By Matthew Brookes
I like to think of the 14th hole here at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club as the sandwich in our version of ‘Amen Corner’. The testy par-3 is a taste of what the 12th hole at Augusta must be like and especially when the breeze is swirling around The Creek.

Throw in the tricky par-5 13th with the island green beforehand, and the par-4 15th hole after with no space to go left, and it is a stretch of holes that can be a scorecard deal-breaker towards the end of your round.

The 14th has water defence around the front and right side of the green with three bunkers dotted up the left to the back of the putting surface, leaving very little room for error. The wind predominantly plays slightly into and from the left-to-right, bringing that water into play and even more so if you slightly miss-hit your tee shot.

My advice is to favour the left side of the green when picking a target line. This portion of the green plays much deeper, so you have a larger area to hit.

Another reminder is that when it’s breezy, swing easy! Don’t feel stupid picking a club or two more, which will launch the baller lower and with less spin, thus helping that ball travel straighter with less effect from the wind. Good luck and enjoy the battle for the green jacket.

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Matthew Brookes is a PGA teaching professional and golf-specific fitness trainer at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s Peter Cowen Academy Dubai.