I had never played San Lameer until this round, despite often holidaying in the area. I was well aware though of its reputation for being a tough layout, which it definitely was. There is a lot of water, and I lost three balls which is above my average! The course constantly keeps you on your toes, demanding you think and commit to shots. The design wants you to take the heroic shot when you know you should play safe. While San Lameer is suitable for a competent golfer, where I think the course is lacking is its punishing difficulty for a high handicap. There are forced carries on more than half the holes and it has the toughest set of par 3s I have come across. You can definitely see it was designed by Peter Matkovich: elevated greens, wavy features and heroic shots. All in all I enjoyed the course as it forced me to concentrate for every shot and stay focused throughout.
