I played Millbrook in Queenstown this week. Some reviews online call it a resort course and a bit easy. But they are preparing for NZ Open and it was anything but. 8 inch thick thick rough anywhere of the fairway and often just next to the green made it really tough. Spectacular scenery. Beautiful condition. Great course.

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AhBen, Barenski, Schmuck, Madam

Heywood in western Victoria is a lovely course with well watered grass fairways ( so far this summer) and good greens. The rough is punishing, so it is best to keep the ball in play. Lots of wildlife on view, such as koalas , roos and emus. It is an undulating course that challenges players to score well.

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Madam

Well, long time no see ……….

Played a few different courses over the last week or two, as we were on the road, so to speak, before fleeing back down south before a possible border closure.

First up on the trip was Lakes Entrance, and for a change it wasn’t pissing down and blowing a gale there. It’s two 9’s are configured in a figure 8, so out and back, and then out and back again. Not a bad course, but no really memorable holes. Played to my handicap or thereabouts

Played at Eden Country club, a nice course, a bit of water around, a few roos, and a parkland feel to the place. Not bad at all …….

Played at Catalina Country Club (near Bateman’s Bay) . a well designed and well thought out course. Mozzies abounded as there was a lot of water present both on the course itself and in the nearby waterways. I 3W and bunted my way around, as a lot of holes bent out of sight, and played to par which wasn’t too shabby for me.

And finally, (saving the best until last) ….. I played at Narooma, (with a one person per cart policy now in play), This is without doubt, one of the best courses I’ve played. The course starts with 6 varied holes on the spectacular cliffs above the sea, including the famous par 3 3rd, Hogan’s Hole hitting out over the water . The course then moves inland with some bloody good golf holes. The inland holes reminded me of Brookwater. They are interesting, varied, challenging, and just bloody good fun to play. The finishing couple of holes head back near to the water again and finishes with a great par 5. It was the most fun course to play on our short trip, it was the best course I have played in a very long while. There wasn’t a hole I thought was boring or uninteresting, and I reckon it would have to be up there in my top 5 or 6 courses.

6 users liked this post.

Schmuck, Madam, Goldy, Francie, Commish, Weetbix

GPJ wrote:

Well, long time no see ……….

Played a few different courses over the last week or two, as we were on the road, so to speak, before fleeing back down south before a possible border closure.

First up on the trip was Lakes Entrance, and for a change it wasn’t pissing down and blowing a gale there. It’s two 9’s are configured in a figure 8, so out and back, and then out and back again. Not a bad course, but no really memorable holes. Played to my handicap or thereabouts

Played at Eden Country club, a nice course, a bit of water around, a few roos, and a parkland feel to the place. Not bad at all …….

Played at Catalina Country Club (near Bateman’s Bay) . a well designed and well thought out course. Mozzies abounded as there was a lot of water present both on the course itself and in the nearby waterways. I 3W and bunted my way around, as a lot of holes bent out of sight, and played to par which wasn’t too shabby for me.

And finally, (saving the best until last) ….. I played at Narooma, (with a one person per cart policy now in play), This is without doubt, one of the best courses I’ve played. The course starts with 6 varied holes on the spectacular cliffs above the sea, including the famous par 3 3rd, Hogan’s Hole hitting out over the water . The course then moves inland with some bloody good golf holes. The inland holes reminded me of Brookwater. They are interesting, varied, challenging, and just bloody good fun to play. The finishing couple of holes head back near to the water again and finishes with a great par 5. It was the most fun course to play on our short trip, it was the best course I have played in a very long while. There wasn’t a hole I thought was boring or uninteresting, and I reckon it would have to be up there in my top 5 or 6 courses.

Welcome Gaz. I’ve been wondering whether we would see you over here.

Crankyscott wrote:

Sandy Links (FKA Sandringham Golf course).
Played the first 9 holes of the re-designed Sandringham golf course yesterday. This is a public course directly across the road from the main paddock of Royal Melbourne, and it shares a boundary fence with the RMW holes that are not in the main paddock.
The renovation became necessary to accomodate the “centre of excellence” and driving range on part of the property.
OCCM (now OCM) were hired to re-calibrate the course, and create a new 18 hole course (using the existing corridors).

urlhttps://www.planetgolf.com/news/the-sandbelt-s-best-public-golf-course-to-shrink-for-another-centre-of-excellence

The available holes to play are 1-2-3-12-13-14-15-16-6.
Hole 1 follows is the old #2 in reverse. (with a new green and fairway bunkers) Hole 2 plays backwards as a par 3 along the old #8. Hole 3 plays the old #6 in reverse. Hole 12 plays off the old #14 tee, but instead of a par 5 its a downhill par 3 to the bottom of the hill. Hole 13 (the standout for me) has a tee box offset to the right behind a chute of trees and plays on the rest of the old #14 corridor. Looks like the greenside bunkers have been brought a bit closer to the front left of this green, providing only a narrow landing area for the approach. Hole 14 is the old #15. Hole 15 is the old #16 but instead of a long uphill straght second, the fairway snakes around to the right near the water storage dam, making that a feature of the hole, where trhe best play is to play as close to the dam as possible to give the better angle of approach to the green. Hole 16 plays a par 3 up to what looks like the old site of the 16th green. Hole 6 plays from the old #17 teeing ground around to the right, and the green sits on the crest of the hill.

All in all a fun course to play, accuracy and strategy seems to be more deliberate that the old layout. OCCM have done a fine job.
Some interesting cavernous bunkers on #3, #12 and #13 that dont seem to be in the line of play, not sure why they were created although they would look great on a drone. Use of a lot sandy waste area as well rather than rough to define the corridors of play between the ti-tree. And lots more bunkers than previously. With the re-design only being able to fit par 3’s and 4’s, fairway bunkers in particular are used to hold up the longer hitters.

Full layout of 18 is due by end of year. Will definitely be back for a quick 9 as well as the full 18.

I’d post the full layout as a pdf but it seems too large to attach.

Cheers
CS

can you link to the pdf or send it to me Ill shrink it. should be good up to 2mb

Madam wrote:

Goldy wrote:

Jesus Gaz….one post…multiple likes.

It was the Narooma comments- everyone loves that place! Its Commish dream clubhouse view!

My like was about him finally crossing over. 😉

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Madam

Madam wrote:

You havent played Narooma then?;)

Nope….heard good things about it though.

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Schmuck