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I combined my love of motorcycling and golf this week. I rode up to Edenhope and played 9 holes and next day played 18 at Nhill.
Edenhope has very nice greens and reasonable fairways. Nhill was the opposite. Bot courses were flat terrain, tree lined with a regular avenue pattern of moderate height. Nhill had fairly wide fairways. I didn’t manage to hit into any traps , so I can’t comment on their quality of sand. They looked good. So did the water hazards at Nhill, which looked very Blue Lake / Azure colour.
It was hot on the day I was playing Nhill, so I learned to walk in the shade of the avenue of trees for relief. I hit one drive with a big push and ended up getting into the adjacent fairway. The trees were only about 25-30 m high, so I hit a PW shot at 45 degrees back onto the correct, fairway and then a 7 iron onto the green on the par 5 hole. That sort of thing is impossible at my home course where the trees are too high and several thick between fairways.
It was fun playing with just a Driver, 22 hybrid, 7i, PW, SW and Putter. Lots of partial shots were called for. I regained my respect for the 22 F7 Cobra Hybrid! I kept reading more break in the putts than existed, hitting 37 putts for the game. I manage a birdie on one par hole.
Both courses are worth visiting.
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Had the chance to play at Green Acres GC in Kew, Melbourne last week. I’ve never played there before and was interested in seeing how it set up. Just around the corner from the Kew GC it’s set on it’s original location adjacent to the Yarra River. It’s a very tight course that has large trees bordering the fairways making it a tight driving course. This might be ‘offset’ by it’s shortness in length. It’s only rated 124 off the yellow markers and par 71 (I think). It’s a bit up and back course with lots of dams with a few raised greens. It’s more a positioning type of course rather than smashing driver every hole, as there are quite a few holes around 350 – 380 mts in length and some tight dog legs which need you to shape the ball if you go for it.
It’s condition at this time of the year was very good (considering lockdown) but unfortunately just as we hit off they were spreading fine soil on some of the greens around the front nine. The back nine had their greens freshly cut and were a lot smoother/quicker.
The clubhouse was new looking and well appointed. We managed to have a deal which included some finger food which was a good variety and quite nice. I really enjoyed the walk……which wasn’t too hilly or difficult and will definitely go back early next year as our group are going to organise another game before winter. I’m not sure how wet it gets in winter but I suspect a fair bit so a game earlier next year will be great.
“Do yourself a favour”……have a hit there if you can.
•Inaugural Victorian OOM Putting Champion - Long Island 2011
•Inaugural ... National champ
•Hole In One - 7th Hole Portsea GC - 9/10/2012
Best ever score off the stick - 74 (Gardiners Run 10/12/2020)
Masters Champion 11/4/2022Ha….life is good in the country. ?
•Inaugural Victorian OOM Putting Champion - Long Island 2011
•Inaugural ... National champ
•Hole In One - 7th Hole Portsea GC - 9/10/2012
Best ever score off the stick - 74 (Gardiners Run 10/12/2020)
Masters Champion 11/4/20221 user liked this post.
Ha….life is good in the country. ?
I’m in the country.. WHERE’S THE PEACHES ??
POTUSA one of the best fun bands ever!
Incessant Threadjacker
NSW Amateur 9hole Speedgolf champ 2019 & 2020 BTB ?
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Echunga ( S.A.) golf course is set in the Adelaide Hills, near the tourist town of Hahndorf.
The course is well watered and has lush fairways and good greens. Direction to the next tee were clear. It has rolling hills and uses gullies in the fairway to add to the tee shot pressure. Several tee shots required accuracy with corners close by, or narrow gaps between tall trees. There was a deep layer of fine sand in the bunkers ( big tick from me) making splash shots possible.
Green fees mid week $30 and they have several carts available for hire at $28.
It took about 30 minutes via the freeway from the Southern Suburbs to get there.1 user liked this post.
Echunga ( S.A.) golf course is set in the Adelaide Hills, near the tourist town of Hahndorf.
The course is well watered and has lush fairways and good greens. Direction to the next tee were clear. It has rolling hills and uses gullies in the fairway to add to the tee shot pressure. Several tee shots required accuracy with corners close by, or narrow gaps between tall trees. There was a deep layer of fine sand in the bunkers ( big tick from me) making splash shots possible.
Green fees mid week $30 and they have several carts available for hire at $28.
It took about 30 minutes via the freeway from the Southern Suburbs to get there.Yes a likable course, but care needed in the winter months as it can be too wet to play.
Echunga ( S.A.) golf course is set in the Adelaide Hills, near the tourist town of Hahndorf.
The course is well watered and has lush fairways and good greens. Direction to the next tee were clear. It has rolling hills and uses gullies in the fairway to add to the tee shot pressure. Several tee shots required accuracy with corners close by, or narrow gaps between tall trees. There was a deep layer of fine sand in the bunkers ( big tick from me) making splash shots possible.
