Australia Reviews

Name: Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West Course)Location: Black Rock, VIC, AustraliaPar: 72Length: 6023m Holes: 18

Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West Course) – Hole 5

The West Course at Royal Melbourne Golf club is has been the top rated golf course in Australia for the past 8 years. It is a course to rival the best in the world and it owes its position to three important factors. The land over which its wonderful holes are played is perfectly undulating and the sandy nature of the ground must have been a dream for those charged with the construction of greens and bunkers. The clubs initial routing was altered by the great Scottish architect, Alister Mackenzie in 1926 and it, unquestionably, exploited the full potential of the land. It was Mackenzie who came up with the blind drive up over the hill at the par five fourth that was not, in itself, ideal but it opened up the chance to incorporate the best second shot on the course, down the hill to the green and he followed it with the world class par three, fifth and the brilliant sixth hole. The third part of the equation is the under rated genius of Mick Morcom, the clubs curator and the man Mackenzie entrusted with the job of bringing his ideas and plans to life. “Morcom”, said Mackenzie “was the best greenkeeper I have ever worked with”. Mackenzie’s ideals were based upon the genius of The Old Course at St Andrews where the golfer had a multitude of options to consider before both club and shot could be correctly selected. He abhorred the use of long grass as a means of punishing the wayward and it seems he enjoyed confusing the golfer as he confronted them with the golfing equivalent of a multiple choice exam. The finest examples of this aspect of the design come at two of the clubs most famous holes. The dogleg sixth hole takes up a huge piece of land and demonstrates perfectly the advantages Mackenzie had at Royal Melbourne over the tighter courses he influenced during his extraordinary twelve week visit to Australia in 1926, including Kingston Heath, Yarra Yarra and Victoria. The Verdict The West Course may not be the most difficult course in the country and many will argue it is not the most “perfectly” conditioned. Nor does it have the spectacular views of courses like The National, Laguna Quays or New South Wales Golf Clubs. What it is, however, is our greatest feat of golfing architecture and it matters not how many times one plays it, there is always another layer of subtlety to be uncovered and another series of fascinating decisions to make.

Golf Bag Reviewed:TaylorMade San Marino Cart BagDetails: Durable lightweight 420 denier nylon constructionFourteen-way fused nylon top with full-length shaft dividersNew Internal Crush proof constructionSeven pockets include insulated cooler and velour-lined valuables pocketInternal mesh storage pocket and key clipBackside vertical lift handleIntegrated umbrella sleeveBrushed aluminum hardwareRainhoodSummary:The TaylorMade San Marino Cart Bag is a elegant looking golf bag. The location and size of the of the pockets within the bag can hold substantial amounts of things, from balls and tees to drinks and clothes attire. The versatility and durability of the shaft dividers ensures that ‘bag chatter’ of the clubs during transport by a golf cart are kept to a minimum, thus reducing the likelihood of damage to your clubsPros: All the TaylorMade golf bags are made to last and the TaylorMade San Marino Cart Bag is no exception. The pockets, shaft dividers and metal clips (for golf towels and carry strap) and rain hood are all durable and extremely glamorous. This bag is seriously good values for money, as the features far outweigh the negatives. Cons: Some of the pockets could have been a little bigger, but overall there is nothing wrong with this bag.Customer Service and Cost:I purchase this bag from a golf shop in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia for AUS$185. I guess from what I’ve seen that this price is fairly competitive. Ive seen this bag on eBay recently for a cheaper price, so look on eBay if your after this great bag!!. Also If you buy straight from Taylormade you seem to get a better price, however they may sting you alot for the delivery of the bag. So by all means, shop around!! Similar Products Used:wilson Carry Bag and an old school bag.Rating (out of ten):9.0

Name: Hunter Valley Golf & Country ClubLocation: Moorabin, VIC, AustraliaPar: 72Length: 6352mHoles: 18

Kingston Heath Golf Club – Hole 11

Kingston Heath Golf Club is one of Australia’s best golf courses. Ranked as the number two course in Australia and the 27th best course in the world, Kingston Heath enjoys an enviable reputation for its superb conditioning all year round. The 18 holes were built on only 50 hectares (most courses in the modern era are built on over 100 hectares), it is perfectly manicured and its bunkering and clever use of dips and hollows visually fools the non observant golfer. If you wildly deviate from the fairway, the rough (comprising long grass, tea tree and sandy scrapes) will test your ability to get the ball back into play. The 14th hole is a longish par 5 which, depending on the wind direction, can tempt the golfer into reaching the green for 2. One golfer, Roger Mackay, did better than that in a tournament at the Heath when he holed his second shot for an albatross. The three par 3 holes are a feature of Kingston Heath and show off one fantastic feature of this great golf course – the classic, natural bunkering. The fifteenth hole, in particular, is a real test ( not necessarily needed towards the end of your round). An uphill par 3 of moderate length, the path to the hole is surrounded by a myriad of bunkers (some of them very deep) all waiting to swallow the errant tee shot. If you reach the putting surface par is still not guaranteed as the undulating green gives up more 3 putts than 1 putts. The remaining finishing holes are long par 4’s and can ruin an otherwise good score. The 16th is known in golfing circles as the hole where Greg Norman took a 9 on his way to losing a tournament at Kingston Heath in the 1990’s. Norman carved his tee shot into the right hand tea tree and it was all downhill from there.

Name: New South Wales Golf ClubLocation: Sydney, NSW, AustraliaPar: 72Length: 6227mmHoles: 18

New South Wales Golf Club – Hole 6

That it recovered its reputation was a matter of importance to golf in Australia because it is such a significant course and as conditions improved the club became the most sought after membership in Sydney. This course is ranked number 2 in Australia behind the prestigious Royal Melbourne West Course. It is the closest we have to the brand of golf made famous by the links at Pebble Beach and for those who love raw golf where the chances of fighting a battering wind are high, it is the greatest thrill in Australia.Situated in Sydney, Australia, this pristine golf course overlooked the magnificent Pacific Ocean. For all its beauty, this course still offers a challenge to any golfer, regardless of their ability. Anything that isn’t straight off the tee, will either end up in the Pacific Ocean or unplayable. So it is imperative that all shots off the tee are straight, so remember, you require accuracy not distance on this course. However with the when championship tees are played in competition, both accuracy and distance off the tee is required, as the course can play up to 6450m through 18 holes.This magnificent golf course always amazes me when I play it. Every inch of this course is in immaculate condition, especially the greens. They are tricky to read, but very play very true and consistent. The feature hole of the course is hole 6. It runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean and provides breathtaking views.  Don’t be deceived by the beauty of the hole, otherwise you will end up scoring well over par.