Hey dudes,

I’ve got the option of playing either Riverside Oaks or Lynwood Country Club this coming Saturday morning. Has anyone played either/or/both recently and can weigh in on which one I’d be best going with? I’ve not played either before, and from what I can see on their websites they both like quite nice. And I’m sure I’ll play both eventually. RO want $80, but that includes a cart, while Lynwood charge $40 to walk. I’m leaning towards Lywnood, just cos it’s cheaper and there’s earlier tee times available and I’ve got to get back to my home course for a round that arvo… . What do you reckon? Cheers.

Both are good.

You will lose less balls at Riverside Oaks.

Lynwood may be harder to get on. It has taken some customers from RSO.

Haven’t played Lynwood, need Schmuck to comment on its condition. I do like RSO, when the conditions are good. Coring greens there next week so now would be a good time to play.

definatly Lynwood, excellent course, good design, only one week hole for ( the 3rd)

but get a game at RSO soon as its well worth a hit there as well. course condition can vary out there though…

Lynwood is heaps better than RO. The condition of RO has gone downhill over the past 2 years, so give Lynwood a crack! It is a great test of golf with the most pure greens around.

How do you blokes rate Lynwood compared to Stonecutters Ridge? Played SR back in October and playing there again this Sunday. Quite like it out there. Some dude told me he rated SR over Lynwood, but he had just joined at SR…

Personally I don’t think Riverside Oaks is worth the $80. Yes I’ve payed the $80 (and more) to play there plenty of times, but still don’t think it’s worth it…....

Lynwood will give you a much better test. Especially now it’s been raining so there’s gona be plenty of places to lose balls!! Keep it straight off the tee dude…..

I’d much prefer Stonecutters over both of them to be honest. But I’m pretty sure you got no hope of getting on there on a Saturday. Still slow rounds, but if you’ve plenty of times on your hands, hit Stoney’s…...

Playing Stonecutters next week – really looking forward to it.

Lynwood was in typically good nick last week, but as some hinted….. the water hazards are at their max levels.
One tip…you don’t need driver on many holes;
3wood/hybrid (200-220m) off the tee is usually plenty

As Lippy suggested Stonecutters is also worth a hit (slow but.. 5hrs+) & you should try to get back to RO sometime. It’s a good aussie style champs course.

How do you blokes compare Lynwood to Camden Lakeside? Just curious how those in the know order the “Links Style” courses in the west, candidates being Stonecutters, Lynwood, Camden Lakeside, MacQuarie Links, and any others I’ve missed. Played all the above except Lynwood. Quite like them all… the older two could certainly do with a bit more money to spend on course maintenance though… . ML looked a little lacking in general (compared to my expectations), while at CL it’s just the greens that seem a little underwhelming… . I’m a member at Liverpool, but having only been living in Sydney a few years there’s still a few courses round the joint I’ve not yet played…

I wouldn’t call cl and riverside oaks links courses. Nor maclinks for that matter. Sr? Its a bit of a stretch to say its linksy too. All great tracks though. Prefer stonecutters but am always happy to play any of these tracks.

I’d pick Lynwood over Riverside Oaks.

If RO was in the condition it was 3 years ago though i’d pick that, but unfortunately as others have said, it’s quite ordinary these days.

It does have some astronomically large greens though.

I wouldn’t call cl and riverside oaks links courses. Nor maclinks for that matter. Sr? Its a bit of a stretch to say its linksy too. All great tracks though. Prefer stonecutters but am always happy to play any of these tracks.

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

Thanks mate. I wasn’t referring to RO as “Links STYLE”, but the others (Stonecutters, Lynwood, Camden Lakeside, MacQuarie Links) do have elements of links to their design. That term “Links STYLE” is pretty loose anyway – I reckon generally speaking, if a course isn’t tree-lined, is relatively flat, has pot bunkering and couch fairways, then it’s referred to as”Links STYLE”.
One more I forgot to mention is Glenmore Heritage Valley – I really like it out there, interesting layout and in pretty nice nick. They try to pass that off as “Links STYLE” as well, but that course is definitely more tree-lined then the others above. Say what people will about western Sydney, but we’re certainly quite spoilt for choice when it comes to good golf courses…

the argument about “links style” will generally come back to the fact that to be classified in that ilk you have to be near the ocean. A Links is generally a term used to describe the bit of land between the beach and the farmland that wasnt deemed useful for farming, generally due to the salt effects. These tracts were long thin areas and when Golf was invented they decided that this useless land was a good place for golf. That is one reason that we have “outward nines” and “inward nines” because they went one direction and then turned around and came back.

back on track – the description of something as being a Links isnt only its look, it is the character of the course which would invariably involve wind most of the time. You rarely get that consistency of wind away from the ocean and hence might be able to say a course is designed with a “links appearance” if it has few trees and pot bunkers but thats about it.Having walked around a few of the UK Links courses I would venture to say that few courses in australia would be even 70% similar to those. Not to say that they arent good courses as I think they are indeed better courses. I think the limitations of that UK land and conditions don’t actually make for good courses and personally I think St andrews is a pretty poor course ( thunder and lightning crashing above me) but the purists like that sort of thing.

