Ambiguous in parts.
Depends where you play regularly and your ability I guess to consider RS fairly uninteresting.

I just reckon there’s a lot more memorable moments that stick in my mind from playing both The Lakes and NSW GC than there is from playing Royal Sydney. Of course Royal Sydney is still a great course, not denying that, but I enjoyed the layout at The Lakes and NSW much more. Royal Sydney has the best clubhouse of the three in my opinion, for what it’s worth, and The Lakes has the best range and practice facilities.

Keep it surreal folks.

Lakes practice facilities are good but RS’s has to be the equal or even better. Do you know about the 9 hole “short course” there?

I mean what better way to practice your short game then head out with half a set of clubs over your shoulder playing RS’s 9 holer!

Ambiguous in parts.
Depends where you play regularly and your ability I guess to consider RS fairly uninteresting.

I just reckon there’s a lot more memorable moments that stick in my mind from playing both The Lakes and NSW GC than there is from playing Royal Sydney. Of course Royal Sydney is still a great course, not denying that, but I enjoyed the layout at The Lakes and NSW much more. Royal Sydney has the best clubhouse of the three in my opinion, for what it’s worth, and The Lakes has the best range and practice facilities.

Keep it surreal folks.

Lakes practice facilities are good but RS’s has to be the equal or even better. Do you know about the 9 hole “short course” there?

I mean what better way to practice your short game then head out with half a set of clubs over your shoulder playing RS’s 9 holer!

Good point mate – forgot about the 9-hole practice course at RS. I was told about it, but didn’t get to play it while I was there. Def a great facility to have access to… .

Ambiguous in parts.
Depends where you play regularly and your ability I guess to consider RS fairly uninteresting.

I just reckon there’s a lot more memorable moments that stick in my mind from playing both The Lakes and NSW GC than there is from playing Royal Sydney. Of course Royal Sydney is still a great course, not denying that, but I enjoyed the layout at The Lakes and NSW much more. Royal Sydney has the best clubhouse of the three in my opinion, for what it’s worth, and The Lakes has the best range and practice facilities.

Keep it surreal folks.

Lakes practice facilities are good but RS’s has to be the equal or even better. Do you know about the 9 hole “short course” there?

I mean what better way to practice your short game then head out with half a set of clubs over your shoulder playing RS’s 9 holer!

Not to mention the 2 massive putting greens and pitching/chipping/bunker practice area.

Ambiguous in parts.
Depends where you play regularly and your ability I guess to consider RS fairly uninteresting.

I just reckon there’s a lot more memorable moments that stick in my mind from playing both The Lakes and NSW GC than there is from playing Royal Sydney. Of course Royal Sydney is still a great course, not denying that, but I enjoyed the layout at The Lakes and NSW much more. Royal Sydney has the best clubhouse of the three in my opinion, for what it’s worth, and The Lakes has the best range and practice facilities.

Keep it surreal folks.

Lakes practice facilities are good but RS’s has to be the equal or even better. Do you know about the 9 hole “short course” there?

I mean what better way to practice your short game then head out with half a set of clubs over your shoulder playing RS’s 9 holer!

Good point mate – forgot about the 9-hole practice course at RS. I was told about it, but didn’t get to play it while I was there. Def a great facility to have access to… .

Keep it surreal folks.

Not sure about now but in the old days of rock, any male golfer with a handicap of over I think it was either 24 or 26 could only play the short course in a Saturday comp…..they’d play it twice giving an 18 hole score.

It’s called the centenary course…..like 3500/3800m or thereabouts

Appears St Micks are dojng a few bits and pieces on the course in-house. I hope they know what they are doing.

Appears St Micks are dojng a few bits and pieces on the course in-house. I hope they know what they are doing.

For what it’s worth, playing St Mick’s for the first time last week, I absolutely loved it! 2nd fairway is obviously still very much a work in progress, and they still had those earthworks happening between 6th and 7th fairiways, but on the hole the course looked great to me. The greens were seriously in good nick. I like the layout very much, even the easy holes (short 4s at 4 and 9, short 5 6th) are lovely to look at. Some great holes there – my faves are 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16…

Greens at St Micks have always been good IMO.

Greens at St Micks have always been good IMO.

Agree….especially as the course is open access 7 days.

One problem though is that they are the original greens and will need to be replaced within the next 2-3 years.

I’m not knocking the place….I rate it highly but that is another issue that will need to be addressed.

Appears St Micks are dojng a few bits and pieces on the course in-house. I hope they know what they are doing.

They have the old Lakes Greenkeeper there now so it should be in pretty good hands.

Potentiality it could be very, very good. Look its not going to happen but if you could get a top notch architect in there and do a serious masterplan of every hole it could be amazing.

I’ve played Torrey Pines and the setting and whats left of the Kik grass is very similar. Theviews arent as dramatic but pretty darn good.

