Address: Columba Street, North Balwyn
Number of holes: 18
19th Hole: No
Motorized Carts: Yes (but only one)
Cost: 18 — $18 (midweek)
Cary, Stuart, Billy & Mick went & played Freeway on a gorgeous Melbourne autumn day. When we were there the club was in the process of changing a couple of holes. The first which is normally a a long 193 metre par 3, at the moment there is a temporary tee which cuts the hole nearly in half. The 3rd has a temporary green at the moment, but this is supposed to rectified in the next couple of weeks. Another thing about the third is the South Eastern Freeway runs along the left hand side of the fairway (hence the name of the course). There is a lot of trees & rough between the freeway & the course so there is no real worry of putting a ball into traffic.
From the 4th hole onwards the course returns to normal.
A couple of holes on the front 9 that stand out to me are the par 4 5th & the par 4 9th.
The par 4 5th is is up hill & it looks a lot longer than it’s 359 meters. The fairway is a bit tight for the drive & the second shot up the hill is a tough one. The other stand out hole is the par 4 9th. The tee is slightly elevated with a dogleg right up toward the green. The approach to the green is fractionally uphill with a bunker on the left front side of the green. The bunker looks like a meteor crashed.
The back 9 is the more scenic of the 2. The 10th tee has a creek running about 50 metres in front, so if your golf balls are like mine & attracted to water no matter where it is, close your eyes & pretend it’s not there.
The 11th is a 377 metre par 4 with a very tight fairway off the tee. There is water to the left & the right so it’s a hole where you have to keep it straight.
The 13th is a dogleg left with the fairway sloping off to both the left & the right so if you’re shot doesn’t hit the middle of the fairway you could be in a bit of strife.
The fairways here are in fantastic condition with great coverage. The grass is nice & lush which makes is easy to get under the ball.
The greens are a great part of the course. There a few greens that are raised in a mound. This means your approach shots have to be spot on or you aren’t going to get value for your shots.
All in all a nice course, if you are only going to play 9 hole here I would suggest the back nine.
For the record, Cary & Mick were severely between by Stuart & Bill. In a game of 4 ball best ball the Scots got up by 7 holes.