I was fortunate enough to get a round in at Woodlands this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised how challenging the course really is. The greens are as tough as they come, both extremely small, with a lighting quick surface to match. The fairways are tight and the rough quite dense. Although the course isn't in its prime condition(so im told), I was still very impressed with the challenging layout.

Thanks for the post jesses, if you get a chance can you also put something in our course database for Woodlands? The address is http://www.iseekgolf.com/co...

Much appreciated
Jason
iseekgolf.com

I think Woodlands is overrated. Way too many short holes on this track, simply no challenge for a big hitter like me. I think they need to get someone like Tony Cashmore in there to re-do some bunkering, tinker with the greens and add some much needed length to the course. Its a bit of a joke at present, suited only to the shorter, less interesting womens game.

Tiger would shoot low 60's every time here, wheres the challenge in that?

Plus any course that has members like Sam Newman has to be a bit of a worry.

Jack regardless of how short any course is you still have to get the ball into the hole! Tigger would shot low scores on just about any course he played but I don't think you will ever get the chance to see him on too many courses in Aus as because of his asking price.

8) Jack, i'm confused. Woodlands is too short for 'a big hitter like me' yet apparantly National Moonah is too long!?!? Make up your mind! Surely a big bad boy smasher of the big gun, would find the wide open fairways of Moonah a snitch.

Can you actually bust it past the likes of Daly & co, or are you more of a "wow 200yds, I really nailed that sucker!" kind of guy.

Jerry, Jerry...

Mr Springer.

At no stage have I stated that Moonah National is too long. On the contrary, I think its length is just about ideal, provided they stretch it every year or so to keep up with advances in technology, particularly the ball.

As for my own prowess with the long stick, yes plenty have stood back and admired my length from time to time, with few being disappointed. I can get it out there with the best of them.

Woodlands is exactly what the course of the future should look like. At barely 6000 metres, it is an ideal length for all players to make a score, yet it is arguably the toughest course on the sandbelt, due to its small, elevated greens and superb bunkering. There is no other course on the sandbelt that offers the multitude of short game options on offer at Woodlands, and length alone won't guarantee a good score. It ought to provide a template for how modern courses should be built, especially greens, but instead we have half witted architects building enormous greens everywhere chanting the mantra of more pin positions.

Jack, as a presumably young man now, you may hit the ball a long way now, but wait until you get a couple of kids, and an ever expanding midsection. Then you'll be wishing they were building them a bit shorter.

Another night of scanning the archives, and when I was just about done, along xcomes a beauty of a topic.

Woodlands Golf Club is an excellent model for course discussions, particularly in light of the thoughts of many here, with regard to the length, and challenge of courses.

Jim, you are 100% correct. Woodlands, with it's small, well-protected greens, and comparitively modest length, is an example for course designers of the future. It places apremium on accuracy, rather than length. Technology doesn't make acuracy more easily attainable, as readily as it does length.

Also, with land prices escalating, and maintenance budgets on the rise, Woodlands makes sense for future generations of city golfers, from a $$$ perspective.

The comment regarding Tiger Woods regularly shooting low 60's around Woodlands is dead wrong. What's more, Woodlands in the course on which most people would stand their best chance of beating Tiger.

It's one of the few courses where driver is out of his hands, and he's hitting similar irons to position off the tee.

Golfers also must possess a keen sense of distance control and accuracy with the wedges, if any sort of score is to be shot at Woodlands. Indeed, fellow competitors would all be hitting the same club into many holes as T.Woods.

A few missed greens and a few missed up and down's would be quite easy at Woodlands, and see a good score evaporate quickly...

Why play into Tiger's hands and design a 7000m moster for him ? He, with the addition of Duval, Daley, Michelson, Allenby and Love III would be the only half dozen capable of winning each time.

Matthew

Matthew you are a new but very astute contributor. Yes Woodlands is the type of course wich brings Tiger back to the field, it can't negate the quality of his short game, but there are many more who share that quality than the number who share his long game.

An Auatralian Open at this venue would be very interesting, Moonah Links will be a Tiger cake walk should he play.

Jerry, Jerry, jerry

Matt
I'm glad you picked up on this thread, it should give you some idea of the type of course I like to see and whilst I'm not %$^^@#% in my daks at the new National courses, Moonah Links, Heritage or most of the new stuff. Interestingly Woodlands has probably the cheapest annual subs on the Sandbelt, at $1700.

Jack
Woodlands does have two man sized par fives, 500m+ plus. Not many sandbelt tracks can boast that, with Metro not even coming close. And isn't Sam Newman a member at Riversdale? Don't tell me he's at Woodlands as well, I had been seriously thinking about parking my name on the waiting list.

Jim and others,

I'm sure that Sam Newman is a member at Riversdale, and not Wooldlands. He can play, (apparently off 2).

Yes, his presence would be sufficient to change one's home course.

Have a good weekend one and all.

Matt

Jim and others,

I’m sure that Sam Newman is a member at Riversdale, and not Wooldlands. He can play, (apparently off 2).

Yes, his presence would be sufficient to change one’s home course.

Have a good weekend one and all.

Matt

I thought Sam was at The National? :)

Jim and others,

I’m sure that Sam Newman is a member at Riversdale, and not Wooldlands. He can play, (apparently off 2).

Yes, his presence would be sufficient to change one’s home course.

Have a good weekend one and all.

Matt

I thought Sam was at The National? :)

‘Follow-Through: The part of the swing that takes place after the ball has been hit, but before the club has been thrown.’

Sam is abit stuffed, if nothing else ATM, Jon…