But it is only in recent times that this club in the heart of the city’s leafy eastern suburbs has gained national recognition for the quality of its golf course.

The feedback this magazine received when Kew broke into its Top-100 Courses in Australia ranking for the first time in 2020 was mixed. While most of the comments were in agreeance with Kew’s selection, others suggested our judges had better think again.

Kew debuted that year at No.99, having not even received a single vote just six years earlier.

When the votes were tallied for our 2022 Top-100 Courses ranking, our judges had reconsidered their appraisal and Kew edged up three spots to No.96.

Kew’s progression onto the national stage can be attributed to the club’s investment in a masterplan nearly a decade ago, which was established primarily to overcome the course’s biggest problem, poor drainage.

Kew has long been regarded as one of Melbourne’s best clay belt layouts, but like all the courses to be found within close proximity to the Yarra River and its tributaries east of the city, drainage has always been a concern, especially in winter.

The extensive redevelopment of the course was overseen by course designer Graeme Grant, who not only addressed the drainage problem with great success but he also improved the overall layout.

RIGHT: With water and trees to the right, skirting the fairway bunker on the 3rd hole is a good option. PHOTO: Brendan James.

Grant redesigned and built eight new holes – the 1st, 3rd, 8th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th holes – while overseeing the conversion of all the fairways and greens surrounds to Santa Ana couch grass, and the greens to bentgrass.

An extensive drainage network was added, while above the ground a significant amount of work was done on contouring fairways and creating run-off undulations to channel water to drains placed away from playing lines. This effectively killed two birds with one stone as it has created better, healthier playing surfaces as well as adding to the challenge of hitting quality approach shots and greenside recoveries from a variety of lies.

Kew’s new holes have not added any significant amount of the length to the par-72, which is long enough for a member’s course at 6,185 metres from the back pegs. However, Grant has successfully made it more testing of your course management skills with the addition of fairway bunkers, greenside swales and angled putting surfaces.

For example, the par-3 14th is 172 metres from the back tees so a long iron or hybrid is required to cover the distance for many, while better players will be able to go at the green with a highly struck mid-iron. Different shots, different challenges and each have been accommodated into the design of the hole.

The huge double green for the 1st & 8th holes (right) and the angled green of the long par-4 17th. PHOTO: Brendan James.

The bunker fronting the green at the 14th is a fine example of the natural bunkering look Grant has introduced to the Kew layout and will become more established as they mature.

My only other previous visits to Kew, left me with the impression that despite its beauty Kew was an underwhelming second-shot course, where I felt like I was reaching for the same one or two clubs all the time and all I had to do was hit a straight shot from a relatively flat lie. This no longer applies and thinking your way from tee-to-green is an absolute necessity.

One prime example of this is the 361-metre dogleg right par-4 15th hole, which is no longer simply conquered with a driver and short iron. The fairway has been widened slightly and two bunkers inside the dogleg have been renovated, while a bigger third bunker has been positioned further up the fairway to the left. Big hitters can certainly try and carry the bunkers on the right but if they are slightly offline the third bunker will grab them. The conservative play, however, laying up short of the bunkers leaves a longer, more complicated approach into the green.

Grant’s redesign has significantly elevated Kew from being simply a nice course to what is now a fun layout that is fair and challenging for players of all standards – factors that have not gone unnoticed by our ranking judges.

“Kew is definitely more open and inviting than it was before the redesign,” ranking judge, Kevin Nolan, said. “There are some views across the course now that some people, like me, love and some don’t.

“The real winner is being able to grow beautiful Santa Ana couch fairways and bentgrass greens now, with plenty of shaded areas now gone.”

Last hurrah: arguably the most demanding of Kew’s par-3s, the 164-metre 18th hole. PHOTO: Brendan James.

Ranker Hamish Walker was similarly impressed with the results of Kew’s vegetation management program introduced in 2018.

“The tree-clearing program here has been pivotal in the significant improvement of Kew. You no longer feel boxed in and the quality of the turf throughout the course is excellent and brings the best out of the design,” Walker said.

Kew’s forward-thinking approach to its golf course has certainly enhanced its reputation in Melbourne golfing circles and it will only be a matter of time before more golfers from further afield will also be singing its praises.

FACT FILE

LOCATION: Belford Rd, Kew East, Victoria.

CONTACT: (03) 9859 6848.

WEBSITE: www.kewgolfclub.com.au

DESIGNERS: Jock Robinson & Jock Young (1922); Various (1960s & 70s); Graeme Grant (2010-22).

PLAYING SURFACES: Santa Ana (fairways), bentgrass (greens).

COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Cameron Hall.

PGA PROFESSIONALS: Simon Angliss (head professional), Ben Jewell, Janette Borgolotto and Narelle Anderson (PGA Community Coach).

GREEN FEES: Kew is a private course open to members and their guests. There are limited tee times for international and interstate visitors on some days.

MEMBERSHIPS: Opportunities for membership are now available for full, corporate and junior member categories. See the club’s website for further details.

ACCOLADES: Ranked No.96 in Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Courses in Australia for 2022.