Known at first as a tough test, changes at this NSW South Coast course have made for a more playable layout.

The 4th introduces players to Shell Cove’s collection of short par-3s

The Shell Cove project was conceived by the Shellharbour City Council in the early 1990s as the largest residential development undertaken by a local government in the country. The $1.5 billion coastal development would be a focal point for tourism in the Illawarra region, eventually encompassing 3,000 home sites, a marina with 300 berths, access to the area’s national parks as well as other community-based attractions. In a project of this scale, a golf course was naturally a key component.

As so often happens with grand plans and golf courses, the original intention was to build the ideal of the age, a championship layout. The word ‘championship’, in these cases, becomes a synonym for ‘difficult’. And soon after it opened in 2004, the Links Shell Cove developed an early reputation as a promising yet challenging track.

Located on a 63 hectare portion of land which incorporates another 20 hectares of wetlands, the Links Shell Cove sits in a scenic spot of undulations within a small valley. The ocean is not in view, but it’s only a short par-4 away from the course’s eastern edge. Even if you can’t see it, you’re sure to almost always feel it with the breezes that come off the coast, and it’s perhaps the dominant feature of playing a round here.

Not a true links by its own admission, it retains some links-style elements. The major one is the influence of the wind, which determines much of the character of the holes tee-to-green. Depending on where it’s coming from, the 6,107-metre total on the scorecard can feel a lot longer or shorter. Long, native roughs define many parts of the layout, and an occasional blind shot will confront the player.

In recent times, the club has been endeavouring to wind back Shell Cove’s standing as a tough day’s play. There were 25 bunkers removed from the course, and of the 67 that remained, 54 of them were modified. The immediate cut of rough has been made shorter, and the long fescue-type grass found in the deep rough has been marked as hazard. This has served to speed up play, sparing golfers from prolonged lost-ball searches or walking back for stroke-and-distance penalties.

The club’s general manager, Robby Stephenson, says the Links Shell Cove has arrived at a better balance of a course that’s playable for the weekend golfer while still having something in it for the better player. Stephenson said the club had received good response on the changes, and was hoping that that player who may have visited the course four years ago and found it too demanding would give it another look. The less taxing test of golf combines neatly with the relaxed South Coast vibe of the place – visitors mix easily with a devoted core of members.

The approach into the par-4 13th, the No1 index of the Links Shell Cove

Above all, the club is known for great value golf. The Links Shell Cove was named in this magazine’s survey a few years ago of the nation’s top 50 courses you could play for less than $50, and its rates have remained more than reasonable since. It’s a typical example of the quality return that Australian golfers get for their dollar across the country.

One of the distinguishing features of a round at Shell Cove is the size of the greens. Compact yet featuring plenty of action and movement, they ask for the player to be on the correct side of the hole if they want a good chance at making their putt. It puts a premium on approach play – a longer putt beneath the hole is quite often better than a shorter from above. Players burning the edge all day won’t be able to blame the good condition of the greens, which roll true.

The front nine opens on a semi-blind drive to a downhill medium length par-4. With the prevailing northerly, the 368-metre 1st is usually downwind – one of your reviewer’s playing partners during the visit to Shell Cove notes his long-hitter play of choice is to drive the green, or at least to the area short of it. Even after a mighty hit, the sharply sloping right-to-left green guarantees no sure up-and-down, or even a two-putt.

The two front-side par-5s at the 3rd and 5th also play along the direction of the prevailing wind. All the par-5s at Shell Cove present as scoring chances, wind permitting of course, as none is of gargantuan length. However, driver is not automatically the choice at all of them, as accuracy will more often be rewarded here – as will staying out of the creeks and wetland hazards that are a feature at several points.

After the back-to-back one-shotters of the 6th (uphill) and 7th (downhill), the outward half closes on a pair of stout par-4s, the dogleg-left 409-metre 8th and straightaway 386-metre 9th. As long par-4s go, they provide some width for the drive, but the putting surfaces are both narrow, angled targets.

The back nine is generally agreed upon as having the pick of the holes at the Links Shell Cove. It begins with the intriguing 10th, a short, uphill par-4 that seems simple for any tee ball that lands in the fairway. But a swale in front of the green makes the approach seem shorter than it is, and the breaks are some of the most subtle on the course.

The 12th is one of the most picturesque holes on the course, only 136 metres off the back but playing even shorter than that down the slope. A good portion of the green is obscured from view on the tee, and as with short par-3s of this type, the inability to keep the ball down off the elevated tee means the influence of the wind always has to be considered.

The 12th is one of the most picturesque spots on the course.

Over one side of the valley to a flatter, lower-lying area of the property, the 13th is 363-metre par-4 that is also the No.1 index hole. It features one of the most dynamic green complexes at Shell Cove, with front bunkers eating into the elevated putting surface on both sides. The green slopes back to front, and again, anything above the hole here will require great touch.

The green at the 15th differs is similar in character, a raised, left-to-right-running putting surface defined by a deep bunker on the front right. This par-3 differs to the other one-shotters at Shell Cove, a true long iron or hybrid shot at 200 metres from the tips.

The 16th is another distinctive hole visually, one to linger in the heads of visitors after the round. The par-4 wraps around the property’s large wetland area over 376 metres, less on the direct line over the hazard. Our long-hitting playing partner again chimes in that he reached this green in one with a helping wind, although in this case, it was not commonly the play. The fairway is ample, but narrows at about the 150 metre mark, with a large bunker through the short grass on the ideal line. Longer hitters can try for a patch of fairway about 100 metres out, but must cut off more of the hazard to get there.

The finisher opens out from an enclosed space off the tee to another impressive-looking shot, the last iron approach of the day (hopefully). It’ll only be about 150 metres and in, but it’s all carry over a patch of wetland to a neatly sited green below the hotel. It’s a fun shot, with a touch of daring, to end the round.

FACT FILE:

LOCATION: Golf Dr, off Shellharbour Rd and the Princes Hwy, in Shellharbour, about an hour and a half outside of Sydney.

CONTACT: (02) 4237 5955.

WEBSITE: www.linksshellcove.com.au

DESIGNER: Scott Murray (2004).

PLAYING SURFACES: Poa Annua greens,Kikuyu fairways.

BUNKERS: 67.

PGA PRO: Richard Jumrukovski.

GREEN FEES: $40 weekdays, $55 weekend, cart included. Nine-hole and post-1pm and 4pm rates also available.

MEMBERSHIPS: The Links Shell Cove has four classes of membership from full playing to junior. Full playing members also become members of the Links Rewards Club program.Also currently on offer is the club’s Ultimate Golf Package. This is a 12-month membership deal which also includes a full set of clubs and a lesson from a PGA Pro, in addition to the other member benefits. The cost of the package is $16.95 a week.

The Links Shell Cove also offers a lifestyle membership which is targeted at more casual golfers. Membership benefits includes discounted green fees every day of the week, members’ discounts and official handicap maintenance.

CORPORATE DAYS:  The Links Shell Cove has a variety of corporate day packages which includes event co-ordination, course briefings, lunch, drinks cart operation and presentations.

FACILITIES: The course is home to The Links Hotel, a family-friendly establishment which has the award-winning Relish @ The Links restaurant. 

AWARDS: Relish @ The Links won the category of best South Coast restaurant in a pub, club or tavern in Restaurant & Catering’s Awards for Excellence.