How to play Ypsilonka

Golf professional Richard Barusel offers advice to deal with Ypsilonka.

Do not pull out your driver automatically, as Ypsilonka is the type of golf course, which requires a great amount of golf thinking, besides good strokes. Shooters pulling out drivers under any circumstances are often surprised by what the golf course has in store for them. Sometimes it is good to hold back a bit.

1. In order to stroke the ball from the teeing ground in a way to get a view of the green, you should play a 180m stroke, yet no longer than 240 m. The fairway is quite down the hill, so select a shorter club (unless the wind blows strongly against the direction of the game).
2. The teeing ground stroke should be longer and situated to the right side of the fairway in order to get a good view of the green. The hole then turns abruptly to the left, and there is a gully on the right, spreading all the way to the putting green, so it is better to stick to the left with the second stroke.
3. It is enough to play the first stroke around 190 metres to get you to a position with a view of the green. The fairway inclines to the left in the second half, so you better stick to the right side.
4. A three-par hole allowing for two different types of play – either a 160m stroke down the hill to the putting green, or a 100m stroke over the water hazard, followed by a short pitch to the green.
5. A hole with the largest superelevation; make sure you use the driver to play from the teeing ground, and for the second stroke to the putting green, select a club that is one or two sizes longer than usual.
6. The easiest and shortest hole on the course; all you need is a 110m stroke to the putting green.
7. A relatively simple 4-par, if the players stick to the left side of the fairway. It is inclined to the right, and there is a bio-zone all along the right side. If you manage to stick to the left, it can be an easy hole to score.
8. The first five-par hole; dogleg to the right, slightly up the hill; after two strokes, you will be able to attack the green with the third. Just beware of the bio-zone situated on the right-hand side and stretching up to 100 metres from the green.
9. Pull out the driver, now it’s the time. A four-par hole ascends the hill to the club room; there are two large bunkers on the left side of the drop zone, and there is one more bunker in front of the green.
10. A four-par dogleg down the hill to the right; I do not recommend a driver to tall players. Inaccuracy on the second stroke may be punished by the ball loss, and it is therefore necessary to hit the green; shorter players should play it safe in front of the green.
11. A relatively short four-par may seem like an easy hole to play, but it is the other way round – it goes up the hill and mostly, you play against the wind, with the drop zone at 190 metres being rather narrow. A large and deep bunker threatens to the left of the green.
12. A four-par hole, the nicest on the course. Taller players may hit the green with the first stroke, with a bit of luck. Shorter players should play a 160m stroke down the hill in front of the bio-zone, and only the second should be directed up the hill to the green.
13. A long three-par hole; if the player cannot hit the green with the first stroke, he should stick to the left side of the fairway.
14. A five-par hole where iron club will surprisingly be sufficient for the first stroke from the teeing ground. The aim is to get in front of the bio-zone, not to play a longer stroke and get right in it. For the second stroke and each subsequent one, the hole is very well-arranged.
15. One more five-par hole, the most challenging on the course; tall players will do fine with a hybrid or a longer iron club from the teeing ground, to play the ball into a good position for the second stroke, which is played across the bio-zone. Players not confident enough to play across the bio-zone should play on the right along the fairway.
16. A simple three-par down the hill to the green. You need to be accurate to score. Beware of the right side of the green where the balls like to bounce into the woods.
17. The last-but-one hole on the course is not likely to give you a hard time. Although it looks dreadful on the birdie card, it is quite the contrary. You play down the hill, there is no big hazard blocking the way, only a short bio-zone is situated in front of the teeing ground, so go ahead and pull out the driver.
18. To conclude with, Ypsilonka will say a nice goodbye to you with an easy five-par hole. With a good stroke from the teeing ground, taller players may attack the green with the second stroke. Just beware – every stroke played too far to the right will end in the bio-zone.