Previously played as the 15th hole, this challenging par-4 of 372 metres is now the 12th hole. The uphill second shot is the key with a two-tiered green protected by bunkers right and a steep hill to the left.

There’s a touch of Royal Melbourne about the 10th hole, as the short, uphill par-4 resembles the famed short par-4 10th on the West course. Here, as at RM, the hole is quite simple when played as a lay-up and pitch but at 256 metres the temptation is to unleash a 3-wood or driver in a bid to set up an eagle putt. Wayward balls, however, may not be discovered for five months, let alone five minutes. Another birdie chance beckons at the 11th, a short par-5 from an elevated tee that invites a bold swoosh with the driver. The layup zone and area fronting the green are both narrow, ensuring only the most accurate of shots find the surface.

Portsea’s 12th fairway descends from a plateau atop a ridge to a lower section of ground. The downslope generates bonus distance for the tee shot but it also makes the second shot play uphill. Watch that the same downslope doesn’t kick your drive to the less-desirable right side of the fairway, too. The 13th is an exposed par-3 to a green complex much like that at No.12, where the well-bunkered putting surface angles from back right to front left.

The routing change that pairs the 14th and 15th holes is genius – a long, downhill par-4 at 14 where the tee shot meanders forever as it bounces and bobbles along a cantered fairway leaving a narrow approach shot before a brilliantly simple short par-4 at 15. The 267-metre 15th is now arguably more enticing to drive as the relocation of the club’s entrance road necessitated the removal of dense scrub behind the green. In its place is an exposed hollow that is testing but far less penal than the flora it used to house. The tee shot is blind thanks to a spur in the land that obscures the target. A straight drive can bounce and run within chipping distance of the flag but anything off-line risks travelling either out-of-bounds to the right or down into impenetrable bush the other way. The green is not overly difficult to manage if you can just get the tee shot right.

The 16th continues the crescendo the previous two holes started building. A downhill par-3 with a green perched into a hillside, tee shots missing the target left will run off towards the 17th fairway while anything struck to the right risks sticking in the long rough lining the bank. Some shots landing on this hill bounce onto the putting surface, others hang up.

The two closing holes add bulk to Portsea’s excellent array of shorter holes. The 365-metre 17th offers a bailout along the right half, as balls struck along this side tend to gather towards the short grass but anything drifting left usually results in a re-tee. The green is largely open but slopes subtly to the right, often sending seemingly good approach shots wide of the target. The home hole is a long par-4 that plays like a par-5 if the tee shot isn’t perfect, as a huge cross bunker that disguises the green protrudes into play and makes the second shot awkward if the tee shot isn’t pure. The terrain does help approaches struck safely along the left side feed towards the flag although rarely all the way to the cup. Closing birdies usually result only from bold, brave second shots – much like the bold, brave play made by Portsea Golf Club in guaranteeing its long-term future.

The Fact File

Location:  46 London Bridge Rd, Portsea. The club is a 90-minute drive from the Melbourne CBD via Eastlink and

the Mornington Peninsula Freeway. Follow the signs to Portsea then take Back Beach Rd and London Bridge Rd. The new entry is via the southern side of the golf course, no longer from Relph Ave on the northern side.

Contact:  (03) 5981 6155.

Website:  www.portseagolf.com.au

Designers:  Jock Young (1926)/Sloan Morpeth & Jack Howard (1965)/Mike Clayton (2000).

Playing surfaces:  Poa annua and bentgrass (greens), Santa Ana couch (fairways and tees).

Course superintendent:  Brad Harris.

PGA professionals:   Wendy Dragojlo and Joel Warner.

Green fees:  $60 midweek, $70 Sundays and public holidays. Add $10 between December 26 and January 31.