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The morning started off pretty badly. We got to Woodend at about 7 o’clock & it was still dark & it was raining. Not promising at all. Stuart suggested that we travel to Kyneton & if the conditions hadn’t improved by then pull the plug.

When we got there it was drizzling slightly so we figured we would give it a go. The drizzle continued for about 3 or 4 holes & then cleared up.

Starting in the rain at this course is a real contrast to what the course looks like. It is very dry & the dams & lakes are nearly empty. This is a great course & it’s a shame to see it this way. A couple of holes play over the dams & you can imagine that they would be quite spectacular & intimidating if there was water. Having said all this, we still had a good day out.

The plan is to try again for a round at Woodend in the near future.

Address: Yarra Bend Road Fairfeild

Number of Holes:18

19th hole: The Kiosk serves beer

Motorized carts:Yes

 

Yarra Bend is one of my favorite course to play. With the Yarra river as a back drop on a number of holes it is a very pleasant round. The fairways are well maintained & the greens are normally in excellent condition. One thing of note is the colony of Flying Foxes the have been relocated to the trees behind the second green. It’s quite amazing to see the number of these creatures in one place.

Yarra Bend isn’t one of the longest course around, there is only the 2 par 5’s (1 on the front & 1 on the back) & one of the par 3’s is only 112 metres. It is a very challenging course all the same. On the front 9 there are a couple of holes worth a mention. The first is the par 3 3rd. The hole is 160 metres from the back markers but I think it plays about 10 metres more than that.From the tee the fairway dips down then rises again to the green. The distance is quite deceiving. Even after you hit the ball it doesn’t seem to travel as far as you first think.

The second is the par 5 6th. This is a gorgous hole. At 486 metres from the back tees it’s not an overly long hole but half of the hole is downhill. This brings the green within reach of a good tee shot & a good second shot. One thing that does fool me nearly ever time is the bunker on the righthand edge of the fairway towards the green. It appears to be a greenside bunker from a distance but is a good 10 metres short of the green.

On the back nine there is again two holes that are worth a mention. The first is the par 4 12th. This par 4 has a dogleg left with a group of tree at the start of the dogleg. The temptation is to drive over the trees but be careful. The dogleg is not as server as it seems, if you drive goes too far left or clips the top of the trees you will find your self in a gully. When you appraoch the green, the easiest wayis from the right hand side of the fairway, there is a bunker protecting the front left side of the green & the back right.

The other hole is my favorite hole on the course & one of my favorite holes of all time. The 16th is a brilliant hole. At 341 metre from the back markers, par 4 has a slight dogleg to the left. You need to play this hole from the right hand side as there is a group of trees blocking your approach if don’t leave yourself enough room to go over the top. To complicate things a little further the fairway slopes from right to left. Your approach from the right isn’t a piece of cake either. There is a large deep bunker proctecting the front of the green & some nasty rough over the back. It is a hole that makes you earn your par & is also visually spectacular.

In the past Yarra Bend has been rated the number 1 Public Access Golf Course in Victoria & it is a fantastic course. With it’s proximity to the city it does carry a lot of traffic, especially on the weekends, so you do need to be patient some times when you play here.

Photos