threat to your tee shot unless something goes wrong. Between the lake and the green is a large bunker guarding frontal access to the putting surface. The only way to access this green is to fly the ball into the heart of the target. It sounds quite straight forward. At 163m this is not a Goliath par three but is long enough to be severely testing. In order to set my expectations at the right level and to prevent a sudden attack of self loathing in the event of a bad shot, I brought to mind an article I had recently read, “statistics show that from this range (160m) tournament professionals are more likely to make bogey than birdie.” If one’s tee shot on this hole is neither wet or on someone’s terrace it can be considered a success!
Both JW and I managed degrees of success with poor crappy tee shots. From the front bunker JW splashed out and saved par whilst I did not. Such is life.
Baviera Golf Club Hole 6
Par 5 Stroke Index 5 White Tees 517m Yellow Tees 500m Blue Tees 482m Red Tees 461m
Another big par five. The cart path again runs along the right side, five paces beyond the cart path is the out of bounds wall. A safety fence is in place immediately on the right of the tee box to prevent wildy offline drives from going OOB. The line is to aim at the left side of the fairway and if possible shape it a little to the right. Two long thin bunkers reside on the right edge of the fairway at 200m and 240m from the tee directly opposite the lake at the narrowest point of the fairway. It is fair to assume that between them these hazards see a lot of traffic!
The lake comes into play in the first cut of rough on the left at 190m from the tee extending to 260m, If your ball misses on the left side within that range then it may well meet a watery fate. This is a difficult tee shot.
JW, once again found the center of the fairway. A graceful shot with his five wood left him with less than 100m into the green. My drive found the farthest away bunker on the right, a topped 4 iron took care of a further 80m of the hole leaving me 170m. from where I managed to find the green with my third.
Bunkers guard the left and right flanks of the green whilst a shallow grass bunker thick with first cut rough crosses the front access to the green about 30m short of the putting surface denying access to balls intent on running up to the green.
This is a well thought out hole, the challenge as is the case in general here at Baviera Golf Club is finding a tee shot that keeps you in the game.
Baviera Golf Club Hole 7
Par 4 Stroke Index 13 White Tees 294m Yellow Tees 280m Blue Tees 260m Red Tees 234m
We are faced with a 294m par four. JW is still one up on me after some lackluster golf from us both. This is a straight hole rising from the tee to the green exposing a wide welcoming fairway. A mighty bash with my driver stayed on the fairway and came to rest 60m short of the green. The pin today is on the front edge. The hole rises steeply over the last 30m or so, meaning that I need to add 15% to be sure of getting my ball to the green. The green is wide and deep as have been most of them. Big generous greens which in principle should be easy to hit. Baviera Golf Club is a “feel good” golf course when you start finding the fairways!
Baviera Golf Club Hole 8
Par 3 Stroke Index 16 White Tees 166m Yellow Tees 140m Blue Tees 131m Red Tees 118m
From the tee box I can see out of bounds on the right which is much closer to the green than it appears as you view the hole from the tee. The apron of the green on the right side is 6 paces from the cart path running up the right side. The cart path is 1m from the boundary fence. To make matters more difficult there is not much room to miss the green on the left, the trees midway along the hole prevent you from aiming to the left and will hopefully arrest any balls heading in the direction. Like all of the holes here at Baviera Golf Club you need to hit a shot which deviates from the centre line by no more than 20m either side. If you have a club with which you can manage that over the distance required then you will be there or thereabouts and in good order. The hole does make you aware of the dangers but it also shows a good deal of kindness giving a large margin for error. The bunkers guard the left and right access leaving a small gap. If bunkers are your nemesis then lay up short. Otherwise aim for the middle of the green.
I found the green apron on the right, narrowly keeping the ball in play, JW in the front right bunker. As big as these greens are, we are both missing most of them!
Baviera Golf Club Hole 9
Par 4 Stroke Index 4 White Tees 344m Yellow Tees 320m Blue Tees 306m red Tees 289m
At 341m playing uphill, the out of bounds stakes are on both the right and left. This is a tight driving hole where shaping the ball from left to the right would fit the shape of the hole perfectly. To add to the drama there is an avenue of trees through which the drive must be threaded, extending from the red tee boxes all the way to the fairway. The fairway is the narrowest we have seen today. Approximately 40m wide running uphill to the green, the elevation adding 1 or 2 clubs to your second shot.
