5 NORTH LAKES GOLF RESORT CLUB

When North Lakes opened in 2002 it presented several firsts for the Queensland capital. It was the first Graham Marsh design for Brisbane and the first course in Australia to use the fine-leaf Bermuda Tifeagle grass for its putting surfaces.

These two factors alone suggest North Lakes is a quality layout. North Lakes is a challenging layout boasting a great variety of holes that ranks highly among Marsh’s large portfolio of Australian course designs.

At North Lakes, Marsh produced two courses in one – with each hole offering two distinct playing alternatives. The aggressive player capable of hitting prodigious drives can score well if they follow a certain line on the par-4s and par-5s. An aggressive line can result in small downslopes or humps being found and drives bounding on for an extra 30- or 40-metres. All of a sudden a short iron instead of a mid-iron is required to reach a green. But stray from this narrow line and trouble lurks.

On the other hand, the conservative strategist and shorter hitters will also enjoy North Lakes’ relatively safe lines. Playing away from trouble at North Lakes is not difficult. The fairways are reasonably wide, the greens large and inviting while the rough is trimmed to a length that won’t have you driving home with a wrist in a cast. There are more than 90 bunkers scattered along the route. Many are large and clover-shaped but are not ominously deep. For the player not on his game these will intimidate but there is sufficient room to weave your way past them on the fairway and, in most cases, fly over them to hit the putting surface.

Water also plays a major role. Marsh was keen to keep the natural waterways that were present on the site and enhance them to become a feature of the golf course, which is ranked in the Top-100 Public Access Courses in the nation.

But, sadly, opportunities to play this layout are running out with reports emerging (at the time of going to press) of the impending sale and closure of the course in 2019.

Green fee: $99 (18 holes, seven days); $49.50 (member guest, weekdays); $65 (member
guest, weekends).

North Lakes. PHOTO: Brendan James.

6 INDOOROOPILLY GOLF CLUB (Presidents course)

Indooroopilly’s Presidents course features holes from the Red and Blue nines and, according to Golf Australia’s Top-100 Course ranking judges, is the second best layout at the club.

The Red nine – the front nine of the Presidents course – features water on several holes, but it is the change of elevation that makes this part of the course arguably the most interesting across the property.

The 6th hole demands a well-struck drive across the edge of a gully to find the fairway, which lies diagonally off to the right. The drive at the 7th, which is Index 1 on the West course, must also be straight to avoid the lake on the right. A water carry with your long second shot is also required to find the green beyond another lake, this one bordering the front and left edge of the green.

While the holes are generally shorter on the Blue nine, the changing elevation and natural twists in the terrain, combined with the narrower, tree-lined fairways, gives rise to some strong par-4s, like the 405-metre 6th hole.

Green fee: $75 (Monday to Thursday); $95 (Friday and Sunday).

Indooroopilly Presidents Course. PHOTO: Brendan James.

7 KEPERRA COUNTRY GOLF CLUB (Old course)

Keperra’s Old course dates back to the origins of the club in 1931 and today is a demanding test.

So highly regarded is the layout that its annual Keperra Bowl (to be played next month) is a R&A world amateur ranking event and has previously hosted the likes of Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Marc Leishman, who four years after claiming the prized trophy was named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

While Keperra boasts 27 holes, it is the Old course (1 to 18) that is regarded as the best of the three course combinations.

Mature tree-lined fairways are punctuated by bunkers and natural water hazards, while the condition of the layout has always been highly regarded and is expected to get even better after the completion a few months ago of a new irrigation dam.

The 460-metre par-5 1st hole offers a memorable start to the round, where there can be as many birdies as bogies. A generously wide fairway turns right and plunges downhill, just in the driving zone for long hitters, before hitting the flat next to a small pond to the right. The ideal layup here is about 80 metres out from the green to leave a straightforward pitch to a large welcoming green.

Green fee: $39 (18 holes, Monday to Friday); $27 (Saturday, nine holes after 3pm); $45 (18 holes Sunday).

Keperra Old Course. PHOTO: Brendan James.

8 PACIFIC GOLF CLUB

Nestled in the hills about 15 minutes’ drive south east of the city, Pacific Golf Club is a highly regarded layout and has previously been ranked in Australia’s Top-50 Public Access courses.

The undulating nature of the landscape has given rise to some very good holes and a challenge that has been tested in three Queensland Opens and annually by the state’s best up-and-coming golfers in the Gary Player Junior Classic.

The Bulimba Creek and its tributaries meander through the course providing a challenging feature amongst the tree-lined fairways and receptive greens, which are regarded among the best presented in Brisbane.

Green fee: $25 (18 holes Tuesday and Thursday); $35 (Monday and Friday); $45 (Sunday).

Pacific Golf Club. PHOTO: Brendan James.