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Sandy Reef — Golden Tee 2017

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Here are some early screenshots of the course!  Here is the official preview of the new 2017 Maldives course.

“On the other side of the world, tucked between continents and encased by the Indian Ocean, sits Sandy Reef. Golden Tee has found a new tropical home in the Maldives, and the views are breathtaking. Oh, we’ve done tropical courses in the past, you say? Certainly. But never quite like this. The vibrant blue waters, twisting palm trees and infinity beaches are easy on the eyes and soul. Just because it’s one of the flattest places on earth, don’t think you’re off the hook. Those beautiful views can come at a cost.”

Here is a 6-hole demo from the Golden Tee Lounge!

Here is a YouTube demo of all 18 holes from the beta version!

GT Par can range from -29 to -31 on this course, as #14 and #15 are sometimes drivable.

This post contains tips, tricks, and information related to the 2017 Golden Tee course Sandy Reef! Check out the hole-by-hole breakdowns and example hole-outs as I partner up with the Golden Tee community to give you the edge you need to beat your friends!

The most popular club/ball combo on this course will also be discussed.


Sandy Reef — Hole #1: Par 4

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From the front box, you may be able to drive the green…check out this huge turbo A1 drive that blew past it!

Here’s a nice hole-out to start the round.


Sandy Reef — Hole #2: Par 3

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Here’s a straight-on ace to a back pin.


Sandy Reef — Hole #3: Par 5

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With most setups, you can turn left and play along the right edge of the fairway as far as you can.  You’ll be able to get there with a driver or less.  Here’s a driver hole-out to a back pin.

There are a couple other options to play to spots in the right fairway towards the water, but you’ll need to shoot over/around trees on the approach.  This is usually not a problem with a 5/6-wood if you’re left with a setup where you need to hammer it, which allows extra height…smoother shots can still catch trees.  That’s why the left route is preferable as long as you can get past that set of trees on that side.  From the center fairway layup spot, here’s a nice 5-wood over the top.

From the far-right end of the fairway, this 3-wood goes around the right side of the trees to find the hole.


Sandy Reef — Hole #4: Par 4

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The shape of the green and tough pin placements make this challenging to end up with a straight putt at the cup.  Sometimes it’s a short chip instead, which is okay.  You’ll either be cutting a lower-lofted shot through the gap or playing a high tee over instead.

From the front-right box, here’s a 4-wood cut around to a back pin.  And here’s an incredible driver shot through the trees for an ace!

From the left box, this 3-wood cuts around to a right pin.  And this high-teed 5-wood had enough to go straight over at a right pin!

From the back box, this low-teed driver skipped the water and bounced up to find the hole!


Sandy Reef — Hole #5: Par 3

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Sandy Reef — Hole #6: Par 5

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Ideally you carry your drive out to the farthest fat part of the skinny center fairway for a shorter approach, which is always possible with the closer tee box.  Here’s a 4-wood hole-out from there.

That’s not always possible, and you can get there from the closer fat part of this center fairway too…fairway is essential but the more distance, the better.  Here’s a driver hole-out from there.

With a side wind, it looks like you might be able to get a long driver to the green in two from the very end of the first fairway…TBD.


Sandy Reef — Hole #7: Par 4

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From the front box, you can go through, over, or around.

This medium-teed 6-iron went right through the gap to backspin into a front cup!

Higher-lofted clubs may be able to go right over the top — here’s a high-lofted hybrid for the dunk!  Even this high-teed 7-iron made it straight over the top for the ace.

Other times you’ll be cutting around the side, most likely the right side…something like a 6/7-iron and sometimes high-teed.  Here’s a great high-teed 7-iron around the left side to a back-right pin.  You can also cut something like a 6-iron around the right side into the green if that works better…here’s a great ace to a left pin with the 5-iron.  It’s challenging not to let the tree leaves catch your ball, so play it out wide!  Or, just miss them altogether 🙂.

From the back box, an 8-wood is fantastic…high-tee it to go right over the top to the green to give yourself a putt.  Also, this high-teed 7-wood cuts around the right side to a back pin.  And here’s a high-teed 6-wood up around the right side to a left pin.  With stock clubs, this 3-iron found a nice gap through the trees for the ace!  And here’s a 2-iron coming in hot around the left side for another ace.


Sandy Reef — Hole #8: Par 3

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Sandy Reef — Hole #9: Par 5

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There’s no real advantage to aiming for the left fairway off the tee…you’ll often need to shoot around those trees for the approach.  Rather, turn right and aim for the right fairway over the water.  This affords you a clear approach shot and distance is not an issue at all from here.  Here’s a 6-wood hole-out from there.

If you’re tight on tees, another option is to lay up straight ahead where the fairway juts out into the water a bit.  Here’s a clear 3-wood hole-out from there!