Green fees mid week $30 and they have several carts available for hire at $28.
It took about 30 minutes via the freeway from the Southern Suburbs to get there.Yes a likable course, but care needed in the winter months as it can be too wet to play.
I am used to playing in the mud and slush in gale force winds. I live in Victoria!
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I played Warrnambool golf course today. it is rate in the top 100 courses in Oz.
Cost $49 for 18 holes.
Fairways were well grassed.
Greens were fast.
The fairways were wide enough, but some slope up and down and laterally to make shot making a bit difficult.
There is a section that goes through the sand dunes with elevated tees.
Scenery was good.
The club house seemed a bit tired.
We found the course a physical challenge using push carts ( ages 67 and 72, but fit old blokes) .
Bang for buck? Yes it was worth the green fee.3 users liked this post.
Over the weekend I played at the Harrow golf course in SW Victoria. Harrow has a tiny population , yet has had a 18 hole scrapes course since 1909. I have played it in winter once and thought it was pretty good. Now in summer, the club is obviously in recess as it looked a bit unkept. The scrapes needed more sand and the holes were full of leaves. Still for $5 it was a great hit out. The fairways are lined with towering gum trees, with various shapes that made the course interesting. I found out that white golf balls are not ideal on the browned off fairways. I will try orange coloured ball next time. Maybe I will lose less than the 5 balls I left there!
Harrow has tried to re-invent itself with its sound and light show, plus an excellent cricket museum display which focuses on the 1886 tour of England by an all Aboriginal team.1 user liked this post.
I am on holiday for few weeks, touring with my recently retired mate from Adelaide and our wives. The plan is to do a loop of Victoria, avoiding Gippsland and Melbourne. Then a loop in S.A., looking at the Eyre Peninsula, playing golf where we can.
So far we have played the 9 hole course at Peterborough, on the Otways coast. We lucked in with a pleasant day on Sunday arvo, with little wind. There were some very nice views of the coast from the elevated tee positions. The fairways needed a good water, but were still fine to play on. The greens were excellent. Luckily the score card has a map of the layout, which helped us find our way around. Several of the fairways are shared, so with safety in mind we waited for other groups to play through in the opposite direction. My mate is still learning, but being an ex-hockey player he can hit a ball well when he gets on to it. Direction is a bit variable still. The run was variable. On some holes the ball pulled up quickly, while on another my high 5W shot off the tee went across the road and 30 m further OB. I have ridden past this course a number of times, noting that several holes go over the ocean. This challenge was part of the attraction for me to drive the 60 Km from our campsite in Princetown. Well they didn’t disappoint. Both were par 3,holes. My mate donated two balls to the ocean, which was a cause for a laugh. The other quirky feature was the two roads that bisect the 5th and 8th fairways. You have to wait for a break in the traffic to play, with your marker acting as lookout in case a car comes into range while you are doing your PSR.
I hit a 40 for 9 holes. It is so much easier to play golf when you don’t have towering groves of trees lining the fairways! I almost drove a par 4 hole from an elevated tee. It was only 205m though. Pin high just off the green! Happy with that one.
I gave my mate the 3 CD set of golf instruction from Adam Bazeljet ( ? spelling) as his retirement present.
Green fees $15. Value= good. The course was busy on the long weekend. It has rained on and off most on yesterday and last night, so the fairways would have had a good water. We went touring along the Great Ocean road and in the ranges above it in the temperate rain forest areas. Great scenery when we were out of the pea soup fog. Lots of eye candy too, motorcycle wise!
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We played at Beaufort again ( 50 km west of Ballarat). In mid -summer the fairways are very dry, but the greens have been watered. It is an interesting layout, with some challenges.
Our next game was at Avoca. Too dry to be much fun.
Next we moved to Bendigo. I was hoping to get a game mid-week at one of the three courses, however it proved difficult. We ended up playing on a scrapes course about 15 km west at Marong. The first 6 holes were a challenge, but the remainder on the other side of the road were not that interesting. At $10 fee it is value.
Today we had a game at Myrtleford (a ski town in winter) and I really enjoyed the conditions. The layout was interesting, good fairways and greens. $30 green fees was value for money. The scenery is stunning. It was a pity that the smoke form burn offs is hanging about in the hills.
On Sunday we will be playing at Bright.
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Touring Mt. Buffalo took a bit longer than expected. We arrived at Bright golf course at 2 p.m. and signed up for 9 holes. The course was in great condition in every respect. They must have had good summer rains. The front 9 was a joy to play. The scenery is hard to beat either with towering mountains in all directions. Unlike most of the courses I play, an errant tee shot isn’t punished with wide tree groves on either side of the fairway, or deep rough. The greens wee fast and true and the in placements were challenging. I hit a great approach shot into the green on 9, which received applause from the peanut gallery on the cub house verandah. I missed the par put. It lipped out again ( 4th time)
It was humid after the overnight rain. The pint of Porter beer at the local brewery was refreshing after the game.
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