HUNTER VALLEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

The Hunter Valley seemingly has all the bases covered for a great golf weekend away.

Foodies can certainly rejoice, while lovers of good vino are spoilt for choice in this world-renowned wine-growing region. And golfers don’t miss out either, with three terrific courses to be found right in the heart of the area.

Appropriately named for the region, The Vintage Golf Resort has been satisfying golfer’s palates with its mix of challenging holes and beautifully manicured playing surfaces for more than two decades.

Designed by Greg Norman and Bob Harrison, the land where the par-72 layout now lies was first earmarked for a championship course back in 1983. But the course did not get the green light for construction until 2000 when massive financial backing was secured, and the $450 million golf course resort and residential community project became a reality.

The Vintage Golf Resort. PHOTO: Brendan James.

The significant budget afforded to the design team allowed them to extract the best possible holes from a landscape that varies from relatively flat to dramatically undulating. Where possible, native trees on the property were kept and several small creeks and waterholes were incorporated into the course routing, which follows the traditional two loops of nine holes.

The back nine offers the greatest variety of holes and, as a result, is arguably the most fun to play. Two favourite holes on the inward half are at either end of the spectrum in terms of distance.

The 552-metre par-5 10th is the longest hole at The Vintage but the first two thirds of the fairway are downhill. The remainder of the hole is dominated by a lake to the left and a steep sloping fairway that rises to a green lying just beyond a cliff overlooking the lake.

At 331 metres, there is nothing too gruelling about the journey from tee to green on the par-4 13th. But you must be accurate and avoid the line of five bunkers wedged between the fairway and tree line to the right, and the wetland flanking the short grass to the left. The putting surface here slopes markedly from right-to-left and is far more receptive to short iron approach shots flying in from the left half of the fairway. If the flag is in the left half of this green, take aim at the right half of the green and watch your ball feed around to the flag.

The Vintage’s nearest golfing neighbour, just a few minutes’ drive south into the heart of the Pokolbin wine growing area, is the extensively renovated Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort.

Cypress Lakes Resort. PHOTO: Brendan James.

Cypress Lakes quickly established itself as one of the country’s best golf resorts after opening in 1992 but the 2000s saw a gradual decline in the quality of the golf course, designed by American Steve Smyers in collaboration with former Aussie touring pro Bob Stanton.

But the past decade has seen Cypress Lakes re-emerge as one of this country’s best golf resorts with a new owner investing heavily in the course. Designer James Wilcher oversaw upgrades to the layout, including an expansive bunker restoration program, while the overall condition of the course dramatically improved and led to Cypress Lakes re-entering Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Public Access Course ranking in 2019 after almost a ten-year absence.

One hole that has changed little since the early 1990 and is arguably the most memorable and visually impressive offering at Cypress Lakes, is the 491-metre par-5 6th. From an elevated tee you get a nice view over vines in front of the tee and then beyond to the fairway and further afield to nearby vineyards. From one of the high points of the course, you can send your drive into orbit and gaze, as it appears to stay in the air forever, before hitting the wide fairway below. The fairway then rises sharply, past staggered fairway bunkers right and left, up to a smallish green that is protected by more bunkers short left and to the right.

Some of Wilcher’s finest renovation work can be seen with the bunkering on the 17th and 18th holes. The large sandy pits dividing the split-level fairway on the par-4 17th have never looked better, while the new fairway traps in the left half of the 18th fairway have added some bite to the closing hole.

Not as widely acclaimed as its more famous neighbours, but equally as busy with players, Hunter Valley Golf Club, operated by Rydges Resorts, is as hidden a secret as it can be when located on one of the main roads through the valley.

Hunter Valley GC. PHOTO: Brendan James.

The layout is a shorter but still challenging layout compared to the bigger nearby courses. Tight and challenging from the tee, you are best served by packing a GPS here as some of the hazards, not easily spotted from the tee, are easily reachable and potentially harmful to a player’s score. Longer players may take less than driver for safety off many of the tees at Hunter Valley, but the chance to open the shoulders and take on the challenge is available to all players and good shots are rewarded.

