It’s in the nature of courses to change, diluting the links between designer and design – sometimes, however, it’s the architect that gets there first, ready to mentally file away the last project and move onto the next.
It’s a description that doesn’t really apply to Kooindah Waters Golf Club and Craig Parry. The 23-time winner across the various Tours of the world, co-designed the NSW Central Coast layout with acclaimed course architect Ross Watson. And his endorsement of the course doesn’t come in the form of words, it comes with action as the former Tour star has played the layout regularly since it opened for play in 2006 and remains one of a host of high-profile ambassadors for the club.
Throughout his playing career, Parry won tournaments around the world using sound strategy complemented by good ball-striking and a first-class short game.
He brought those key golfing elements of brains over brawn to the design table in creating Kooindah Waters, which is the hub of a major residential development near Wyong. Parry’s input with Watson’s creative skills resulted in a challenging and highly enjoyable layout.
Parry said there were few, if any, constraints in coming up with the layout design as the land was flat and featureless.
“It was a blank canvas … there was nothing we had to incorporate, no special feature that needed inclusion,” Parry said. “And, because of that, we were able to create a very good course that tests the strategy of every golfer, no matter how good, or bad, they are at the game.”
Kooindah Waters is not a long course by modern standards at 6,083 metres from the championship markers. Extracting length was never an issue for the design team because they did not set out to create a brutal challenge that large sections of the golf playing public might be intimidated by.
“One philosophy we had about Kooindah from day one was that it had to be user-friendly,” Parry said. “The last thing you want to do, especially with a public access course, is scare people away after one round because it’s too hard.”
While Kooindah Waters is not a links course, Watson and Parry’s knowledge of links golf has seen them incorporate elements of the seaside game into their Kooindah Waters creation. Many of the greens feature a wide opening where you are able to bounce your approach onto the putting surface. The deep greenside bunkering is also a feature of the layout, as are the railway sleeper retaining walls on selected bunkers of the 84 spread throughout the course.
The predominant feature of this golfing landscape – wetland areas that wind in and around most holes on both nines – were actually uncovered during construction of the layout. These wetlands really have come to define Kooindah’s character and have attracted hundreds of species of birds to call this bushland setting home.
Kooindah Waters has been a regular fixture in Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking for more than decade. Ranked at No.62 in January this year, the Central Coast course always earns praise for its strategic design and its high-quality presentation.
“This is a strategic layout where trouble in the form of wetlands and bunkers can be found scattered across the layout. I do like the fact this Ross Watson design gets you to think about all your shot and club options as to avoid getting into trouble with a slight mis-hit,” noted Top-100 judge, Daniel O’Keefe.
While fellow judge Brett Oldham said: “There is plenty to like about a round here. I like the design and the condition of the couch fairways and bentgrass greens is always very good.”
A round here opens with a par-5 that will whet the birdie appetite of good players, without scaring the casual or high-handicapped player from the outset. At 463 metres from the tips, the 1st hole is not overly long (although it plays much harder and longer when the strong southerly wind is blowing) and the fairway is generously wide. That said, any wild mis-hit from the tee can find wetlands to the right and unplayable lies to the left. Avoid the three fairway bunkers en route to the green and chances are you will get your round off to a good start.
The wetlands really come into play at the next. The 149-metre par-3 2nd – the first of three one-shotters in the opening six holes – demands a well-struck tee shot over the wetlands to a green that is almost three clubs deep from front-to-back and lays diagonally front left to back right on the edge of the water hazard. There is plenty of land short left of the putting surface for those lacking the confidence to make the carry successfully, and also avoid the bunker through the back of the green.
One of Kooindah Waters’ toughest holes, demanding an all-or-nothing shot across the wetland, rounds out the front nine. Your drive on the 354-metre par-4 9th hole needs to avoid two fairway bunkers left and the wetlands flanking the right edge of the fairway. If you can find the safety of the right half of the fairway, you will have a shorter, more direct approach into the green that lies just beyond the wetland that dissects the hole.
The back nine has a great variety of holes with two of the best offerings on the inward trek being two of its shortest holes.
The 298-metre par-4 14th is a terrific hole where danger lurks only a few footsteps from the edge of the fairway but the temptation to attack from the tee will be too much for some, despite the obvious drama resulting from a miscued drive. An out-of-bounds fence is just 15 metres right of the fairway for the entire journey to the green. Wetlands are less than five metres from the left edge of the short grass. The wide fairway narrows dramatically the closer you get to the huge green, with massive bunkers staggered at different lengths left and right. While the designers acknowledge today’s, long hitters can easily make the green from the tee, they also believe the shot must be hit on the absolute perfect line to be successful.
The final par-3 – the 126-metre 17th – is a gem. The semi-island green is the outstanding feature here, with water short and wrapping around the right of the putting surface. A lone bunker protects the front left edge of the large green. The size of the green places an emphasis on getting your club selection right, even on such a short hole as this.
Heading for the sanctuary of the clubhouse, the dogleg left 18th hole throws up the toughest challenge of the round. The 397-metre par-4 is flanked by wetlands to the left, while water cuts the fairway in two about 80 metres short of the putting surface. Bunkers and more water surround the green, ensuring a par made here will be remembered and a birdie treasured until the next round.
FACT FILE
LOCATION: Kooindah Boulevard, Wyong, NSW
CONTACT: (02) 4351 0700
WEBSITE: www.kooindahwatersgolf.com.au
DESIGNERS: Ross Watson and Craig Parry (2006).
PLAYING SURFACES: Windsor green couch (fairways), bentgrass (greens).
COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Justin Rankin.
PGA PROFESSIONALS: David Stretton (General Manager), Troy MacDonald.
ACCOMMODATION: The Mercure Kooindah Waters has some great stay and play packages including 18 holes with cart hire, accommodation in the Mercure 4 ½ star resort, and a full buffet breakfast for two people. The resort boasts standard king golf view rooms as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
For more details visit the website:
www.mercurekooindahwaters.com.au
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