Pleased to see Cotswold Downs have fixed the drainage issues on No 9. KZN has had abundant rain lately, and normally one section of the fairway on this excellent par 5 would be marshy with water seeping on to the fairway. Therefore, unplayable from the normal tees. During recent summers it has often been played as a short 4 rather than at its full distance, which is 476 from the elevated white club tees. Now the fairway is dry. Cotswold has a choice of five tees, catering for a wide range of players, and it’s a feature of the design — on the opening par 5 there’s 138 metres between black and red tees. It’s a brutally long course in summer with no run on the fairways, and elevation changes, so a forward tee is a friendly option for most. One young golfer who isn’t concerned about length is pro shop assistant Travis Welsh. He recently had an albatross 2 on 18 (495 from white tees), holing out with an 8-iron approach. That must have been some drive.
