Chief among Pezula’s more unusual holes is the short par-4 17th which plays between 196 (red) and 290 (black). Jeff Clause, when at Pezula, had an ace here, but for many this is a tricky hole. A shapely and smallish green is hidden over a dune, and a bold tee shot clearing this dune makes for a simple approach. But coming up short could leave an awkward lie, stance, or blind approach. Perhaps all three. One way to view the green is to play to the far right of the fairway, a sensible option, but still requiring a pinpoint tee shot. Because golfers using the 3 forward tees (196 to 240) are often waiting for the green to clear before teeing off, Pezula have moved the red, blue and white tees further back to improve pace of play and overall playability. The resort has hosted many international visitors this summer, and in anticipation of this increased traffic, Pezula late last year replanted the collars around each green with a rye-fescue cool season grass mixture more tolerant to damage from equipment and golfers. The definition of these wide collars (1.5 to 2m) has enhanced the aesthetics, and safeguarded the greens from invasive growth, in Pezula’s case the kikuyu. The locker rooms have both been upgraded in the clubhouse.