JW and I both managed to shape the ball with our driver. JW had 138m uphill to the green and allowed an extra club to make sure he got all the way. Bunkers set in the bank below the green guard the opening which takes away the option of running your second shot into the target. His second shot came up short forcing another great up and down to save par. My 90m wedge shot finished reasonably close to the flag but, again, no birdie for me. This is a very good and very tough hole.
The front nine have been extremely enjoyable. A high standard of strategy and ball striking are needed to record a great score. Yet it is sufficiently kind in nature to allow all of us, even if things are not going our way, to have a highly enjoyable experience.
Baviera Golf Club Par 35 Back Nine White Tees 2742m Yellow Tees 2608m Blue Tees 2472m Red Tees 2344m
Baviera Golf Club Hole 10
Par 3 Stroke Index 11 White Tees 163m Yellow Tees 158m Blue Tees 140m Red Tees 125m
Having paused to enjoy a “pitufo” with jamon serrano and queso manchego at the delightful halfway house we found ourselves on the tee of this scary looking par three 10th hole. My immediate thought as I look across the valley towards the green, 170m away, cut into the hillside, is of the numerous ways this can go wrong! The tee is mounted on a hilltop. The ground falls steeply away to the valley bottom from where it climbs 15m to meet the green on the other side of the valley.. A lake sits at the bottom of the valley and will claim countless balls that fail to reach the green and bounce down the valley wall toward their watery fate.
A cross bunker is cut into the hillside halfway between the lake edge and the green and will save a few fortunate souls from the water hazard. Immediately left of the green is the boundary fence. Today the wind is slightly against us making this by far the most difficult shot we have faced today.
I tried to hit a controlled five iron and made a total mess of it. The cross bunker saved me. JW on the other hand came up with his best strike of the day and pitched his 5 iron close to the pin leaving him a short birdie putt.
The shot from the slope below the green is very tough, it would have been easy to miss the green again. It doesn’t take much imagination to realize that this hole could wreck a score card!
This is a great par 3, a tough challenge, all it needs is one good shot!
Baviera Golf Club Hole 11
Par 4 Stroke Index 8 White Tees 292m Yellow Tees 283m Blue Tees 261m Red Tees 256m
Another demanding tee shot is required on this punitive par four, the signature of Baviera Golf Club. Pain and difficulty are omnipresent with out of bounds to the left and to the right leaving a slender fairway of just 35m in width. A short par four of less than 300m it defends itself with its gracile dimensions. The widest point of the fairway arrives at 150m from the tee and makes a strong argument for conservative play. An aggressive tee shot might get you close to the green, but the risks are huge.
JW selected a 5 wood, I chose my 3 wood. JW hit a nice one coming to rest in the first cut on the right. I hit what I thought was a good shot with a slight draw, I found mine just to the left of the cart path less than 1m from the out of bounds markers just 78m from the green. I was forced to hit a low pitch and run to work it through the trees. It came out like a bullet and vanished over the back of the green beyond the ring of palm trees to a fate unknown. JW was also unable to find a way to the green.
This short and supposedly easy par four hole embarrassed us both! We should have played the hole as the designer intended. A mid iron from the tee leaving a short iron into the green.
Baviera Golf Club Hole 12
Par 5 Stroke Index 1 White Tees 532m Yellow Tees 519m Blue Tees 505m Red Tees 492m
A par five of Biblical proportions, more than half a kilometer long! A water hazard, dry, but marked with red stakes runs the entire length of the hole adjacent to the right edge of the fairway. The narrowest point of the fairway arrives where the cart path follows the terrain to the left behind a bluff. At this point 240m from the tee the short grass is only a few paces wide making for an excruciating prospect from the tee!
The widest part of the fairway comes at 190m from the tee and makes a very sensible target. This is not a par five that can be reached in two strokes, therefore there is no advantage to be had in taking the driver. This hole shouts at you to play the conservative tee shot. Listen. You will not regret it!
I chose not to listen and cracked my drive with authority. It was no surprise that my drive crossed into the hazard on the right.
The sensible strategy is to hit a tee shot 190m to the wide point, to hit the same club again for the second shot and leave 140m into the green for the third. It’s not easy to hit a green from 140m, but at least you will still be in the hole! For most players this plays like a par 6!
