COURSE TOUR
HOLE 1
PAR 4 | HANDICAP 15
Good risk-reward hole to start your round at Rio Secco: if you can make it home then go for the green, but if not pull something less than driver and stay short of the deep bunker fronting the green. Start your round off with a birdie here.
HOLE 2
PAR 4 | HANDICAP 1
Rio Secco’s toughest and yet most scenic drive on the course. Commit to your line and fire away, but don’t bite off too much of this dogleg right. Start your approach at the left edge of the green, and use the left to right sloped green to feed the ball down to the hole.
HOLE 3
PAR 3 | HANDICAP 9
Take notice of the pin on this par-3, because for the best birdie chance you’ll want to be on the correct tier of this split-level green. The hill on the right will help funnel balls down towards the pin.
HOLE 4
PAR 4 | HANDICAP 13
Another risk-reward hole, but with high risk and little margin for error when going for the green off the tee. A safer tee ball with less than driver leaves just a wedge into a wide but shallow green. Play to the center of green, making sure to clear the deep greenside bunker, and an excellent birdie chance can be yours.
HOLE 5
PAR 4 | HANDICAP 3
Carefully placed tee shots just right of the large fairway bunker are rewarded with a clear shot to an uphill and narrow green. Stay left coming in as danger lurks right of this elevated green.
HOLE 6
PAR 3 | HANDICAP 11
The elevated tee on this par-3 places a premium on controlling your trajectory, and it plays shorter than the yardage so choose your club wisely. Avoid the deep greenside bunker.
HOLE 7
PAR 4 | HANDICAP 7
Rio Secco’s signature hole requires a straight tee ball and rewards with a wedge or short iron to a gently back-to-front sloped green. Approaches from the right side of the fairway offer the best angle to the pin.
HOLE 8
PAR 5 | HANDICAP 17
Less than driver will still get you home in two on this par-5. The ideal tee shot is to the edge of the split fairway and a receptive green greets both the run-up and all-carry approaches. Get a birdie here.
HOLE 9
PAR 5 | HANDICAP 5
Let it rip off the tee to a generous landing area, but only the biggest hitters will reach the dance floor in two on this long par 5. Amazingly, Tiger Woods had just 6-iron in for this second shot during his then course record-setting 64.
HOLE 10
PAR 4 | HANDICAP 14
Be careful how much you take off this dogleg left, as a fairway bunker left and deep depression beyond await the less than solidly struck tee shot. On approach, play to the left side of green and avoid the deep greenside bunker right.
HOLE 11
PAR 4 | HANDICAP 2
Hitting the fairway off the tee is crucial on this long par-4, leaving a long iron or fairway wood to an open green that slopes gently back-to-front. Escape with par here and move on.
HOLE 12
PAR 3 | HANDICAP 16
Control your distance on this short par-3, play to the center of the green for safety, and avoid the deep gorge fronting this left-to-right tilted green.
HOLE 13
PAR 4 | HANDICAP 18
Long hitters can try and reach the green off the tee but deep bunkers left and right await the offline shots. A layup off the tee leaves just a wedge into this large peninsula green that slopes back-to-front. Easiest scoring hole on the course, so get your birdie here!
HOLE 14
PAR 5 | HANDICAP 4
The landing area is wider than you may see standing on the tee, but strike it well as a demanding second shot awaits. Choose your layup yardage well and leave your favorite yardage coming in, as danger lurks long and left of this green.
HOLE 15
PAR 4 | HANDICAP 8
Hitting the fairway is the priority here, so take caution when cutting the corner on this gentle dogleg right. Coming into the green, avoid the deep greenside bunker right.
HOLE 16
PAR 3 | HANDICAP 12
Choose your club wisely on this challenging par-3. Water protects the green short, and a deep swale bisects the green left and right. Par is a good score here.
HOLE 17
PAR 5 | HANDICAP 10
Long hitters can get home in two on this demanding par-5, but everyone else must lay up short of the desert front and right of the green. A sizeable shelf splits this green left and right, so hit to the correct side for the best birdie chance.
HOLE 18
PAR 4 | HANDICAP 6
What a view! Now focus – this long par-4 demands a long straight drive, and excellent distance control and accuracy on the approach. Missing the green left makes for a more difficult up and down. Par or better here makes post-round drinks in Janelas Restaurant & Bar even better.