The approach into the 3rd green is best from the right half of the fairway.

I found it hard to split the two courses. However, many will consider Lost Farm a better layout because it has holes that run to different points of the compass, where nearly all the holes at Barnbougle Dunes follow the east-west line of the sand dunes.

Lost Farm opens with a quality par-5 and short par-4 before ramping up the excitement with another diminutive two-shotter at the 3rd. Played slightly uphill, the hole measures no more than 250-metres from the back pegs.

Unlike Barnbougle Dunes where many of the fairways, particularly on the front nine, appeared to have been squeezed into the flattest areas between the towering sand dunes, Lost Farm’s fairways weave through much wider valleys. On the 3rd, the fairway is wider than a four-lane highway but the key is hitting to the right part of the expanse to get the best approach. Here, it is from the right side on a small shelf, which sits several metres above the widest stretch of landing zone, and presents an uncomplicated line into the angled green.

The following hole, a 110-metre par-3, promises to be one of the most talked about short holes in world golf. It resembles the famed 7th at Pebble Beach without the steep elevation change between tee and green. Coore’s green complex is perfectly located on a spit of land where the beach borders the hole to the right and the mouth of the Little Forester River can be seen beyond the putting surface. On the day I played I used a 6-iron into the wind to cover the distance to a back pin. On the rare still days it is no more than pitch or 9-iron.

The hole is known as Sal’s Point because Sally Sattler, Richard’s wife, thought it would make a great spot to build their dream home.

“It would be a good spot but it makes a much better golf hole,” Sattler laughs as he recounts just one of the dozens of stories connected with building Lost Farm.