Nikey Ho you’re spot on. They need a top notch course architect and the course could be anything. They cannot / should not continue to do jobs in house. In the long term, they’ll need to revisit mistakes which will cost them cash they don’t have.
St Michaels could be unbelievable and an enviable club to be a member of.

Nikey Ho you’re spot on. They need a top notch course architect and the course could be anything. They cannot / should not continue to do jobs in house. In the long term, they’ll need to revisit mistakes which will cost them cash they don’t have.
St Michaels could be unbelievable and an enviable club to be a member of.

Totally agree. Seriously this is “pie in the sky” stuff but having played heaps in the US I’ve become a massive fan of Tom Fazio. His courses are great. Every shot is exciting and you can’t wait to get to the next tee.

I’ve joked with mates that if there was one course in Sydney that you could bring in your own architect, do the course, clubhouse etc St Micks would be on the top of the list. It could seriously be anything. They also have the lease to the old Cullen driving range next door so that couold be integrated.

Approx 30 years ago Norman and Packer tried taking over St Micks, The Coast and Randwick with the aim of laying a 36 hole masterpiece with hotel and casino.

With all respect to NSWGC next door they were lucky it didn’t go ahead. It would have been a masterpiece approx 20 mins from the CBD to rival anything in the world!

St Micks is in need of a redesign/master plan/makeover??? I’d say get that Fazio dude to work his magic at The Coast first – that layout is seriously in need of a redesign. Shame, because of the four courses there, The Coast has the most enviable real estate – so much dramatic coastline holes there. How about that tee shot on 14? Talk about daunting… . That Norman/Packer joint would’ve been superb…

St Micks is in need of a redesign/master plan/makeover??? I’d say get that Fazio dude to work his magic at The Coast first – that layout is seriously in need of a redesign. Shame, because of the four courses there, The Coast has the most enviable real estate – so much dramatic coastline holes there. How about that tee shot on 14? Talk about daunting… . That Norman/Packer joint would’ve been superb…

Keep it surreal folks.

I grew up playing The Coast…...I can remember being driven through that hospital when it was operational to get to the course.

The course has and alway will be quirky, 3 Par 5’s in the first 5 holes….back to back Par 3’s…..all that on the front nine itself but there are some great holes there.

What’s done it in is that the land deal with landcom was handled badly…..wrong bits of land given…..10th hole now a Par 4 that’s approx 190m?......11th was alway random…....no ongoing financial support for up keep etc.

I also hear their fairway irrigation system is down. Bottom line is that all courses need $$$ to maintain and present themselves in the best light.

I used to play The Coast regularly as a kid too. Very fond memories – buying cheap balls off the locals, perving on the chicks walking down to the beach, gale force winds in the afternoon, winning a junior pennants match there 7&6, buying hot dogs from the kid who ran a snack bar from the back of his house on 12, crossing into Randwick to play a few holes.

Good times.

The Coast is a bit of a joke now with the new holes. shame.

St Micks with a Fazio, Doak or Clayton/Cocking could be amazing. So much potential there.

The Coast is a bit of a joke now with the new holes. shame.

St Micks with a Fazio, Doak or Clayton/Cocking could be amazing. So much potential there.

Champions League you’re having a laugh…..

I’m with you brother….would love to get it on. A little known fact is that the 5th green of The Coast was once part of St Micks…..was a Par 3 apparently.

Imagine throwing that into the mix…..Play 13 at St Micks…great Par 5 as is….then play a cliff top Par 3 which could rival the 6th at NSWGC…..great piece of land to work with down there.

The Coast is a bit of a joke now with the new holes. shame.

St Micks with a Fazio, Doak or Clayton/Cocking could be amazing. So much potential there.

Champions League you’re having a laugh…..

On another note how is The Doon?

Are they moving fwd with the next phases soon?

Stage 2 which is the next 3 holes is due to start in a few months i believe. It should be quick as the sand is already there its just a shaping and moving of earth around, oh and some growth!
Hopefully the rest of the course is a year after that but there are few determining factors for that to happen.
Stage 1 has been great and the new holes are so superior to the others that everyone is very keen for it to be all finished now! Hard to believe its under a year old!

Anyway lets not clog up a St Micks thread to talk about the Doon!!

When I said 3 holes I was wrong I meant 4 holes as the spare is getting done too!

The Coast is a bit of a joke now with the new holes. shame.

St Micks with a Fazio, Doak or Clayton/Cocking could be amazing. So much potential there.

Champions League you’re having a laugh…..

I thought it was Clayton / Ogilvy ?
I’d love a crack at the place too.
Members suggest the place be left alone as its a “fine” golf course but “fine” is a serious underachievement on that site. Is has the potential to be be ugraded to “awesome”.