NOTE – this is a par 5 even though it was listed as a par 4 in the beta.


Sandy Reef — Hole #10: Par 4

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A popular shot for me is a high-teed 8-wood or 7-wood around the left side cut over the trees to the green.  From the middle box, this high-teed 8-wood went straight over the top for the ace.

From the back right box, here’s a great 5-wood cut around to a back pin.  And here’s an awesome 2-iron skipped through the sand to find the cup!  Finally, here’s a high-teed 8-wood cut over the top left to find a front-right pin.

And here’s an unbelievable 7-wood ace through the RIGHT side…how did it dodge all the trees?  This high-teed 6-wood also found a way through the right side!  Apparently there is a consistent shot here that can also be executed with a high 5W or 7W, or a low driver.

Finally, for the low-lofters, this 3-hybrid made its way around the left side and cut back for the ace.


Sandy Reef — Hole #11: Par 5

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From the front box, aim to the left edge of the tree island to the right.  There’s plenty of safe landing area that will give you a short open approach to the green.

The tree island to the left is good too — here’s a hole-out from the right edge of that spot.

From the back box, lay up at the end of the left fairway and cut a wood into the green.  It’s a tough approach but generally safe of any hazards if you play towards the center of the green.

Another option is the island pods straight towards the green (either the far left or right, which are biggest).  If you can stick these, you’ll have an easy open approach.  Here’s a 5-wood hole-out to a back pin.


Sandy Reef — Hole #12: Par 3

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A couple different tee boxes here offer different approach options.

From the left box, the tree can partially guard the approach — this 5-wood cuts into a back pin.


Sandy Reef — Hole #13: Par 4

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It’s not usually hard to carry and stick this green, but it may be hard to get close to the hole with the setup.  Play a small cut if you are comfortable but make sure you at least have a putt at the eagle.

Here’s a nice 3-wood ace to a back-right pin.


Sandy Reef — Hole #14: Par 5

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It’s possible to drive this par 5 with a tailwind!  From the front-right box, this big A1 driver missed the trees and just ran on by the hole.  And here’s a huge C3 around the right side that came so close to dropping!  Finally, this giant C3 did find the cup for the amazing super albatross!

Otherwise, there are a couple decent landing areas off the tee to give a good approach.  From the front box, and pretty much always from the back box, you can play for the sand on the right side of the left area with trees.  It’s easy to stick and hold the sand and will afford an open approach shot to the green.  Here’s a hole-out from there.

From the back box, you can aim for the fairway pod a bit farther left, which also gives you a decent approach.  Here’s a 7-wood hole-out from there.

You can also turn right and play farther back to a landing area which gives you an open approach with a medium wood.


Sandy Reef — Hole #15: Par 4

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It can be tough to get on this green in 1 but at least there are forgiveness areas around the green if you miss in the right spot!  A tailwind means you can high-tee a 3/4-wood over the right side of the trees at the green (check out this 4-wood ace), and other setups may allow a high-teed high-loft driver over the top as well — check out this ace!  Here’s another one from a different angle.

Other setups allow a driver cut around the left side that can skip onto the green.  Don’t feel bad about laying up left with a bad wind.  Check out this driver skip with backspin to a center pin.  Here’s another that just missed the trees to find a right pin.  And one more well-played skip shot to find a back-right pin.


Sandy Reef — Hole #16: Par 3

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This is a tough par 3 because you may be in-between high-lofted clubs battling wind and a nasty down-slope.

From the back box, here’s an awesome dunk to a front-right pin!

From the middle box, this 7-iron spins back into a front-right pin.


Sandy Reef — Hole #17: Par 4

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This can be anything from a low-teed driver straight at the green to a 3-wood cut shot through the trees to a higher-lofted club over the trees right at it.  Again, it’ll be hard to land where you have a nice open putt at the cup.

From the back-left box, this 5-wood cut around nicely to a left pin.  And here’s another one with quite a bit of cut with the driver for an ace.  This low-teed driver caught a late water skip on its way to the hole.  And this high-teed 5-wood went right over the top for the ace!


Sandy Reef — Hole #18: Par 5

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From the front box, you can carry out to the second fairway to give yourself more options to curve around a wood on the approach to stick the green.

Especially with the back box, you can just lay up left in the first fairway.  If you are back far enough and/or have a headwind, a straight driver thumbed into the green can be a great approach.  Here’s an example hole-out.

A hard-hit 5-wood can clear the trees straight at it if the distance is right.  You can also curve around a 3-wood into the green with backspin or bite to give yourself a putt, but your look is always offset so it’s very challenging to get the curve right.  On top of that, it’s a nasty-shaped green with water all around, so having a clear putt at the hole is a big win.

If you can hammer your drive out far enough left, you can avoid most of the trees altogether…check out this 4-wood with a small cut that got a very nice bounce into the cup!