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WOLLONGONG GOLF CLUB
Words and Photography: brendan james
There are very few cities or major towns around the world that can lay claim to having an 18-hole golf course within walking distance of its CBD.
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Club selection is all important to avoid sand and water on the par-3 5th hole.
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Wollongong, just south of Sydney on the NSW South Coast, can. Furthermore, few of those courses can claim to be anything like a links course. Wollongong Golf Club can. It is a links layout in the tradition of old Scottish and Irish links courses, which were laid out on predominantly grazing land ‘linking’ the township with the ocean. Three of the best known links courses in the world, the Old and New courses at St Andrews in Scotland and the Old Course of Ballybunion in Ireland, are virtually in the middle of town. And so is Wollongong.
In fact, the links at Wollongong was first laid across and alongside beach dunes in 1897 – a year before St Andrews’ New course was first played.
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Wollongong’s downhill par-3 17th is one of the best short holes in NSW.
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The original design remained virtually unchanged for decades and even as the 21st century approached, there remained an old-world charm about a round at Wollongong, even as the surrounding view started to be dominated by multi-storey apartment buildings and office blocks. The course design was quite basic – small round greens, bunkers carved from the sandy soil below and a routing that predominantly ran north and south, parallel to the beach.
That said, it has always been a fun course to play, no matter what the weather throws at you. It has also been a course that, based upon the land it covered, seemingly has enormous potential to be more than just a fun layout. Over the years it has been acclaimed by such golfing royalty as Gary Player, Peter Thomson and Bobby Locke. Even the great Gene Sarazen gave the links high praise when he visited in the 1930s.
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The view across the course from the clubhouse and motel rooms is superb.
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But there is little doubt that, with some quality redesign, Wollongong can become an even more challenging and well renowned layout.
On that score, the ball is already in motion. Nearly six years ago, the club embarked on a long-term master plan to demolish and rebuild its clubhouse and to redesign the golf course to fully complement the superb golfing land it covers.
See the June 2009 issue of Golf Australia to read the rest of this review. On Sale Now
LENGTH: 5,656 metres (men); 5,204 (ladies).
PAR: 70, 71 (ladies). ACR/AWCR: 69 / 72.
DESIGNERS: Original layout (unknown); Ross Watson (ongoing redesign).
CORPORATE DAYS?: Professional conference team caters to all needs out on course and in the clubhouse.
MEMBERSHIP OPEN?: Yes. There are 10 membership categories currently open.
GREEN FEE: $40. Cart equipped with GPS, $40 (18 holes).
ADDRESS: Cnr Banks and Corrimal St, Wollongong, NSW.
PHONE: (02) 4222 3111.
WEB: www.wollongonggolfclub.com.au
GETTING THERE: From Sydney, follow the freeway south from Engadine and take the Wollongong exit. Turn right onto Princes Hwy, then left onto Bourke St at North Wollongong. Corrimal St is fifth street on the right.
From the June issue of Golf Australia magazine
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