A tale of two nines, the front and back sides are very different at Hunter Valley. While the first few holes can lull golfers into a feeling of comfort with their short length and relatively straight forward approach shots, a sudden turn of very difficult holes comes in the stretch of holes 7, 8 and 9. Long and testing all three holes on their own are a stern test but together make for a strong examination midway through your round.

The back nine is longer and is reflected in playing three shots higher to par. Again, driving the ball is key to scoring well, with heavily packed stands of trees lining many of the fairways.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION: Hunter Valley, New South Wales.

HOW TO GET THERE: Pokolbin, in the heart of the Hunter Valley, is 90 minutes’ drive north of the entry to the M1 motorway in Sydney’s northern suburbs.

GREEN FEES: The Vintage – $130 (18 holes, weekday), $160 (weekend) inc. cart; Cypress Lakes – $95 (18 holes, Mon-Thurs), $120 (Fri-Sun) inc. cart; Hunter Valley GC – $70 (18 holes, weekday), $80 (weekend) inc. cart.

WHERE TO STAY: All three courses have on-site accommodation. Chateau Elan at The Vintage has 100 guestrooms, offering a variety of options from one- and two-bedroom villas that overlook the course to suites with easy access to the award-winning spa.

Cypress Lakes Resort is just 10 minutes’ drive south, passing some of the biggest winery names in the district – including Bimbadgen, Roche, Brokenwood, Hope and McGuigan – along the way. The resort has well-appointed one-, two- and three-bedroom villas overlooking the course and set against a stunning backdrop of the Brokenback Range.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK: There are 83 cellar doors in the Hunter Valley, with nearly half of those within proximity to Pokolbin where you will find The Vintage and Cypress Lakes.

The Two Fat Blokes gourmet kitchen has great coffee as well as beautiful cakes and slices. You can also sample local cheese paired with superb wines.

The Legends Restaurant at The Vintage is a memorable dining experience with a menu focused on seasonal and local produce (we can recommend the Black Angus scotch fillet steak) all enjoyed with a glass or two of one of the Hunter’s finest wines.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Between October and March, the valley hosts ‘Day on the Green’ concerts featuring well known musicians, which have included Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Midnight Oil, Simple Minds and Crowded House.

WEBSITES: www.chateauelan.com.au;www.cypresslakes.com.au;
www.rydgesresorthuntervalley.com.au.

FLEURIEU PENINSULA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

As you can see from the previous handful of pages, good wine and good golf seem to go hand in hand. Look at any map showcasing the best wine-growing regions in Australia, and you will undoubtedly find quality golf nearby.

Another case in point is the famous McLaren Vale wine region, which lies at the northern gateway of the popular Fleurieu Peninsula, just 60 minutes’ drive from Adelaide’s CBD.

Your first tee time should be at Mt Compass Golf Course, which is just a short drive from many of the McLaren Vale cellar doors.

Mt Compass. PHOTO: Brendan James.

Brian Crafter was commissioned to design the layout back in the early 1990s, but he passed soon after. His son, Neil, took over the project and the course was completed in 1998.Crafter had excellent land to work with. The deep sand base, which was left alone across much of the property, made it ideal for him to create some wonderful bunkers. There are more than 80 bunkers scattered throughout the layout. Some have a rough, natural appearance like those found on the right edge of the 1st fairway and behind the 6th green, while others are of the smaller pot bunker style but these penal traps have been used sparingly.

Crafter created some very good risk-and-reward holes with the best of them, in this writer’s opinion, being the par-5 10th. Two long and straight blows here can set up an eagle or easy birdie to open the back nine. Most of the 10th fairway can be seen from the elevated tee. The fairway is cut in two at the bottom of the hill in front of the tee. However, it is 290 metres to the end of the first stretch of fairway and, from here, 150-metres up to the elevated green, which sits diagonally to your approach. Seven bunkers, some impenetrable long felt grass and native banksias line the final approach. Any player looking for the green in two had better be on their game as a wild approach shot will be heavily punished.

After new owners took over in 2016, Neil Crafter was recommissioned to renovate the layout which has since been elevated into Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking.

One course that has never missed a spot in that ranking is Links Lady Bay Resort, which is a 35-minute drive south-west at Normanville. In the latest public access ranking published earlier this year, Links Lady Bay and Mt Compass were ranked No.31 and No.38 respectively.

