The Illawarra region of New South Wales is renowned for its iron and steel. But it also possesses great natural beauty from the beaches to the hills, which form the scenic backdrop to some quality golf courses.
A more recent addition to the Illawarra golfing landscape is Calderwood Valley Golf Course, which is a leisurely 15-minute drive south of Dapto.
Set amidst 30 hectares of farmland, Calderwood Valley lies at the foot of the rugged and spectacular Illawarra escarpment and was designed by Wollongong-based course architecture firm McKay and Sons. With the range and surrounding native bush as a backdrop on most holes, the views are stunning.
The 18 holes cover gently undulating land that features clear running creeks and some lakes as well as tree-lined fairways. Most importantly, Calderwood Valley is a fun course for all players, no matter what their ability, and all tee times are devoted to public play.
Long hitters will lick their lips in anticipation of making a good score through the first nine holes. The outward half has three par-5s – the 452-metre 1st, 449-metre 5th and the 455-metre 7th. The 7th, for mine, is the best of them with a tight fairway presenting from the slightly elevated tee. A pot bunker deceptively placed 40 metres short of the green, may cause you to second guess your club selection for the approach, whether it is your second or third shot.
The 131-metre par-3 8th is Calderwood’s shortest and is framed by steep hills to the right and the escarpment off in the distance behind the putting surface. A lake in front of the tee adds the final touches to a beautiful hole. Arguably the best hole of the back nine is also a par-3 – the 149-metre 13th. It is a straight away one-shotter but the tee shot must fly between tall trees left and right, set on the banks of a creek, to find the large putting surface. The green lies within a natural amphitheatre and when you reach the green and look back towards the tee, take a second to soak in the striking view of the escarpment.
Situated conveniently between Wollongong and the picturesque Kiama area, Shellharbour is home to one of NSW’s biggest real estate developments undertaken during the past two decades. The creation and growth of the multi-billion dollar Shell Cove development also gave rise to the South Coast’s newest golf course – The Links Shell Cove.
Shell Cove opened for play in late 2003 and has proven to be a popular addition to the Illawarra’s golfing stocks and can only rise in popularity after recent changes made to the layout.
Course designer Richard Chamberlain created a masterplan for the redesign of the layout after the original 1st and 9th holes were taken out of play. The new holes and routing came into play in August and have been well-received, with the new short par-4 7th – incorporating two playing lines to the green – being the pick of the changes.
Heading south from Shell Cove, you will find one of the prettiest courses in the Illawarra. Kiama Golf Club doesn’t have the magnificent scenery of Wollongong, Gerringong or Calderwood Valley, but a round at this short course is like taking a stroll through a well-kept, lush tree-lined garden. The layout is on predominantly flat land between the Minnamurra River and the south coast rail line just north of the seaside town and features a nice variety of holes in a beautiful setting.
The same can be said for its inland neighbour, Jamberoo Golf Club. Once you pull into the picturesque Jamberoo village, you don’t have to venture too far to find the golf club as the course entry is in the main street.
The course’s origins date back to 1980 when the Jamberoo Social Golf Club negotiated a lease with the local council for the land the course now covers. The club started small with a few sand greens, while the first grass green was laid in 1985. The current 18-hole layout was put into play in 1992 and with thousands of hours of volunteer labour behind it, Jamberoo has blossomed.
Stunning rural, bush and mountain views, as well as 96 native bird species calling Jamberoo home, add to the overall enjoyable golfing experience at Jamberoo.
Hyams Creek winds through the middle of the course, coming into play on 10 holes during the round.
The 111-metre par-3 7th hole is one of Jamberoo’s prettiest offerings, with the aforementioned creek feeding into a pond between tee and green. The putting surface slopes from back-to-front and is receptive to high approach shots but they key here is to leave an uphill putt for your birdie … or par.
Jamberoo’s penultimate hole – a 323-metre par-4 – could be my favourite simply because of the green shape, size and position. The putting surface is a large peanut-shaped offering that is separated from the fairway by Hyams Creek. The green lies diagonally to the approach, which must be played over or between two tall trees sitting on the edge of the creek. The pin position on this green dictates the strategy from the tee more than any other hole on the course.
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