SEPIA WIND

///////////// ~ SEPIA WIND ~ \\\\\\\\\\\\
Target Score (-11) ~ Optimal Score (-22)

Sepia Wind is a moderately challenging AA course. Some love it, some hate it.
If you're part of the latter, here's some strategy to help you get the lowest
score possible on this course.

GENERAL NOTES ON THIS COURSE
- Hitting the ball into the water on Sepia Wind is NOT an O.B. It's a
"Water Hazard". You still get assessed a one stroke penalty, but
instead of shooting from the same place your ball is moved depending
on where you entered the water. (For example, if you clear the hazard but
the ball lands on a hill and rolls into the water, you'll shoot from
across the water hazard.)
- Lots of the greens are on plateaus, with hills all around. If you're even
a yard short of the green, expect to roll back thirty yards. How brutal.

HOLE 1 // PAR 4
TARGET SCORE - 3

This hole is nice and easy. Just shoot it straight down the middle fairway,
and then chip it onto the green. You should be able to putt in for 3. There
is a bunker on the fairway but your drive should easily clear it. Also, on
the right is a cement path you can bounce your tee shot onto for about 30
Overdrive yards.

HOLE 2 // PAR 3
TARGET SCORE - 3
OPTIMAL SCORE - 2

Another fairly easy course. Yes, there is a water hazard in the middle, but
you shouldn't worry about it. Fire your tee shot to the right of the water,
you should be within 80 yards or so which should in turn allow for you to
chip the ball very close to the hole and give you an easy putt.

Is it possible to birdie this hole? Yes, it is. However, you will need a
strong tailwind and at the very least a 240y drive. Apply just a tiny bit of
topspin (you want the ball to land on the water) and perform a powerspin. If
you're lucky, you'll skip the water and land on the green (unless the wind
blows you past it!) If you want to try you'd better be feeling lucky.

HOLE 3 // PAR 4
TARGET SCORE - 3

Pretty straightforward hole, shouldn't require much explanation. With a 230y
drive and favorable wind you should be able to squeak onto the green in 2. If
the wind is against you and you don't have much power, you should be able to
make the green with a powershot. And if you have at least a 236y drive, well
you're all set

HOLE 4 // PAR 4
TARGET SCORE - 4
OPTIMAL SCORE- 3

This is a LOT like last hole, except you have an absolutely minimal chance of
getting on the green with two strokes, and there's a cement path to the left
you can cheat a couple dozen Overdrive yards off of if you're so inclined.

If you've got at least a 240y drive, two powershots, and the wind is in your
favor, try using a spin mastery for maximum backspin and tomahawk on the
first shot. You might get enough distance to tomahawk onto the green on
your second shot. If you do not have a 240y drive or the wind is against you,
no matter how hard you try you will come short. Which may not be so bad if
you're good at chipping...

For those with a weaker drive (under 240), aim towards the left of the
fairway on your tee shot. If you aim to the right, there'll be some trees in
your way that will snag your ball and dunk it O.B. For those with a stronger
shot, the trees should not be much of a problem (Keep them in mind though.)

HOLE 5 // PAR 5
TARGET SCORE - 4
OPTIMAL SCORE- 3

This hole is probably the easiest to Eagle in all of Albatross 18. With
a strong north wind, two strokes with the 1W should put you on the green, no
problem. With a low wind, one powershot should give you the extra yards
needed to clear the water hazard. With a strong opposing wind... two
tomahawks just might do the trick. Either way, just take your tee shot (mind
the bunker, it's easy to fall in), and if you can't clear the water hazard,
aim a bit to the right and set yourself up to land on the green in three.

HOLE 6 // PAR 4
TARGET SCORE - 4
OPTIMAL SCORE- 3

Mind the bunker! Well, you should only fall in if there's a strong wind
against you. The terrain is much lower so your ball should just clear it with
a regular shot. If you've got a powershot then you might be able to put
yourself on the green in two - aim for the green and put backspin on the ball
to give yourself enough loft to clear the house. Otherwise, play it safe and
settle for par.

Of note here is a funny little hill right in front of the bunker. It's in the
rough and a little to the right of center. You can't see it, but if your ball
happens to hit it you can get 250 to 290 yards on the tee shot.

HOLE 7 // PAR 3
TARGET SCORE - 2

There's nothing to say -- there are no obstacles, you can get on the green
in one shot. Easiest hole yet.

HOLE 8 // PAR 4
TARGET SCORE - 4
OPTIMAL SCORE- 3

If you're aiming for birdie you've got two options: 1, attempt to powerspin
forward and skip over the pond, or 2, try to land on the flat and mercifully
free of club restriction piece of fairway and tomahawk on your next shot. And
if you're wondering, the flat part is on the left side of that wee fairway,
before the hill that leads into the rough. Try a 2W and you might roll onto
that lovely little patch. The first option will almost always give you a shot
at the green, but you risk the water hazard. The second option is pretty safe
but you might end up with a club restriction anyway.