Links Lady Bay covers a coastal plain wedged between rolling hills and the waters of the Gulf of St Vincent and is routed in two loops of nine holes that head out from the luxury resort, which overlooks the front nine. Each hole runs in a different direction to the previous, which challenges the golfer to become a keen judge of the ever-present breeze.

Links Lady Bay. PHOTO: Brendan James.

The 339-metre par-4 4th is one of Lady Bay’s most memorable holes. Flanked by steep hills to the left and beyond the green, this hole runs across the highest section of the outward half and offers views of the course, an adjoining vineyard, and the gulf. After playing a blind drive over a gentle rise, you are faced with an interesting approach shot to an L-shaped green. For mine, the green is a little too dramatically shaped, but it does place a premium on club selection and accuracy. The pin placement on the green will certainly affect your approach. When the hole is towards the back, accuracy is so important as the green narrows considerably. When the pin is forward, club selection is paramount with a small creek and a bunker coming into play at the front of the putting surface. Leaving your approach in the wrong section of the green is a major blunder here.

The best par-3 at Lady Bay, and one of the best in South Australia, is the 197-metre 17th. It is a beautiful hole. With the coastline off in the distance and tufted grasses swaying in the breeze and shimmering between tee and green, you feel immediately transported to the great links of Ireland.Played into a westerly, a full-blooded drive might be required to reach the green. Downwind, though, bouncing a mid-iron in short and letting it run to the flag is recommended. There are no hazards in front of the green, but disaster can be found right of the putting surface where several deep bunkers lay hidden.

After your round, you can sit in the resort bar and look over the course and perhaps enjoy the sunset over St Vincent Gulf.

Wirrina Cove G&CC. PHOTO: Brendan James.

The Wirrina Cove Golf & Country Club is only a 10-minute drive south of Lady Bay and it too offers spectacular views over the gulf … and is home to a wonderful set of par-3s.

Many golfers might prefer the opening one-shotter—the 148-metre downhill 4th hole – because it boasts a look that is not dissimilar to Augusta National’s famous 12th hole.

But for a stern challenge, it is the penultimate hole – a 186-metre excursion across one of the highest points of the course, which makes it susceptible to the wind blowing off the gulf. When the prevailing wind really blows here some may need a driver to reach the green, which is protected by two bunkers left and another short right.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION: Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.

HOW TO GET THERE: Mt Compass is a 60-minute drive south of the Adelaide CBD. Links Lady Bay and Wirrina Cove are a further 35- and 45-minutes’ drive respectively.

GREEN FEES: Mt Compass – $65 (18 holes, weekday),$75 (weekend); Links Lady Bay – $50 (18 holes, weekday), $65 (weekend); Wirrina Cove G&CC – $35 (18 holes, weekday), $45 (weekend).

WHERE TO STAY: Lady Bay Resort has 28 luxurious one-bedroom spa suites with large corner spas and private balconies, which offer spectacular views across the course to St Vincent Gulf.

The three-star BreakFree Wirrina Cove Resort has 87 rooms with stunning views over the course and beyond to Wirrina Cove.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK: The Lady Bay Resort Restaurant and Bar is outstanding. From here you can take in the beautiful surroundings while diving into scrumptious offerings from the menu.

The Forktree Brewery at Carrickalinga, about 10 minutes’ drive north of Lady Bay, has a diverse menu easily washed down with some equally impressive beers, like the Sunset Red Ale.

In McLaren Vale, the D’Arenburg Cube and Winery is not just an eating and drinking experience in the five-storey cube that towers over the surrounding vineyard. Of course, there is a tasting room, a blending room and, among a range of exhibits, a display of Salvador Dali bronze sculptures.

If you’re after some sustenance between rounds, the Yankalilla Bakery is an absolute must. You won’t miss with any of the pies, but the chunky pepper steak pie is recommended.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Take an aerial tour of McLaren Vale and the Fleurieu Peninsula with Helivista Helicopter tours. Wine and lunch packages or 30-minute scenic flight options are available.

WEBSITES: www.mcgc.com.au; www.linksladybay.com.au; www.newterry.com.au.