LARGE-SCALE CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED AT THIS BLUE MOUNTAINS LAYOUT, BUT WITH ITS VINTAGE CHARM AND THE INTIMATE FEEL OF ITS HOLES, IT HAS HELD ONTO THE DISTINCT CHARACTER OF THE AREA. BY JEFF CENTENERA

Winding along the roads of the Blue Mountains, the journey can go from middle-of-nowhere bushland to charming old town to majestic panorama with each turn around the corner.

Driving out to Echo Point, the big sight-seeing attraction of the
area, tourists gaze at the view of the Jamison Valley below, the
drop measuring the length of a testing par-3 (about 170 metres).
Wind down another road, and in behind a few more surprise
turns, is Katoomba Golf Club.

The finishing hole at Katoomba was formerly the 2nd before the changes to the course.

As mountain courses do, Katoomba nestles in its space, tucked into the folds of the land. Not far from where the sheer fall at Echo Point makes a dramatic impression, it’s almost hard to believe 18 holes could fit here.

Golf in the Blue Mountains has a lineage that dates back to
the turn of the century and the heyday of Carnegie Clark, and
it retains the same kind of old-world character that its towns do
with their classic hotels and antique stores. The drive among the
mountains is not altogether different to the one on the course
– vintage charm and inspiring sights, all within a natural space.
Within this atmosphere, the club at Katoomba has been
modernising.

The course has undergone considerable changes over the last few years through its partnership with construction firm Reed Group, with new holes added and a resulting change to the routing. “From what it was like ten years ago, it has changed dramatically,” club president Brian Bromhead said.

However, at less than 5,100 metres off the tips, it remains an
intimate, tight experience, with a good helping of idiosyncrasy
thrown in. Long-bombing golfers with a taste for framed-style
golf holes will raise an eyebrow, but when a course is as playable as Katoomba, the quirky features become endearing over time.

Those jaded with the usual golf course-wise will find the tonic
on Katoomba’s layout rather promptly, opening as it does with a
par-3 that sits almost underneath the clubhouse. The front nine then heads out on a series of short par-4s that will have even midhandicap players thinking low when they look at the scorecard before the round.

When reality hits, they’ll fi nd the good chances to score
tempered with some intricate shot-making required. The opening one-shotter is relatively benign at only 148 metres, but its left-toright pitched green slopes toward a right-side pond, and such a short hole fi rst up can challenge the player who hasn’t had the chance yet to groove any distance control.

The run of short par-4s really typifi es the character of a round
at Katoomba. The 337-metre 3rd has a water hazard on the left
that forces drives to dare a thread of fairway on the right, or more
likely a lay-up, with the approach into a green set against an
old-school stone wall. Walking onto the next tee at the 340-metre
4th, the player faces a blind drive with a hazard cutting in at the
250-metre mark.

The green of the 7th hold, the course's longest par-4 with out-of-bounds all down the right.

The 6th is an entirely new hole, and if the imperative to hit it
straight hasn’t yet made its mark, this tight 128-metre par-3 will
get the message through. Set amid native bushland, the hole has the most secluded feel on the course, and any ball that doesn’t hit the green is in danger of becoming the permanent property of the mountains.

Around the turn, the course’s quirks become apparent. The
286-metre 8th doglegs left almost on the perpendicular around a tall tree to a small, sloping green. Just below this green is the tee to the 9th, a beautifully framed par-3. Most of Katoomba’s putting surfaces – in spectacular condition during the round – are largely uncomplicated, but the last hole of the front nine features a twotier green which adds to the number of potential hole locations and strategic possibilities.

The only two par-5s at Katoomba follow in succession, with the
11th complicated, or made interesting depending on your view, by a berm-like drainage feature that pushes in just short of the ideal lay-up spot. It also obscures the view of the green, but for a par-5 of only 455 metres, it forces some decision-making and
rewards a bit of local knowledge.

The no.1 handicap hole – and Katoomba’s best, in your correspondent’s opinion – is the 13th, a 354- metre par-4. A newly built tee has been elevated over a swath of scrub, and gives you that real mountain golf exhilaration as the drive cascades to the fairway. The short grass is not too easy to hit
though, as the hole bends left, with a sharp bank kicking it further in that direction – a soft fade back into the slope is the shot to hold the fairway here.

The short 14th is a definite birdie change. The town centre can be seen just over the trees.

Heading back up the incline, the 14th has some interest value. What usually would be a stern, uphill par-3 had instead had its tee moved back to become a 225-metre par-4. Really, it’s a par-3.5, as the bombers will relish getting there in one and even the modest will have a chance to pitch on for a birdie look.

Walking off the green, there’s an intriguing view back to what is the centre of Katoomba town, marked out by the landmark of the Carrington Hotel tower. Looking up, you are also looking at
the direction of the low point of the course. “As the members say here,” says Bromhead, “everything breaks toward Carrington tower.” True for putts, and true for many generations of day trippers and holiday makers looking to get away in the mountains. The club at Katoomba has been working hard toward becoming a ready choice for golfers visiting the area.

Says Bromhead:“I’ve told people about Katoomba who still have
the old view of the place. I tell them to come take another look.”

FACT FILE

LENGTH: 5,070 metres (blue tees), 4,874 (white), 4,661 (red).
PAR: 69. ACR/AWCR: 66.
CORPORATE DAYS: Packages available for minimum groups
of 20.
MEMBERSHIP OPEN: Yes, full golf memberships $450 per year.
GREEN FEE: $25 weekdays, $30 weekends.
ADDRESS: Acacia St, Katoomba, NSW.
PHONE: (02) 4782 2205.
WEB: www.katoombagolf.com.au
GETTING THERE: From Sydney CBD, head west on the M4 and
continue when it links up with the Great Western Highway into
the Blue Mountains. Turn left on Bathurst St, then follow the signs along Valley Rd, Narrow Neck Rd and Cliff Dr to the club.

From the December 2008 issue of Golf Australia

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