Once you get past the narrow point at 240m the fairway opens to a kinder 60m of width requiring that the second and third shots also favor straightness over distance.
A bunker sits on the left side of the fairway 45m short of the green, another bunker guards the front right blocking enough frontal access so that running shots will not find the green. This is designed to be played as a three or even four shot hole. If you can escape from this hole with a bogey six then you will have beaten more than 50% of the field!
Baviera Golf Club Hole 13
Par 4 Stroke Index 9 White Tees 317m, Yellow Tees 309m, Blue Tees, Red Tees 272m
From the tee an adjoining fairway is visible on the right which provides a rare margin for error. On the left is out of bounds. It plays uphill with the crest of the fairway 200m ahead of us. The out of bounds markers are on the left of the hole close to the cart path, The fairway is canted a little from left to right encouraging your ball to run away from the white stakes.
Behind us is the first view of the sea, to our right is a working avocado finca both serve to remind me of the natural beauty surrounding us. The ideal drive here is starting up the left half of the fairway cutting back to the center. JW played what can only be described as a “commercial” drive. Nothing about it was pretty but it got the job done. Needless to say, with out of bounds on the left something in my DNA summoned a pull hook and so I deposited another ball in the countryside!
The best line into the green is from the left side of the fairway. A driver is not the best club to select from the tee. Two hundred meters with the tee shot would suffice.
Looking back down the hole from the green towards the tee the fairway looks so wide that it seems incomprehensible to miss it. Yet from the other end it looks so different! This is what the designer wants you to see. He wants you to be tested with every tee shot!
Baviera Golf Club Hole 14
Par 4 Stroke Index 7 White Tees 284m Yellow Tees 265m Blue Tees 245m Red Tees 230m
From the elevated tee the view is dominated by the Mediterranean Sea on the horizon. Below the horizon are the brown hills of the countryside and then the bright green of the golf course forming a spectacular mosaic. On the left, out of bounds, is a 45 degree bank dotted with Olives and Wild Oaks. At the base of the bank is the cart path. Another short par four, 60m wide with a line of trees marking the right edge of the fairway. A large lake guards the front of the green making it utterly impossible to attack the green from the tee. The lake, 40m in breadth, arrives 240m from the tee, the fairway gives way to the first cut of rough 10m before that. Playing downhill from the tee means another club can be knocked off which helped me arrive at a 2 iron with which to tackle this tee shot. My 2 iron did exactly as I asked it to do, arriving in the fairway 30m before the water leaving an elementary wedge shot onto the green. My reward for playing two well thought out golf shots? A birdie! Happy days. Now, finally I am learning how this course wants me to play it!
If only I had pursued this logical path of conservative golf from the beginning, my scorecard may have told a very different story.This is how it could have been for me if I had engaged my golfing brain earlier!
Baviera Golf Club Hole 15
Par 3 Stroke Index 14 White Tees 165m Yellow Tees 146m Blue Tees 139m Red Tees 128m
The wind is coming off the sea adding a club to this downhill par three. A lake guards the front of the green. The only way to access it is to fly your ball over the water. The lake arrives at 120m from the tee and is 20m wide coming to within 2m of the putting surface of its shore.
The green is wide and deep. Going over the back of the green is also terminal. A very pretty hole.
Baviera Golf Club Hole 16
Par 4 Stroke Index 10 White Tees 283m Yellow Tees 268m Blue Tees 260m Red Tees 249m
You can, if you choose, persist in bashing the driver at every opportunity. And you can do it successfully, provided that you have the ability to shape the ball. Almost all of the tee shots require a little movement from left to right to find the best results. If you don’t have the skills to reliably shape the ball on demand, then, exactly as I have done today, you will lose the battle. The rewards do not outweigh the risks unless your deftness with the big stick is surgically precise.
A tempting short par four, this 16th hole runs uphill for its final 80m making it all but impossible to dominate with the driver. The cart path runs along the left side of the hole, beyond the path is the banked rough and the out of bounds. On the right is red staked rough. It is narrow! A bunker on the right of the fairway at 200m is perfectly located to attract a lot of traffic.
