Like the ever-changing cityscape of the surrounding suburbs, Southport has not been immune to redevelopment in the quest to remain one of the Gold Coast’s premier private courses.

In the most significant change to the course since 1948, most of the holes were rebuilt during a six-year stretch in the mid-’80s.

It was also during this time the greens were changed from bent grass to the more humidity-friendly Bermuda 328 grass and most of the fairways were converted to Greenlees Park couch grass.

The then design team of Graham Marsh and Ross Watson was also commissioned to come up with a masterplan that would improve the playability of the layout as well as the drainage. By 1990, the designers had overseen the reconstruction of eight new greens as well as the addition of eight new lakes, which alleviated further drainage problems.

The complete redevelopment of the back nine was completed in 2009 with the redesign of the shortish par-5 13th and the tight-driving par-4 18th, which are now two of the standout holes on

the course.

Southport is not a long par-71, measuring just 5,806 metres from the back markers. Nor does it cover wildly dramatic terrain. It is an easy walking layout where defence of its par comes from tight driving lines on heavily tree-lined fairways as well as strategically placed bunkers and numerous ponds and lakes.