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LAKE KARRINYUP GOLF CLUB
Words and Photography: brendan james
Western Australia has the highest number of 18-hole championship golf courses per head of population in the country. Part of this can be attributed to the golf course building boom that gripped the West from the late 1980s through to the mid ’90s and produced such notable and acclaimed layouts as The Vines, Joondalup and Meadow Springs along with a host of others.
In the November 2009 issue of Golf Australia, we showcase the above trio as well as five other excellent courses, all to be found within 90 kilometres of downtown Perth - they are the eight golfing wonders of the west.
Here's a sneak preview of Lake Karrinyup Golf Club
 The long par-4 2nd is a fine example of Clayton’s bunker designs. below from left: The opening hole sets the scene for what is to come; the long par-3 8th is a brute while the 14th is a classic short par-4.
Widely regarded as one of Australia’s great classic courses, Lake Karrinyup has been brought into the 21st century with a multi-million dollar redesign.
The original Lake Karrinyup layout was created by renowned course designer and former Australian Open champion Alex Russell. Russell had gained a reputation as a fine designer after working alongside the legendary Alister Mackenzie to create Royal Melbourne’s West course.
The sometimes dramatically undulating land, about
10 minutes’ drive north of the Perth CBD, was covered in dense Tuart forest and some swampy areas. The high point of the sit was selected for the clubhouse and Russell routed his layout in two loops away from this apex and remains the same to this day.
The biggest changes to the course came just a few years ago under the guidance of course designer and former Tour player Mike Clayton. Throughout 2007 and 2008, every bunker and every green was rebuilt to more closely resemble the original instruction of how Russell wanted them built.
“The club had Russell’s original drawings which we looked at but so many of the original greens had been changed over the years like the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 8th, 12th, 14th and 15th while quite a few had too much slope, like the 6th, 11th, 16th and 18th. So 11 of the greens had serious issues in terms of Russell’s originals,” Clayton said.
Clayton said some holes – the 3rd, 11th, 13th and 14th – were lengthened with new back tees, while the 12th and 18th holes were actually shortened.
The bunkering at Lake Karrinyup is now, courtesy of Clayton’s work, a memorable feature of any round. Right from the opening tee shot, the bunkering is there in your face, making you think hard about every shot … every club selection.
The large sandy hazards short and long of the green on the 274-metre par-4 1st hole present more of an ominous scene than those they replaced, while the greenside bunkers on the long par-4 2nd hole are equally as intimidating.
Perhaps one of the most talked-about bunkers is the new trap in the middle of the fairway on the 506-metre uphill par-5 11th.
Shaped like a short-cut bacon rasher, the bunker forces you to think about your playing line from the tee, rather than absent-mindedly blazing away with the driver. The best line – which does shorten the hole for those longer hitters vying to hit the green in two shots – is to the right of the bunker but this is a narrow strip of fairway.
Lake Karrinyup is a private club but golfers from interstate can apply in advance for a tee time with the general manager.
FACT FILE
Where is it?: North Beach Road, Karrinyup.
How to get there: From the Perth CBD, it is a 10-minute drive north via the Mitchell Freeway.
Phone/Web: (08) 9422 8222; www.lkcc.com.au
Green fee: On application.
From the November 2009 issue of Golf Australia magazine |
