golfinmelbourne.com

Address: 232 Dendy Steet Brighton 3186
http://www.brightongolf.com.au/
Number of holes: 18
19th Hole: No
Motorised Carts: Yes

Mick, Liam, Stuart & took a trip on a Saturday morning to a course that “regularly ranks in the Top 5 of Melbourne’s metropolitan public courses.” I was suprised that the course wasn’t busier than it was.

A lot of the holes at Brighton play with a slight rise in the fairway leaving you a few blind tee shots. The majority of the holes are straight you can wack away off the tee. The greens are in good condition & roll fair & true. A couple of the fairways were a bit patchy but in general they were pretty good.

The first hole is pretty typical of Brighton, from the tee you can’t see the green as it is down a slight hill. This is one green you don’t want to go long on. The back is protected by water. The green itself is a tough proposition. Depending on pin placement, the two teir green can leave you with a very difficult up hill or down hill putt.

The third is index one on the course and plays slightly uphill. The main feature of the 3rd hole is the greenside bunker. This thing is huge, anything right of the green will find it’s way in there. The middle of this bunker has an island of shrubs & bushes just to make life a little more miserable for those unfortunate enough to find it.

It’s about here that I have to mention the highlight of the day. The par 3 4th was setting for what was nearly the shot of the year. Mick’s 9 year old son Liam came within a proverbially bees …. from chipping in from about 20 metres off the green. He did manage to make the putt for an amazing par. Congrations to you Liam, I can’t remember at what age I made my first par but it was a long way from 9.

One thing I need to mention is the width of the rough & trees between holes. Most of the time it is only a tree width which leads to a bit of cross fairway play. What I mean is that there are people playing every which way on the fairways which can make things a little unnevering. I assume that this was worse being a Saturday, but as I mentioned at the begining it was all that busy.

On to the back nine. The first 2 holes are, in my opinion, the best holes on the course. What makes these holes special is the presenation of the greens. With deep bunkers on both holes, they look fantastic. The 10th is a 345 metre par 4, so your second shot needs to be good or you’ll find youself in the sand. The 11th is fair bit shorter. At 253 metres, it is a green that you can have a crack at driving, which Mick nearly did. The problem with holes like this is you tend to try to hard. I sent my drive way off to the right, leaving a tricky chip over a very intimidating bunker. Stuart went too far, flying his ball over the green, again leaving a very nasty chip back.

The day was going along nicely until we got to the 14th green. All of a sudden the wind picked up & then the heavens opened up. It dumped down, & we were at the futherest point from the club house. After sheltering under some trees for about 10 minutes & no respite in sight, we made our way back along flooded fairways.

Brighton is a nice course, perhaps I was expecting more having heard it was rated in the top 5 public courses in Melbourne. I would like to go back & complete the course some time soon!

Address: 350 K Road , Werribee, Victoria, 3030
http://www.werribeeparkgolf.com.au/
Number of holes: 18
19th Hole: Yes (from the clubhouse)
Motorised Carts: Limited availability
Cost:
9 — $16 / 18 — $24 (weekday)
9 — $16 / 18 — $28 (weekend)

On Sunday, Cary, Michael and I ventured down to Werribee Park to play 18 holes. Whilst the course was in fantastic condition for this time of year with lush fairways and perfect greens, conditions were very tough. Once again, Melbourne’s weather had a big influence on our round, with tropical and humid conditions. By the 8th hole, we were all struggling to keep going. Thankfully, the small kiosk on the 10th tee was open and we were able to get some respite from the heat and put some much needed fluids back into the body. It also saved us from walking back to the clubhouse, which is a decent walk up a steep track from the 9th green.

I haven’t got any notes from the round, and Cary still has the score card, so my memory of the course layout and some of the better holes is a little sketchy. We’ll probably need to play here again to do a more comprehensive review. Overall, I liked the course. It’s quite a long course and is situated on a bluff down by the river bed, and as a result the there is some interesting landscape — mostly a mixture of river flats, steep rises and undulating fairways. The course is located not too far from the Pt Cook RAAF base and we witnessed a couple of fly-buys from a squadron of jets, and a couple of bi-planes. A bit distracting, but nevertheless, a pretty awesome sight. Despite being alongside the river, there is no real danger of going into the water unless you go really wayward. There is however, plenty of sand traps, some of them as sheer as the surrounding cliffs.

