AIG Women’s Open – Hardest vs. Easiest Holes

8 August 2023

With the AIG Women’s Open taking place this week, we have taken a detailed look at some of the hardest and easiest holes at Walton Heath.

We have also looked briefly at the event on the whole, it is safe to say it will be a memorable Major, find out more here.

The Old Course at Walton Heath Golf Club is a difficult course for the amateur golfer with an average score of 14 over par. The lowest recorded round using Shot Scope performance tracking technology is an impressive 69, -3 under par.

Some further, overarching stats for the course on the hole. Amateurs hit the fairways just over 50% of the time and struggle to hit the greens with 34% GIR. When an amateur misses the green, they get up and down 36% of the time and so scores can quickly rise.

Where are scores most likely to be higher? Holes two and four appear to be the most costly for amateurs, normally the fourth and sixth. 

Hole number two is a long Par 4 with several hazards for players to consider. 

Heather lines both sides of the fairway as well as two large bunkers down the left, with a sinister central bunker in the middle of the fairway. 

The green is large and rectangular in shape with bunkers both short left and short right that will swallow any wayward approaches that are chasing up towards the green. 

Amateurs miss the second green short, 64% of the time and hit the green only 14% of the time. This is likely why the typical golfer makes bogey here more than 50% of the time!

The fourth hole is a Par 4 and will be playing over 400 yards, typically into the wind.

Shorter players off the tee will find this tee shot particularly challenging as the landing zone is very narrow with well placed bunkers on the left side. Longer hitters should not be as concerned by the two sandtraps.

Once players have found the short stuff, they must play into the small green which is well protected by a deep bunker short left. This wreaks havoc with amateur scoring.

Typically, amateurs are more likely to make bogey or worse on the fourth than they are to make par. A look at scoring breakdown here shows how difficult it plays for the typical amateur: Par 22%, Bogey 50%, Double or worse 27%. 

Once again, the common miss here is short, 60% of the time, and when amateurs do miss the green they get up and down 1 in 4 times, costly mistakes. 

It is looking like a very difficult opening run of holes for the Professionals and we are confident they would gladly take pars at both holes. 

Hole number 16, presents players with a great scoring opportunity.

The last Par 5 on the course, the 16th, is a risk reward hole that gives players a great birdie chance. A dogleg left, players must find the right side of the fairway to give themselves the best chance at going for the green. 

To the right of the green, a deep bunker awaits, and to the left, a heather filled grass bunker. Find the green and players can reap the rewards of two great shots, find the hazards and players will be risking bogey or worse.

This will be a great hole to watch as the tournament progresses, amateurs hit the green 62% of the time and convert the birdie opportunity once every ten attempts. This should mean that the Pros score well here, providing they can stay out of the hazards.

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