Why join a private club I ask ?

I have since discovered the WA SGA golf tour and they offer tournaments every fortnight and the cost is way less than a private club.

Also you get to play a descent number of courses in Perth.

SGA is okay if you like to play on Sundays, which I can’t.

Perth Golf Network is a good option also as they have events every day, they seem to get decent numbers at each event too.

just a outsider reading this thread, but where does the cut fit in? or is it too far away?

And it it shit.

RF is nice enough, and can afford to charge what it does due to the lack of decent courses around.

I would have it a rung, maybe half a rung, above Kwinana.

Bit harsh. The cut is ok for that once a year hit and giggle, but not something you could play every weekend

RF is very much underrated I think – very pleasant day out, although to be fair, no where near as good as it could or should be given their land.

The Cut is not shit, it is just massively overrated and has the worst hole that I have played.

Agree on RF, that place could really be something if they put their minds and wallets to it.

Agree on RF, that place could really be something if they put their minds and wallets to it.

I think if you took the greenskeeper from Kwinana and sent him to RF it would move up the rankings in WA. The thing with RF is, that it’s what you’d expect for what you pay. It’s solid without being excellent.

So Yoss, what would you rate as the top course in WA then?

The conditioning at RF has been fine most of the times I have played it, which is only 10 or so, so not sure Kwinana’s greenskeeper is the answer.

I was more driving at a decent architect and some serious tree removal could see RF being awesome, the site has the elevation change already.

Top course in WA is clearly LK. Close second IMO is Kennedy Bay. After that it gets a bit trickier.

Mount Lawley pretty good, but I still get cranky with them for wimping out on their renovation.

RF is somewhat old fashioned – it was always just a good old members course and they never really saw any need to fiddle with it. They had no delusions of granduer and were happy with the place as it was – you have to respect that.

well said northerner, although also agree with the comment about kwinana’s green keeper doing an awesome job, with what would probably be a much smaller budget then RF.

The cut definately is over-rated, saw the ranking in last month’s Golf Australia mag and just shook my head.

I think an under-rated course in WA has to be Araluen. Has a layout equal to that of Joondalup IMO. Just still suffering from public perception about the quality of the conditioning. For those that don’t know, about 6-7 years ago a massive bush fire swept through the Araluen area. The fire fighters used the water from the golf course’s damns to fight the fire, so once the fire was gone there was nothing left for the green keepers up there to work with, plus the next winter was the driest on record which mean’t the course basically went without water for 2 years and obviously suffered big time.

But the course is back to its best again now and rates as one of my top spots to play in Perth. Plus the fantastic bar and club facilities, with views over the whole Perth metro area, couldn’t ask for much in a golf club. Other than being a bit closer so i can play it every weekend :)

Tigers_Wood – where do you play your golf?

Araluen must have improved a lot in the last couple of months because it was pretty ratshit when I was there in late November!

The facilities and approach of the pro shop staff also leave a lot to be desired IMHO!

Northerner:

Agree Lawley is up there, I’ve never seen the full master plan. But agree it could be something really special at the moment it just feels a bit underwhelming to me.

ML is an example of being half pregnant.

They realised they needed to do it up, but rather than letting someone like Mac really do some damage, they used a local guy but then constrained him by letting the committee get involved.

They could have made it into a Perth version of Kingston Heath, the land is that good, but instead they just put in dull greens and silly bunkers full of ghastly white sand. A pity really, it is very nice to be sure, but only about 50% as good as it should have been and now its too late to fix.

Araluen?? Well I think it is just a question of economics – it was always going to be a toughie

Tigers_Wood – where do you play your golf?

Gosnells Golf Club, Perth.

I’ve played all over the shop in Perth over the years. These days, as I’m based in Freo, I tend to hit courses from Freo to Mandurah, which thankfully is home to some of the best in WA. I don’t usually like playing the same course over though.

With the exception of Kwinana – proximity, cost and conditioning are all excellent so I keep coming back. If I was happy to burn cash each week I’d play Kennedy Bay. The worst part is I have a property down that way and I wasn’t playing golf in the 12 months I lived there, such a shame as KB was 5 mins away.