One particular hole that sticks in my mind is the Par 5 16th. Coming off the back of a short Par 3 at the 15th, the 16th is a lonnnnnnng hole, and for someone who does not hit the ball all that far (like me), this type of hole are always a bit of a struggle. In the middle of a really wide fairway is the hollow trunk of an old gum tree. What are the odds of hitting it? Fairly low one would think, but — you guessed it — I managed to smack my second shot straight into it, sending my ball not that far from where it started! I jagged a 10ft putt, which fortunately made my score for the hole respectable.

At the end of the day, none of us really set the world on fire with our scores, but it was neck and neck for most of the day, with Cary ending up a couple of shots clear in the end on 99. Michael and I both finished with a 102 — a couple of shots shy of where I really wanted to be, but I’ve been pretty consistent around the 100-105 mark for the last couple of rounds, which I’m really pleased with. Now to get them sub 100!

[Note to self]: Need to figure out a better method for capturing course information/notes. Perhaps a phone with camera/voice recorder capability? Could perhaps use the voice recording to create podcasts?

[Update]: Cary has just posted our photos from the round.

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.

Address: 2 Francis Boulevard, Sunbury
Number of Holes: 18
19th Hole: Yes
Motorized Carts: Yes

One thing to keep in mind before you play Goonawarra is that it can get very windy out here, which can makes thing either very interesting or a complete pain in the ass, depending on how good you are playing in the wind.

The first & second tees at Goonawarra can be quite intimidating. They are hard up against a chain link fence. The fence is on the left hand side on both occasion but even to slicers like my self the fence gets into your head.

The fairways & greens where in fantastic condition & the sand in the bunkers was great quality.

Two of the great holes here at Goonawarra follow each other. The par 3 10th & par 4 11th.

The par 3 10th is 157 metres from the back tee. The lake is to the right, it’s not in play back makes the hole look great. The green is protected by a deep bunker at the front right & another bunker on the left.

The par 11th is over the road. It has another lake down the right hand side of the fairway. The hole doglegs around to the right & if you are prepared to take on the lake you can attempt to drive the green. The is a sign on the 11th tee saying that if you are going to have a crack to make sure the green is cleared before.

Goonawarra is a great course to play, just keep in mind that the wind does get up a bit out there.

Address: 1012 Riversdale Road, Surrey Hills
Number of Holes: 9
19th Hole: No
Motorized Carts: Maybe, best to check.
Cost: 9 — $11.50 / 18 — $18.00 (weekday)

We were asked to visit this course by John (our friend from France), & I’m glad we did. Wattle Park is a lovely 9 hole course in the middle suburbia.

Wattle Park is not the longest course you will encounter in Melbourne but that doesn’t mean that it is easy. There are 5 par 3’s, 3 par 4’s & only the 1 par 5.

The 3rd & the 6 are both 215 metres long but the 3rd is a long par 3 & the 6th is a short par 4 making things even out in the end I guess.

Wattle Park is a course that if you play straight you will find it an easy course to conquer. There is only one set of tees making the back 9 exactly the same as the front. This could make the course a bit monotonous if you were to play 18 holes on a regular basis.

A couple of holes of note would be the par 5 2nd. From the tee you have a magnificent view of the city. The hole it’s self is the only par 5 on the course. There is a slight dogleg to the left at the end & the hole is mostly downhill. If you play down the centre you could quite easily birdie this hole.

The other hole of note is the par 4 5th. From the tee you are elevated over a deep gully with a creek running at the bottom. It’s one of those holes that can get into your head & make you play a bad shot. If you think too much about the gully you’ll probably end up at the bottom of it like Neil did.

The fairways were in pretty good nick & the greens, although a little patchy in places, were also in pretty good condition. There is a large number of Rosellas & Parakeets flying throughout the course making for a great couple of hours golf.

Address: Humevale Road, Humevale.
Number of holes:18
19th Holes: Yes on the weekend & Club days.
Motorised Carts: Yes
Cost: 18 — $22 (weekend)

Whittlesea is a very nice course & is in great nick at the moment. The fairways are lush & the greens are flat & true. Last year towards the end of summer it became very dry & hard under foot, but we were in the middle of a draught. All the reservoirs & lakes look full with hopefully enough water to keep the greens & fairways in great shape over summer.

