More Australians are playing golf today than at any other time in the game’s history in this country. The economic reality is, however, many of us now need to make our golfing dollar stretch a lot further than it did even five years ago.
MARANGAROO GOLF COURSE
Marangaroo, Perth
Green fees: $37 (weekdays); $43 (weekends).
Designed by Murray Dawson and opened for play in 1988, Marangaroo offers enough challenge for the better player, while the casual golfer or beginner should not be too intimidated by the layout.
The 275-metre 7th is one of Dawson’s best here. It is a terrific slight dogleg left short par-4 where players taking driver from the tee risk hitting into a small lake left of the fairway, while also trying to avoid a lone bunker short and right of the green. There are probably more bogeys than birdies here, but taking the risk is worth the fun of it all.
RANDWICK GC
Malabar, Sydney
Green fees: $37 (weekdays); $43 (weekends).
You will go for the view and stay for the quirky links golf experience.
Perched cliffside overlooking the aquamarine waters of Long Bay, Randwick is an incredibly fun par-59 18-hole layout of just over 3500 metres.
Playing the short par-4 2nd is worth the green fee cost alone. It is a simple, yet exciting hole played along the edge of a cliff with uninterrupted ocean views, where the fairway cambers left toward the water as the hole veers slightly right and climbs to a small, bunkerless green. Wonderful!
BRIGHTON GOLF COURSE
Brighton East, Melbourne
Green fees: $42 (seven days).
Brighton offers golfers a sample taste of the champagne golf the surrounding Melbourne Sandbelt has to offer, but at a beer price.
This is a fun layout with big greens and expansive bunkering, just like what you will find elsewhere in the Sandbelt.
It doesn’t take long to get excited here, with the 252-metre par-4 2nd offering a tempting chance to make a birdie. Drive up close to the green if you dare, but be wary of the two huge bunkers short of the putting surface.
THE SPRINGS CLUB
Forrestdale, Perth
Green fees: $35 (weekdays, 18 holes); $41 (weekends).
One of only a few nine-hole layouts featured here, The Springs was known as the Armadale Golf Course before a massive redesign in 2016 transformed the layout.
The main defence of par here is built into the large dramatic green complexes, which are covered in beautifully presented bentgrass. Ridges, tiers, dishes, steep drop-offs and hollows can be found across the nine green complexes, all of which dictate the best possible playing line from back down the fairway.
CHELTENHAM GC
Cheltenham, Melbourne
Green fees: $35 (weekdays, 18 holes); $40 (weekends).
One of the best nine-hole courses in Victoria, Cheltenham is a Sandbelt gem with characteristics you won’t find elsewhere in the area.
For example, the greens are quite small and the fairways relatively narrow, so this course demands precision ball striking. As a result, this layout has always been a challenge and has gained a reputation over the years for producing high-quality junior golfers, who have gone on to professional careers including the likes of Stewart Ginn, U.S Open Champion Geoff Ogilvy and Matt Griffin.
PALMERSTON G&CC
Palmerston City, Darwin
Green fees: $32 (weekdays); $37 (weekends).
The home of the Northern Territory PGA Championship for nearly a decade, Palmerston is a tale of two nines. The opening nine is long and water comes into play on six holes, while the back nine is more heavily tree-lined with narrow fairways placing a premium on accuracy.
One of Palmerston’s most memorable offerings is the par-3 4th hole, known as The Causeway. The 167-metre gem can play longer than the scorecard suggests if the prevailing breeze is up. The tee shot needs to carry the edge of a lake to find a wide, almost triangular, tiered green protected in front by two small bunkers.
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