MARC Leishman is in the middle of major season on the USPGA Tour.
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The Warrnambool golfing export on Friday teed off in the USPGA Championship and is hunting the first major crown of his career at San Francisco's TPC Harding Park.
Leishman is no stranger to the world's best courses. The 36-year-old told The Standard this week he felt TPC Harding Park suited his game style and was confident heading in.
The US Open, meanwhile, is the next major on the agenda. It's scheduled to be held at Winged Foot Golf Club, while the Masters will be held at its traditional home of Augusta National.
Leishman is confident of making a mark in the Masters but feels Winged Foot doesn't suit his style.
"(I'm) certainly looking at the Masters. The US Open, yes, but it's not my sort of golf course," he says.
"I'll go there with low expectations and hopefully play well and give myself a chance.
"I think I have my best chance of (winning a major) at the USPGA Championship. The Masters as well is one of my favourites every single year.
"Any major is a big one and is that little more difficult."
All this talk of world-class golf courses got us thinking - what is the best hole in our own backyard?
Leishman weighed in to the debate.
"I mean, there's a lot of great holes at Warrnambool," he said.
"I think the fourth, fifth and sixth, they're three really great holes. You could even throw three in there, but you could say four, five and six for the sake of this.
"They're all in the dunes. Many times, I've birdied all three of them and many times I've bogied all three going around or worse.
"They can play so differently, depending on the wind. That's one of the good things about them."
In a survey of The Standard readers, 22 per cent of respondents agreed with Leishman.
Warrnambool's picturesque fifth hole, a challenging par-four which demands accuracy off the tee, was voted the second-best hole in south-west Victoria.
Respondents flagged the hole's views and difficulty as key features.
"The amazing view and the extremely narrow fairway makes for a great challenge," one said.
Another said: "Great view from the tee. Challenging tee shot. Left or right you're dead. Good tee shot is rewarding."
Leishman also pointed to Port Fairy's 14th, 15th and 16th holes as highlights in the south-west golfing landcape.
The club's 14th hole - which was voted the best of its kind in Australia last year - is a 408-metre par-four.
The Standard readers agreed, voting the hole as the region's best. It gathered 29 per cent of the overall vote.
"The view, the skill required and the uniqueness of the golf hole using natural undulations (are what makes it the best)," one respondent said.
Another respondent said the hole's challenging nature made it special.
"Tough drive, need to challenge out of bounds on the right to give yourself the best angle and shot to green," they said.
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"Second shot downhill to green is also epic. The views aren't bad either."
East Framlingham's seventh was voted the third-most favoured hole in the region, while the club's fifth also made the list.
Warrnambool's eighth, 13th and 16th also featured.
One respondent said the 16th hole forgave a slice off the tee, while the 13th - the shortest hole on the course - was popular as it challenged the player with obstacles.
"It's a challenging par-three, elevated up with a few obstacles to dodge," one said of the 13th.
Port Fairy's third and 15th featured strongly while Timboon's seventh and Terang's first hole also had a number of mentions.
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