The first is a good hole to begin on, at 335 metres is not an overly long par 4. The tee box is slightly elevated which adds a little extra distance to your drive. Your second shot will back up a slight rise to the green.

The second is short par 3 at 147 from the back markers, the visitors tee is generally 10 to 20 meters in from of that. The front of the green is protected by a small pond, with a larger pond to the left of the green. The green itself is quite a large target to hit so even average golfers such as myself have a good chance to land one on the dance floor.

My favourite hole on the front 9 is the par 5 4th. At 488 meters it’s not the longest hole on the course, but the water on the left is very much in play. The temptation is there to try & drive over the water, or you can play safe & put it down the right hand fairway. I would think there a bucket load of balls in this body of water, I know I’ve put my fair share in there . Once on the fairway you have approximately 230 meters from the bend to the green.

Now I have a bad habit of putting balls in water that is not even close to being in play & I’ve done just that on the par 4 5th. The pond on the left of the tee is no where near where you want to put your drive but never the less I have sent a couple of balls to their water grave on this hole. Once your on the fairway you have a dogleg right up the hill to a two tier green. It makes for a tough putt if you are on the wrong level.

The back 9 starts off with a tricky par 4. The fairway is downhill from the tee & the dogleg is about 150 metres. From the dogleg the fairways slopes quite severely to the left. The green is about 150 from the dogleg, so the best way to play this hole is lay-up to the dogleg then take a mid iron to the green.

The 11th is a long par 5. At 525 metres it is the longest hole on the course. A good drive will take you to the turn & from there it is still 2 shots to the green.

The 12th is a tough hole if you are playing from the members tee, but from the visitors it is a short par 4.

The 16th & 17th are a hard way to come home. Back to back par 5’s

To finish your round your are confronted with a 183 metre par 3 at the 18th. A tough way to finish your round & could bugger up your card if your not careful.

In closing I really enjoy playing out at Whittlesea & would strongly recommend it to anyone.

Address: The Boulevard, Ivanhoe
Number of holes: 18
19th Hole: Yes
Motorized Carts: Yes
Cost: 9 — $14 / 18 — $21

Let me start off by saying that if you don’t know how to get to Ivanhoe Golf course, make sure you have a good look at a map before you go. There are initial signs off the main roads but after that your on your own.

The club house is situated at the top of a hill with the course below it. There are 4 elevated tees, the 1st, the 10th, the 14th & the 17th. This means that you have to walk up the hill once on the front nine, which is the 9th fairway. On the back nine you’ll have to trudge up the hill after the 13th to the 14th tee, after the 16th to the 17th tee & the 18th fairway. On a hot day this can be a real killer, but thankfully the 19th hole is there to quench your thirst.

Having said that, Ivanhoe is one of my favourite courses. Probably because I’ve shot my lowest 2 scores there but it is a very nice course. It’s not the longest course around with only one par 5. There a couple of par 4 were it is possible to drive the green, the 14th & the 17th. They both have elevated tees which brings the distance back a little. The 14th is 258 meters from the back tees but if the front tees are in play the green is well within reach. It is pretty much dead straight & it is also a gorgeous looking hole. The 17th is 237 meters is a little more difficult. It has a dogleg right just before the green. If you try to drive the green you will have to play over a group of trees & a pond, but if you hit the right shot you in with a real chance of making eagle as the green is flat & true.

A couple of other holes of note are the 9th & the 3rd. With the 9th, the green is up the hill. The easiest way to play the hole would be to leave you drive at the base of the hill & play your second shot from a flat surface. Best to check the pin position before you play your shot as the putting surface has two levels, if you ball is not on the same level as the pin you’ll have a tough putt (the same can be said for the par 3 18th). Before you play there are pin position cards available from the clubhouse free of charge.

The 3rd is a 311 meter par 4 with a dogleg right about 100 meters from the green. This is one of a couple of holes which border the Yarra River. There is a bike track between the course & the river so it is not an obstacle in play. This hole is beautiful, with the Bell Birds it reminds me of one of the reasons that I love playing golf. It’s not a difficult hole, play the drive down the centre to the dogleg & a nice chip will put you on for two with a birdie putt to follow. One of the great things about Ivanhoe is that if you are playing reasonable well you can shoot some low numbers. It’s great for the confidence.

