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We traveled out to Sunshine Mt Derrimut Golf Course for our monthly hit with the Epping RSL. This is the second time I have been to this course & both times it has been blowing a gale. Which is a shame because the course is fantastic but strong wind is just one thing I hate to play in 🙁 The fairways & greens were in great condition. There is plenty of water & bunkers in play & some geat views of the city. The course is very open which makes the wind even harder to deal with. One of the toughest holes on the course for me was a par 5 on the front nine, I can’t remember which hole number it was, but it is all up hill & on Sunday it was also straight into the teeth of the wind.

This is a course I would like to play again but not when the wind is up like it was on Sunday.

Ducked out for a last minute round at Yarrambat on Saturday with Neil & Stuart. The course is in pretty good shape. Most of the dams appear full, the fairways are a little patchy in places but still pretty good. I found the greens were pretty hard, it’s difficult to stop your approach shot on them but this has always been the case here so I guess no big surprise. It was a very slow round though. I think it took us just over 5 hours to finish the 18 holes, again it was Saturday the busiest day of the week so no big surprise.

Had a lesson on Friday with the pro out here as well, which prompted the last minute round. I have to change my swing plane which is a lot trickier than I thought it would be. I sprayed a few balls right but also hit a couple of nice soild shots as well. Next lesson is in 2 weeks.

Played The Frog on Sunday with the RSL & you couldn’t have picked a better day. It was jut perfect, clear blue skies & not a breath of wind. The course is in fantastic condition. The greens fairways & bunkers are in tip top shape. I can tell you first hand the bunkers are in good condition, I think I was in more bunkers today than I have been for the last 12 months 🙂 One thing about the course is that nearly all of the water hazards are empty, not that they play a major part of the course but all of the dams are dry. Personally, I started off great with a 47 on the front, but the back turned to shit. I wasn’t alone but, Neil was right there with me going down in flames 🙁 He shot one of his best front 9’s for a long time but he also bit the big one on the back. I could have started a bushfire with the number of putts of mine that burnt the edge of the hole today but what are you going to do 😉

Next outing with the RSL is the midyear trip up to Cobram, I’m looking forward to it but I don’t think my liver is

I was asked by a couple of friends to join them out at Hidden Valley on the 14th. It’s been a few months since I had been out here & I jumped the opportunity. It was a gorgeous  day with just a slight breeze. The course is in pretty good condition. The greens had been recently cored which made judging the pace of the putts a little hard. The fairways were all in all great, a couple of places they were getting a little then but not enough to be of concern. One thing that was disappointing was the 18th green. The par 3 18th is the signature hole at Hidden Valley. It has an island green which is fantastic. The green it’s self was looking a little worse for wear. There were a couple of big bald patches toward the back half which detracted a little from the normally great way to finish a round.

We had a nice hit out at Yarrabend. The course was in great nick considering the lack or rain that we have had. The flying foxes behind the third tee where the most active I have ever seen them. Normaly the just hang in the trees & smell, this time they were flying around all over the place & smelly 🙂 One problem with this course is it always gets a lot of traffic. We got held up a couple of times by the clowns in front for what appeared to be no reason at all. Even after that we still enjoyed our round, which looks like it might be Dicks last be fore he buggers back off to Old Blighty.

I must apooglize for being such a slackass with this site over the last month. With the heat I just couldn’t be bothered. Anywho.

Played Goonawarra with the RSL on Sunday & it was the exact opposite to the last time we ventured out there. Last time we got rained out, I think it was the last time it actually rained in Melbourne. This time we had a 6 o’clock tee time but the sun didn’t come up until 6:30. The front nine of the course was in pretty good nick but the back nine is a very different story. They are doing major works  to help with irrigation & water supply. It looks like they have doubled the size of the dam at least. They have also taken down a shit load of trees. All of the fairways are marred by trenches running length ways up to the green. There are still fairway for you to hit off.

Once the works have finished the back nine will look stunning. I can’t wait to get back out there in around 12 months.

Had a hit with the RSL out a Craigieburn on Sunday. This course has come a long way in the last 5 years. It used to be one of those places you only went to if you had to. Now the fairways are in great condition, the greens can be challenging, as I found out with my 40 putts 🙁 The day was a little over cast & looked like it was about to pour down on a couple of occasions but the weather held off & the wind was pretty good.

I wouldn’t mind getting back out here again with my camera.

Address: Anderson Road Kilmore
Holes:18
Carts: Yes
19th Hole: Yes
Costs: 18 — $21.00 weekend June 2008

One of the first things that strike you about Kilmore Golf Club is that is a country golf club in all the best ways. The staff are friendly & helpful & everyone you meet out on the course is also friendly & courteous. I love playing at courses like this, it is 100% better than playing at your inner city courses where you can get into a punch up for looking at someone the wrong way.

You have to take into account where this course is when you judge it. This course is in the Victorian country which when we first played here was in the middle of a 10 year draught. You can’t expect immaculate fairways & pristine greens. What you get are are greens that are quick & fairways that are good but patchy in places. The rough is pretty much non existent, just dirt, but the way the course is set up you dont want to get off the fairways. Nearly very fairway is tree lined so if you stray off line you are going to be in trouble even if there wasn’t a draught.

The clubhouse here at Kilmore is first class. It is on the opposite side of the road to the course which may cause some confusion the first time you come out. The 19th hole is set up beautifully with a BBQ on the balcony for a great after round function. 

To the course. I don’t know if it is the country air or what but every hole looks further than the metreage at the tee. On the front 9 you have back to back par 5’s. The 4th (426 metres) & the 5th (446 metres), neither of them overly long on paper but to look at them they are intimidating. There is only the one par 3 on the front & that is the 7th. The front 9 is a lot tougher than the back. The back 9 along with being easier to play is also easier on th eye. It starts with what is to me the best looking hole on the course, the par 3 10th. At only 155 metres from the back tees it is not an overly long hole but it looks spectacular. It is downhill with water behind & it is a gorgeous hole. Ther are a couple of holes where the first time player may get a little lost as to the direction that they are heading, no more so than the 16th. This holes bends around in behind the 13th tee but there is little help as to where the green is. I’m sure that once you have played here once that would not be an issue but for the golfing tourist a little more help would be appreciated : )

In summary, I think that Kilmore is a great country course. A friendly & competent pro shop staff & a friendly & very reasonably priced 19th hole should make this course a must make stop on your Victorian golfing weekend.

Check out the photos here

We headed out for an early morning tee off with the Epping RSL to the Growling Frog. It was a bit chilly at 7 in the morning & the breeze wasn’t helping much. The course was in magnificent condition. The fairways looked a little dry in places but were soft & lush under foot. The greens were spectacular. There are quite a few holes here that have very intimadating approach shots to the greens. With well placed bunkers & good sand it makes for a very intersting round. The group I played with all put our drives into the fairway bunker on the 18th. This is an amazing course which only seems to be getting better. The place was buzzing with a heap of people out there.

Here are some photos from previous vists. A lot of them need updating. I’ll have to remember that next time I’m out here.