9 GAILES GOLF CLUB

One of the great trivia questions about Australian golf is to name the Brisbane course that hosted the 1955 Australian Open? It might take a while to get the answer – Gailes Golf Club.

The club agreed to host the Open when flooding elsewhere meant the event had to move to a better-draining course. Gailes was the choice and the great South African Bobby Locke went on to win that championship.

More than 60 years on from that championship, Gailes remains widely regarded as one of the best wet weather courses in Brisbane, while the wintergreen fairways have a reputation as being some of the best in the capital.

Much has changed at Gailes over the decades. During the 1940s, for example, there were 184 bunkers scattered across the layout. Many of these have been filled in over time and there are 69 bunkers to contend with these days.

Gailes’ rolling landscape gives rise to some very good holes, where strategy and shot placement are the keys to good scoring, with the 482-metre par-5 1st hole setting the scene for the remainder of the round.

Green fee: $35 (18 holes, midweek); $42 (Monday and Friday); $45 (Sunday).

Gailes Golf Club. PHOTO: Brendan James.

10 REDCLIFFE GOLF CLUB

According to several of this magazine’s Top-100 Courses judges, the picturesque par-71 Redcliffe course is one of the most improved layouts in Brisbane during the past few years.

Located at Clontarf, about 35 minutes’ drive north of Brisbane, Redcliffe combines the characteristics of a sand belt coastal strip with the river estuary outlook across Hayes Inlet. Its close proximity to the ocean and river inlet ensures there is always some kind of breeze to speak of.

The course was opened for play in 1935, having been designed by Stan Francis – a very good amateur golfer, who played out of The Brisbane Golf Club.

But much of the improvement enthused about by our judges can be attributed to having greater access to recycled water as well as the work done as part of a masterplan the club commissioned course architect Richard Chamberlain to put together in 2011. While the routing remained, much of the redesign focused on updating bunkering and increasing the tee-to-green strategy required to score well.

When the prevailing south-easterly wind gathers strength, the closing trio of holes really gain some bite. Arguably the best of them is the 506-metre par-5 16th hole, which plays along the edge of Hayes Inlet to the right and is a genuine three-shotter. The fairway turns slightly right and encourages a playing line down the right half all the way to the green, with the second shot layup being complicated by a clump of trees in the left half of the fairway. A sandy wasteland also cuts in from the left for the final approach into the slightly elevated putting surface. A par here is well-earned.

Green fee: $37 (18 holes, weekdays); $42 (weekends).

Redcliffe Golf Club. PHOTO: Supplied.

11 WYNNUM GOLF CLUB

Located in Brisbane’s bayside suburbs, Wynnum Golf Club gives the initial impression not much has changed since the club was established in 1922. The charming Federation-style clubhouse has a welcoming Queensland feel about it and the course is laid out in two loops in and away from this hub.

Obviously things have changed there over the years and the course has moved with the times and remains an enjoyable and exacting test for players of all standards. No two holes are the same and the variety of left and right dogleg holes adds to its appeal.

For the majority of golfers, the 412-metre dogleg left par-4 4th hole is suitably indexed the hardest hole on the course. If it’s not the hardest hole it certainly presents the most difficult tee shot. Dense stands of tall gums and pines line the inside of the dogleg and, despite the generous width of the fairway, out-of-bounds can be found beyond the trees right of the short grass. With the drive successfully negotiated, the key is then getting the club selection correct to conquer this tough test.

While the variety of the holes will impress, the memorable aspect of Wynnum is its beauty – with well-presented playing surfaces and a layout that is easy to walk in picturesque surrounds.

Green fee: $40 (18 holes, weekdays); $42 (weekends).

Wynnum Golf Club. PHOTO: Supplied.

12 VIRGINIA GOLF CLUB (Championship course)

Virginia has gained a reputation as one of Brisbane’s most beautiful layouts, with its combination of rolling fairways, meandering creeks, undulating greens and 56 bunkers scattered throughout.

It’s hardly any coincidence that such good players have emerged from the Virginia ranks over the years. The challenging layout was the home club of Greg Norman and Wayne Grady during the 1970s, and the pair collected four club championships between them in six years during the early to mid-70s.

Most fairways are lined with mature trees, thickly in parts, while there are some lengthy holes that require a couple of spirited blows to reach the putting surface.

Some of the best holes at Virginia cover the terrain with the most elevation change, like the par-4 5th and 6th holes. Both these holes feature a rolling uneven fairway which comes into play from the tee and can influence the lie you have for a second shot approach.

Green fee: $39 (18 holes, outside of competition times).

Virginia Championship Course. PHOTO: Brendan James.

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