Address: Whitfield Rd, Whitfield 3733
Number of holes: 9 (different tees for 18)
19th Holes: No, but it is right next to the Pub!
Motorised Carts: No
Cost: 9/18 — $5 (honour system)
Whitfield is a very pretty small town located 245 km north-east of Melbourne, 60 km north-east of Mansfield and 50 km south of Wangaratta. It is situated in a dairy and tobacco growing and wine producing district in the scenic King River Valley where lush river flats are surrounded by some magnificent high country.
On our recent camping holiday, my brother-in-law Michael and I played a couple of rounds at the local course.
The course is probably a little better than what you’d expect a course to play this far out from a major town, despite the gravel ‘greens’ and the fact that the course is short and only has nine holes. After being a little frustrated during our first round and trying to decypher the course layout the second round was a little more enjoyable.
There are a couple of really nice holes on the course, and the absence of any real hazzards (no bunkers — although the greens are sand!) and no long Par 5’s makes life on the course a little more comfortable for the hobby golfer.
The 1st — a Par 4 (284m) — starts off at the tin shed club house, with a short tee shot required to navigate the 90 degree dog-leg over a crest. You cannot see the green from the bottom of the crest, which makes the approach shot a little tricky. Quite a difficult little hole. Neither of us managed better than a boggie on either round.
The 6th — another Par 4 (256m) — was my favorite hole. You tee off from the top of a picturesque ravine through a couple of trees forming a gateway to the promised land that is the fairway. Once through the trees there is a gentle approach to a smallish ‘green’.
The 8th — a short Par 4 (190m) — is a really nice hole with a narrow fairway and a sharp dog-leg to the right around the 160m mark. You need to get your drive spot on here to give you a good approach to the green because the air-space through the corner of the dog-leg is OOB (over a house). If you get the drive right, it’s just a short chip onto the green.
The 9th — a short little Par 3 at 104m is a nice little hole back to the club house is a good one to finish off with. No hazards to speak of and you have a direct shot at the green.
I really enjoyed my couple of rounds at Whitfield and my scores were OK. I even managed a couple of birdies and a couple of Pars, which is pleasing. If your heading to the high country, I recommend you check the course out for yourself.