The is one problem with Ivanhoe. They have a limited amount of area for the course so the fairways are pretty close together. I can imagine on a busy day there could be balls flying everywhere. I’ve found that midweek is the best time to play this course for a couple of reasons. First of all is that it’s not as busy which is always a bonus. Secondly to play on the weekend you need to have a credit card to book a round. This can be a problem if someone pulls out at the last minute as you will be charged for the whole group.

Address: 1910 Donnybrook Road, Yan Yean
Number of Holes: 18
19th Hole: Yes including a mobile one.
Motorized Carts: Yes
Cost:
9 — $20/ 18 — $23 (weekday)
9 — $30 / 18 — $35 (weekend)

Growling Frog opened on the 1st of September 2004 after a few months delay due to the lack of rain the Melbourne has had over the past 12 months. With the fact that the course is so new there are few things that wont be quite right yet. Around the course there are a quite a few areas that haven’t had the chance to grow a grass cover yet so there is a bit of mud about. Apart from the obvious things wrong that you would expect from a brand new course, Growling Frog is in great condition. One of the things you will notice about Growling Frog is there is quite often a sizable rough between the tee box & the start of the fairway. The other thing you will notice is the abundance of bunkers, they are everywhere. Make sure you bring your sandwedge & maybe a beach towel because if you’re not careful you will spend a lot of time in the sand. As unbelievable as it may sound I didn’t find any bunkers at all, more by good luck than good management, but Trevor found himself in a couple. He said the sand in the greenside bunkers could have been a bit deeper. It make’s it hard to play out greenside bunkers when you don’t have enough sand to get underneath the ball. The fairways are in great condition, (not that I found many, no bunkers but not many fairways either), there are a few weeds that have been sprayed but not yet removed. The greens are big & undulating making for some very interesting putts, the are in fantastic condition & roll true.

One problem I noticed, I don’t know if this is something that will be fixed in the future, is there are no seats beside the tees. It may not sound like much, but toward the end of the round we were all looking for some where to take a load off.

The Clubhouse is in a fantastic position. From the inside the clubhouse you can see the 1st tee the 9th green, the 10th tee & the 18th green through floor to ceiling windows. It is a great place to finish your round.. At the moment there is no bar, but that will be rectified in the coming weeks.

For a course that has just opened Growling Frog is fantastic, in the coming months it will only get better. Trevor & Neil weren’t overly impressed with the course, the cost being a factor in their judgement, but I enjoyed my first round here.

Address: Craigieburn Road West, Craigieburn
Number of Holes: 18
19th Hole: Yes
Motorized Carts: Yes

Cost:
9 — $14 / 18 — $14 (weekday)
9 — $16 / 18 — $22 (weekend)

Craigieburn is quite a interesting course to play. Each hole is different from the last. Also each hole plays different with the wind & the wind does blow out here. The first time I played here the wind was blowing at around 40 kph. Nice for flying a kite but it makes playing golf a little hard.

Craigieburn start off with a nice hole. A 300 metre down the hill par 4, if you get your tee shot right it could be the beginning of a good day. The second tee is a bit blind back up the hill, but relatively straight. From the second green to the third tee is a little confusing for the first timer. There is a small sign on the back of a tree directing you where to go. When we played in 2005 the was a fair bit of construction going on around the middle holes of the front nine. They are putting in or reconfiguring a lake which leaves a bit of dirt piled up on the edge of a few fairways. The par 5 4th is right in the middle of this. With the road down the right hand side & the lake construction down the left hand side you have to get you ball straight.

There is only the one par 5 & one par 3 on the front nine.

Two of the best holes on the course are the par 4 10 & the par 3 18th. The 10th begins from an elevated tee. The fairway slopes to the left & up to the green.

The second is the close hole. The par 3 18th. Again the tee is elevated & the hole is only 120 metres from the back makers, but if the wind is blowing it makes for a great deciding hole.

I quite enjoyed playing Craigieburn, but next time I would prefer it without the wind.