With renewed confidence I eschewed the driver and selected my 4 iron, certain that a perfect strike would render this tough hole defeated. In fact it was a miserable contact, rattling my fingers and scrabbling its way up the fairway. The key thing to note is that even a shot as dreadful as this found the fairway ! A similar dreadful poke with my driver would have immediately ended the hole for me. I like my new plan!
I have 160m for my second shot. Bunkers guard the front left and right, the ring of palm trees help to define where the back edge of the green is and therefore where the trouble starts! My six iron found the front edge of the triangle shaped green, the pin today is towards the back right. Two putts gave me a par.
Baviera Golf Club Hole 17
Par 4 Stroke Index 3 White Tees 384m Yellow Tees 372m Blue Tees 355m red Tees 340m
The greens have been wonderfully consistent today, they run true, no bounces or bobbles. The members are well educated, evident in the absence of pitch marks. This has been an excellent experience. The moment you engage your brain is when the golf course will begin to reward you. It simply cannot be overpowered. it must be unpicked with consistent, conservative shot selection.
An elevated tee with the lake directly below you. From the bottom of the valley the hole runs back up the hill cresting at the point where this dogleg hole turns to the left. You need to carry the tee shot 150m to cross the water. A bunker sits at 205m from the tee on the perfect line. It is a risk to cut the corner with the driver, if you do and if you are successful then you will have a big advantage. For me there is no point in taking the risk. The only serious option is to play a tee shot towards that fairway bunker and leave yourself a mid to long iron into the green.
Both JW and I hit poor tee shots, his with a driver, mine a three wood. We both finished on the extreme right of the fairway.
Out of bounds sits on the left of the cart path, a line of trees on the right . A pair of bunkers guard the front left and right access to the green making this a tough hole.
We both faced second shots of close to 200 yards, neither of us were successful. In hindsight I wonder if taking on the high risk tee shot and attempting to cut the corner might be the right thing to do. This is a very tough hole coming in the final stretch of the round. If your confidence is high and you want to win the day, then this risk and reward tee shot might be worth the challenge!
Baviera Golf Club Hole 18
Par 4 Stroke Index 15 White Tees 304m Yellow Tees 288m Blue Tees 269m Red Tees 252m
Playing uphill this slight dogleg to the left is a very tough prospect from the back tees.
The line for the tee shot along the line of the cart path, left of which is out of bounds, there is a protective line of trees between the back tees and the other tee boxes just ahead and slightly to the right making a tiny avenue through which the drive must pass.
A fairway bunker sits on the inside of the dogleg just a few meters from out of bounds and 70m from the green. This is by far the toughest drive today from the back tees. I hit my driver to be sure that I could get past that bunker and leave a short flick into the green. I managed to find a decent strike with my tee shot that flew straight, over the bunker on the dogleg and finished in the fairway. Again in hindsight it was a ridiculous shot to attempt, almost no chance of success. The wise solution would have been a long iron or a hybrid to take the easiest shot from the tee and still leave me with less than 100m to the green.
A set of ornate lakes sit on the right of the green and cascade in a series of waterfalls from one to another making a very attractive feature for this closing hole.
A pair of wedges onto the green and we both conclude our round with comfortable pars.
There is no doubt that Baviera Golf Club gave me a good beating today. John on the other hand with his ability to find fairways built a great score. We both enjoyed our experience here enormously. Baviera Golf Club is a very good place to be. We heartily recommend it.
Summary
This course is cleverly designed and asks you to play a strategy. Consider it a game of 3D chess, pitting your wits and abilities against the designer, Jose Maria Canizares. Plan your way around starting from the green and working backwards. If you like wedge shots from 40m to 100m then choose the tee shot that fits.
Don’t be suckered in by thinking that the short 300m par fours are easy. They will bite you harder than a scrapyard dog. Don’t think that you can simply over power the course with mighty drives. This course is all about selecting the right tee shot. Do whatever it takes to make sure that you are in play and the golf course will reward you with plenty of par and birdie chances.
Always hit the easiest tee shot you can and you will shake hands on the 18th green with a big happy grin. You will have enjoyed a first class day of golf on a first class facility and you will be ready to enjoy the fabulous clubhouse to boot.
As a destination for visiting golfers it is clear why Baviera Golf Club has become so successful. They have created an excellent golfing experience.
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