Join the course that has the best members, not necessarily the best course. No. 1 reason for being a member is the people not course. However course is still important and IMO
Kwinnana- Good track but disagree on the Super- To hear a super say quote ” pro’s putt on greens on 12 then amateurs want to too” The greens there can get stupid and considering the average golfer plays off 24, then the course should be set closer to it. Just look at the Handa where the organisers asked the super to slow them down so the pro’s didn’t look stupid! Amateurs???
The Cut- Tough course for a member, if you are a good smart player it is easier than a parkland course, except when it blows 40 knts in the arvo
PK- Great links course but it isn’t a close 2nd to LKCC, everything is a distant 2nd to LKCC. Get a club house and a good membership then think about it.
LKCC- Morgage ur house, and don’t look at the wrong person the wrong way. Unless you want to be that style of person, don’t think about it.
Royal Perth- Average course layout but a great example to the other “posh” courses how to do Wednesday golf- Awesome atmosphere, got class but fun.
Araleun- A course needs to be in good condition for 10 months of the year. this course doesn’t cut it, no matter how good the layout it’s unfortunate it just isn’t up to scratch enough of the year.

I like the outer courses- ones like Harfield, etc- They aren’t great tracks but are still pretty good, but have a good atmosphere. They are good blokes to play pennants against.

Well you have just blown your chances of being let through the gates :)

i think i will bite the bullet and join Royal Fremantle. i met some of the members last weekend and also the General Manager, who was very friendly and accomodating, particularly in relation to the large nomination fee.

anhow, i have been offered the opportunity to play a few rounds there over the next few weeks to get a feel for the course.

the membership will become active on the March 1 so untill then Point Walter and Glen Iris will remain my home tracks.

it will be interesting to see how much harder i will frind RF and if i can maintain the sub 100 scores since breaking the barrier last week.

Good luck Bone, hope you enjoy RF.

I’ve never played Point Walter before, is it a 9 hole course? Just doesn’t look very big from the outside. What is the course like in general?

thanks 4for4. Point Walter is a 9 hole course but i tend to play it twice. as far as quality goes, its condition is excellent for a public track but dont expect to be too challenged. however, for $24 on the weekend for 18, its a good track and not too many people on course, IF you are willing to tee off at 6ish.

and dont expect to sneak off before 6 because a group of OLD blokes will bite your head off and probably hunt your family down and bite their heads off too. “TEE OFF IS AT 6:00 NOT BEFORE!”

lol …. bloody grumpy old men!

If i’m out of bed before 6 my missus takes my temperature and feeds me some panadol

Pt Walter has some of the whackiest greens in Perth. It is a nice enough little 9 holer and usually quite mid week for some on course practise. Short though.

Pt Walter has some of the whackiest greens in Perth. It is a nice enough little 9 holer and usually quite mid week for some on course practise. Short though.

I played there recently for the first time in about 8 years, they were coring at Freo public and it was packed on a Friday arvo.

I really like the course, it’s in decent condition. Not much of a challenge but a good spot in a nice setting.

I agree, it could be something with a bit of cash invested, permission to use a chainsaw and an architect who isn’t scared to build good shorter holes.

I do enjoy my time there as well. The views are exceptional. Someone needs to explain how much sand to put in bunkers though.

I agree, it could be something with a bit of cash invested, permission to use a chainsaw and an architect who isn’t scared to build good shorter holes.

Enough money around the place for it to be a 9 hole private. As you say, with a bit of work it could be really good. Take out the tree in the middle of that Par 5(?) too, that’s only an issue for anyone that can’t drive beyond 180m

Um, I think you mean 7 which is a 280m par 4… It kinda needs the tree to provide some interest.

I think you would need to move the clubhouse, or get serious permission to do chainsaw work as it is Class A reserve or something like that.

Um, I think you mean 7 which is a 280m par 4… It kinda needs the tree to provide some interest.

That’s right, I was playing against the boss last time and bet him that I could fly the trees left and hit the green. I failed..haha.