Narooma is a small coastal haven that boasts world-class beaches and has become renowned for the whales, seals and penguins that are attracted to the pristine waters offshore.

But one of the town’s major attractions remains its golf course, which is ranked in the nation’s top-100 layouts.

Located approximately halfway between Sydney and Melbourne via the Princes Highway and less than three hours’ drive from Canberra, Narooma’s terrific course has been attracting hordes of golfers since it was extended to an 18-hole layout in 1980 – and for good reason.

It was the course, rather than the wildlife, that first attracted me and my father to hop in the car for five hours and head south from Sydney. I’d heard on the golfers grapevine about how good the course was and a week’s golfing holiday to Narooma was planned. I was 14 and the year was 1982.

Coming from a relatively flat suburban Sydney course that featured houses on two sides and main roads on the other two boundaries, my eyes bulged wide to the size of dinner plates as we pulled up in the Narooma club car park and soaked in the view. It was such a breath-taking experience that it could have been last month such is the lasting vivid memory I have of that moment … and that was just standing in the car park.

Narooma was the first course I played as a young golfer that really excited me and opened my eyes to the wonder of good course design. It was such a wonderful experience that I photographed the course several times to have a lasting memento of the holiday. I couldn’t have imagined that would be part of my job description in years to come.

Dad and I must have squeezed a dozen rounds into that week. We were hooked and return golf trips to Narooma became an annual getaway with a growing number of mates joining us. When Dad passed away in 1995 a group of us travelled to Narooma and when we arrived at the par-3 3rd hole – with its tee and green perched either side of a chasm where the waves smash onto rocks below – we raised a shot of Drambuie in a toast to him before playing our tee shots.

It’s safe to say I have an emotional attachment to this wonderful golf course. More than three decades on from that first trip and I still love standing on the 1st tee here knowing what lies ahead for the next four or so hours.

The layout has not changed dramatically in 30 years. Cosmetic changes have been made along the way but the par-72 remains one of the most visually striking layouts in Australia, which combines magnificent ocean views with dramatically undulating inland holes that have been carved through dense tall timber country. The late course superintendent-turned-course designer John Spencer oversaw the expansion of the layout and his legacy is a terrific layout that never disappoints.

The high standard of its conditioning is a wonderful constant. I cannot recall any time when I have left the course here feeling disappointed by the presentation of the course, in particular the greens. The putting surfaces are arguably the best to be found between Sydney and Melbourne.

The opening six holes are links style and are played on the clifftops above the Pacific Ocean before the layout turns inland for the next ten holes, which are played on fairways lined with enormous ancient gums and other native trees. The final two holes are back above the ocean and are susceptible to the prevailing southerly winds whipping up the coast.

Two holes really hug the cliffline.

The 330-metre par-4 2nd starts from an elevated tee, which drops steeply to the luxuriant, green Kikuyu grass fairway. The majority of drives slam into the fairway as it rises again to bend left around the clifftop. Anything from a long iron to a wedge may be needed to cut across the bend, and a deep bunker, to hit the putting surface. Taking the safe route to the right of the green can also find a bunker well short.

Narooma’s signature hole is the previously mentioned par-3 3rd hole. Measuring 141 metres from the back pegs, the tee shot here must be carried over the edge of the ocean to find the green. Known as ‘Hogan’s Hole’ after it featured in a Paul Hogan TV commercial in the 1970s, the tee shot is fraught with danger with the ocean claiming balls mis-hit left or struck long of the green. A sea cave carved out of the cliff beneath the green makes this hole one you can never forget.

The 458-metre par-5 5th hole can be easily reached by longer hitters when the conditions allow. The fairway heads to the south-east and is exposed to any southerly breeze but, when the wind drops, the green can be reached. The putting surface is perched right on the edge of a cliff about 30 metres beyond a large fairway bunker on the right edge of the fairway, which can complicate matters for any player choosing to lay-up with their second shot. A birdie here is well-earned as the subtle slopes of the green can be difficult to read.

The first par-5 on the back nine, the 460-metre 11th, brings into view some of the largest gum trees on the course. Your drive, from a tee nearly 50 metres above the fairway, must find the right of the sharply dogleg-left fairway, and avoiding fairway bunkers left and right of the driving zone. Once you are around the corner, the fairway rises and falls like a roller-coaster past three bunkers beside the green laid out on a plateau and, again, surrounded by more massive trees.

Any golfer who likes to pull their driver from the bag at every opportunity will relish the driving challenge Narooma presents. All the par-5s are very good driving holes, and perhaps the best par-4 driving hole is the 344-metre 15th hole. With a tee cut into the side of a hill, you are faced with a drive to a fairway that sits diagonally to your approach and features a lake running the entire length of the left edge of the hole. The best position from the tee is in the right half of the fairway to leave a straightforward approach into a wide green.

The 450-metre par-5 18th, another great driving hole, is perhaps the best naturally designed hole on the course. The fairway slopes steeply from left to right towards the oceanside scrubland and ti-tree for the first 280 metres of the journey before narrowing at the 90-degree dogleg to the right. A deep hollow dominates the corner of the dogleg and only the most regular player at Narooma knows where to aim over the scrub to cut the corner successfully with a long approach. There are no landmarks visible, just the sky. The final 100 metres to the green is breathtaking. Nothing but the blue Pacific can be seen behind the large green as well as Montague Island and its large seal colony and lighthouse that dates back to 1881.

I love the memories I get whenever I return to Narooma. It is a course that never fails to disappoint if you are looking to have fun and to be challenged during a round.

THE COURSE

LOCATION: Ballingalla St, Narooma. The club is a five-hour drive south of Sydney or three hours by road from Canberra and about eight hours from Melbourne.

CONTACT: (02) 4476 2522.

WEBSITE: www.naroomagolf.com.au

DESIGNER: John Spencer (1980).

PLAYING SURFACES: Kikuyu fairways and tees, Bentgrass greens.

COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Richard Goodridge

PGA PROFESSIONAL: Colin Holmes.

GREEN FEES: $45.

THE CLUB

MEMBERSHIPS: A variety of membership categories are available at Narooma Golf Club. Full membership costs $640 a year with a $100 entrance fee. For country membership, those figures drop to $360 annually and $75 entry.

ACCOMMODATION: Narooma Golf Club has close associations with several accommodation houses near the course. Tucked behind the 17th hole and 18th tee is Surfbeach Holiday Park, which has a range of cabin options with amazing ocean views perfectly suited for golfers (www.naroomaholidayaccommodation.com.au; 1800 762 275). Opposite the seventh fairway sits Amooran Oceanside Apartments, which is regarded as being among the best accommodation options in town (02) 4476 2198;

www.amooran.com.au).

PACKAGES: Several golf packages are available, both with and without accommodation. The two golf packages, which include 18 holes on two days with cart plus various extra gifts, are available for between $120 and $165 depending on the season. Add accommodation at Surfbeach and the same package is available from $230 per person, twin share. Including accommodation at Amooran brings the price to $240 to $270 per person, twin share. Visit the club’s website for more details.