the australian versions like the Tassie courses, mornington peninsula, the sydney coastal tracks and places like The Cut in WA and magenta shores are all great courses in their own way and their own right. I think we are spoiled rotten with the standard and variety of courses we have in australia and its a joy to travel around playing them

my 2 cents worth

the argument about “links style” will generally come back to the fact that to be classified in that ilk you have to be near the ocean. A Links is generally a term used to describe the bit of land between the beach and the farmland that wasnt deemed useful for farming, generally due to the salt effects. These tracts were long thin areas and when Golf was invented they decided that this useless land was a good place for golf. That is one reason that we have “outward nines” and “inward nines” because they went one direction and then turned around and came back.

back on track – the description of something as being a Links isnt only its look, it is the character of the course which would invariably involve wind most of the time. You rarely get that consistency of wind away from the ocean and hence might be able to say a course is designed with a “links appearance” if it has few trees and pot bunkers but thats about it.Having walked around a few of the UK Links courses I would venture to say that few courses in australia would be even 70% similar to those. Not to say that they arent good courses as I think they are indeed better courses. I think the limitations of that UK land and conditions don’t actually make for good courses and personally I think St andrews is a pretty poor course ( thunder and lightning crashing above me) but the purists like that sort of thing.

the australian versions like the Tassie courses, mornington peninsula, the sydney coastal tracks and places like The Cut in WA and magenta shores are all great courses in their own way and their own right. I think we are spoiled rotten with the standard and variety of courses we have in australia and its a joy to travel around playing them

my 2 cents worth

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

Good points mate. The obvious thing is those courses mentioned in this thread are ages from the coast. Maybe these sorts of courses should be referred to as “Inland Links” rather than “Links Style”. “Links Appearance” would work too. Or “Aussie Links”. Even though they’re not actually Links, the courses above are quite different in appearance to parkland course like Liverpool, Bankstown, New Brighton etc. I’ll get down to the Barnbougles one day – they look amazing. Played NSW for the first time the other week – creamed myself the whole way through…

we’ve got some magical courses of different styles around our coast. the cliff tip ones like Coast/st micks/NSW and a few others like Narooma around the nsw coast.

then theres the rolling hills of the mornington area which have produced quite an array of different styles. Just look at the 3 at the national which if you showed them to someone who didnt know as sets of photos, a lot of people wouldnt believe they were on the same piece of land

then sand dunes tracks like magenta , the cut, tuncurry, hawks nest ( and many more in this category) that rely on the banksia/ti tree/ bracken fern scrub to toughen them up.

I think the tassie duo are a bit of a crossbred of a couple of those types of country and have the benefit of the wind of that great exposed coastline

Fuzzy, the way the weather is at present and after having attempted to play Stonebridge in the Hunter today with the NCCSSC guys, you might be better off with a jug of port and lots of hot coffed watching movies this weekend. Supposed to be playing Glenmore on Sunday, but the way things are looking the course may be closed anyway. Wouldn’t be surprised if a few others, including the ones you mention are also.

As for the query, RO has had a fair bit of work done on it over the passed 6 mths and despite what others may say, it is in pretty good nick. A couple of holes were still in progress when I last played there, but that was about 2 months ago. Should be O.K. by now. $$$ wise it is overpriced but a good track just the same.

Lynwood, welllllll…. better of the two IMO, but what would normally be good sized water hazards, ( a few hidden gems mind you) with this rain, they will be LARGE hazards by now. Plenty of trouble if you are wayward, but I believe that shouldn’t worry you. Greens are pretty schmick.

Stonecutters kicks em both in the teeth.

Fuzzy, the way the weather is at present and after having attempted to play Stonebridge in the Hunter today with the NCCSSC guys, you might be better off with a jug of port and lots of hot coffed watching movies this weekend. Supposed to be playing Glenmore on Sunday, but the way things are looking the course may be closed anyway. Wouldn’t be surprised if a few others, including the ones you mention are also.

As for the query, RO has had a fair bit of work done on it over the passed 6 mths and despite what others may say, it is in pretty good nick. A couple of holes were still in progress when I last played there, but that was about 2 months ago. Should be O.K. by now. $$$ wise it is overpriced but a good track just the same.

Lynwood, welllllll…. better of the two IMO, but what would normally be good sized water hazards, ( a few hidden gems mind you) with this rain, they will be LARGE hazards by now. Plenty of trouble if you are wayward, but I believe that shouldn’t worry you. Greens are pretty schmick.

Stonecutters kicks em both in the teeth.

The key to success is to learn to do something right, then do it right every time. Oh I wish…..

Now a two time winner of the treasured WBT.

Thanks mate. How was Stonebridge? I wanted to go today, but couldn’t get off work. Has Jack Newton done a nice number up there? I was out at Liverpool practising this evening – wasn’t actually raining, surprisingly – and the course was wet, but definitely playable. Hopefully it won’t rain much overnight…I’ve heard RO is getting back in shape, will sus it out next time. Looking forward to Lynwood in the morning, and my second crack at Stonecutters on Sunday. If the weather holds up, could be a blinder of a weekend…

How was Stonebridge?

I’ll let you know when the river subsides. Given the probs “The Oaks” used to have with drainage, I thought they would have done something about it. Nyet…. Water everywhere apart from the greens which are all raised and were in good nick although slow due to the wet of course. They have been rained out 4 of the passed 6 weekends.

Apart from that it does look a nice track and quite a few mods have taken place. I think they could have done more with the ‘Stonebridge’, if that’s the signature, it’s an ordinary one.