HOLE 9 // PAR 5
TARGET SCORE - 4
OPTIMAL SCORE- 3

Well, a river runs through it. You've got two options: play it safe, use a
2W on your tee shot and get on the green in three shots, or you can use a 1W
and bounce the ball off the bridge. Use a teeny bit of left curve (drag the
dot right) -- the path slopes right, so by curving into it you'll get another
bounce or two and get a longer drive. On top of the nice Overdrive bonus, the
extra yards should put you close enough to get on the green in one more shot
and putt for eagle.

HOLE 10 // PAR 4
TARGET SCORE - 3

Not much to say. Yes, there's a very large bunker, but your tee shot won't
even go that far, and on your second you can just loft the ball over it and
onto the green. Easy birdie.

HOLE 11 // PAR 5
TARGET SCORE - 4

There's a trick here to earn 20 to 30 overdrive yards here, and best of all
it's almost completely safe. Just move your shot towards the right so that
your trajectory goes over the cement path at the corner of the plateau. Your
ball will bounce off the path and go much farther. Even if you miss the path,
the ball will still roll off the cliff and go maybe 5 to 10 extra yards. And
should you land on the plateau (I have never seen this happen, but...) you
don't have to worry because it's still in-bounds.

Aaanyways. Second shot and you're still very far from the hole. If your drive
was over 260 yards, you may be tempted to try and aim for the fairway. DON'T.
Unless you have a lot of extra power or are the type that can hit a tomahawk
at will, you will almost certainly land in the flowerbed and get hit with an
O.B. Just aim for the rough to the right of the flowerbed. There's nothing
wrong with shooting from the rough. Get on the green on your next shot and
putt for birdie.

HOLE 12 // PAR 4
TARGET SCORE - 4
OPTIMAL SCORE- 3

Looking at the course, you see two places to shoot: You could land in the
rough behind some big fat windmill thing, OR you could land on the pleasant
fairway and have a clear shot.

...Well, the right way to shoot is left, in the rough behind the house. Why?
Going on the fairway will leave you ZERO chance of getting on the green in
two shots. Whereas if you take the left route, there's about a 50/50 chance
your lie will allow you to use a 2W and make it onto the green. Just make
sure you aim quite a ways left of the house so it's not in your way on your
next shot.

(Also, there's a cement path to bounce your tee shot off of for those
precious overdrive yards, but it's hard to hit and there's a bit of a risk.
Your call.)

HOLE 13 // PAR 3
TARGET SCORE - 2

Two things to keep in mind: One, the green is a lot lower than where you tee
off from, meaning a 1W with full power will sail over the green and land in
the bunker. Secondly, the blades of the windmill are still a threat -- wait
for them to spin out of the way before shooting.

The green on this hole seems much faster than other greens, so beware of
rolling all the way through it and into the bunker. Nice overdrive, though.

HOLE 14 // PAR 4
TARGET SCORE - 4
OPTIMAL SCORE- 3

If you're going to take the safe route on this level, on your tee shot you
should make sure your trajectory doesn't go over the water hazard. There's no
point in trying to cheat a few extra yards when it won't help your score.
350 yards from the hole, or 320 yards from the hole, you'll still be on the
green in two shots.

Now if you want to take a little risk, on your first shot aim for the island.
You want to use backspin and shoot with around 215y of power (just a tiny bit
more than 90% power on a 230y 1W). Adjust for strong winds of course, and try
to do a powerspin: It shouldn't matter if you miss, but it's nice to be on
the safe side.

As if trying not to land in the water wasn't enough, now you've got these
windmill things in the way. It is possible to go between them and still land
on the green (hint: use curve), but you might have to settle for par even
after all that. Hmph.

HOLE 15 // PAR 4
TARGET SCORE - 3

It looks like you've got enough power to make it on the green in two shots,
but keep in mind that the green is on a bit of a plateau. Use a powershot on
your tee shot and you should make it. And after five or fourteen holes you
should have a powershot charged by now.

HOLE 16 // PAR 3
TARGET SCORE - 3
OPTIMAL SCORE- 2

Let's see. There's a very very safe route to the left that will probably
score you a par. And there's a very very unsafe route to the right that will
send your ball through a gauntlet of three windmills, and (if you survive
that), into the water. If you want to take the risk then use a forward
powerspin to skip the water or a tomahawk to land on the green, AND wait for
the blades to line up (The ideal placement is when the blades completely
overlap when the left blade's a little above due right, shoot a little before
that if the winds are strong and moving the blades quickly) but if you doubt
your pangya-hitting ability then I would play it safe.

HOLE 17 // PAR 5
TARGET SCORE - 4
OPTIMAL SCORE- 3

Very straightforward hole. Yes, there's a cement path you can probably hit
up for some overdrive yards, but since doing so would probably put you in the
bunker, don't waste your time.

It IS possible to land on the green in two shots, but doing so might
require hitting two tomahawks. If you want to try then by all means go for
it, you don't really need a powershot for hole 18.

HOLE 18 // PAR 4
TARGET SCORE - 3

You'd think there'd be some way to exploit that long winding path... but
you'd be wrong. Use a powershot and aim for the fairway on the right. You
should be close enough to aim for the green on the second shot, although it
is possible that you'll need to take another shot to get close enough to
clear the water hazard.

Nice guide there over there.