IN TERMS of Ballarat, Midlands truly is the urban golf course.

With houses lining a number of the deceptively long fairways, Midlands Golf Club is a testament to how an interesting course can be carved out of a flat parcel of land that does not naturally lend itself to a golf course.

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Designed by five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson, Midlands features holes that are within the realms of even a high handicapper, but also has some of the hardest in the Ballarat district.

Without doubt the hallmark of the course comes in a six-hole stretch during the middle of the round - its own Amen Corner.

After a subdued start to the round, a collection of water hazards that come into play on five out of six holes have the ability to make a horror story of a scorecard.

Play them well, however, and you give yourself every chance to shoot the lights out.

It all starts with the seventh, undoubtedly Midlands' standout hole and also a contender for the best hole in the region.

A twisting 380-metre par four with water hazards on either side of the fairway and a large bunker positioned strategically in front a large sloping green, it presents a genuine challenge for golfers.

The longer you drive, the narrower the gap between water becomes; but a lay-up tee shot will leave a considerable approach shot over a large stretch of water.

A par is a solid score for any golfer, but it could easily be unravelled on the very next hole if not careful.

Again, you will be forced to navigate around water on either side of the fairway as it dog-legs sharply to the left.

Big hitters can risk taking the aerial route over the water and cut the corner, but could easily fall short or if not, go too far and find themselves in a giant dam on the far side of the fairway.

Even if this is achieved, there is still an approach shot to an elevated green.

In short, these two holes have the potential to be the stuff of nightmares; they can unsettle the start strong to a round but at the same day make a bleak day even worse.

There can be no doubting they are the centrepiece of the course, but they are certainly not the only holes to cause trouble.

Water also comes dangerously into play on the 13th and 14th hole as the course heads to the northern side of Heinz Lane.

Again, these holes twist around another dam, where the reward is high if one wishes to play with risk and take the water on.

As club professional Michael Cooke puts it, leaving the driver in the bag is often the best ploy.

"You've got to position a lot of balls so that on every hole you are not bombing away with the driver," he said.

"It's certainly a test of golf. There are a lot of water holes so you have to be accurate off the tee."

One of the more unique features at Midlands comes on one of the last shots of the day.

Having teed off from the island tee on the 380-metre par four 18th, golfers have to navigate a wooden burn that runs in front of the green.

In winter there is often water in the burn, but in summer there is the risk of getting too close to the wooden structure and not having a shot.

All in all, Midlands is a great destination for all golfers, ranging from the social hack to the low handicapper.