Does anyone have any thoughts?

I guess my question is, which course is ‘better’ (very relative term, I know) or are they pretty much on par with each other.

I recently played Sunshine and I enjoyed the course and the layout, although I imagine it gets a bit sloppy when wet.
I’ve never played Kooringal so don’t have any opinions or knowledge on its layout. Kooringal being sand based would be more playable more often I’m guessing?
How do the lay outs compare for someone who’s handicap would be in the mid-low 20’s? When playing Sunshine I didn’t feel like it was too hard for me, like I do on some courses. Is Kooringal significantly harder than Sunshine?

I’ve never been a member anywhere so a big part of what I’m looking for is a social atmosphere where you can have a fun hit regardless of skill level and then have a few beers afterwards. Playing comp is more a secondary reason for joining a club- I’m under no illusions that I might actually win something.

In terms of travel distance they’re both about the same- 15 mins from home. Annual subs are basically the same (only about $40 difference), although Kooringal does have a $1500 joining fee.

Is Kooringal worth the initial $1500 outlay compared to Sunshine

Has anyone played both courses to answer this question?

I know there are a few Sunshine members on here, have any of you blokes played Kooringal?

Is this too many questions?

Also interested in this question. Have played Sunshine and enjoyed it but being clay is very heavy in winter.

I have heard that Kooringal had Kikuyu grass so less run that say what Sunshine would allow

Orright.
I like Kooringal and have played there a number of times. Has its own water, a decent club house with Tabaret machines. Haven’t eaten in the club house but food looks ok. It’s a private club so you won’t have to put up with green fee paying visitors and closer in to town than Sunshine. Just. It drains well and played well throughout our recent wet winter. Layout is fairly flat and not too difficult a course to play, tee shots are generally quite open. Greens and fairways always seem to be in good nick. Cant remember if there is a practice range, practice green yes.

Sunshine obviously doesn’t have the joining fees, Sunday’s are shared with social groups and green fee paying visitors. Driving range facilities are available. Got really wet and muddy this winter especially with the tail end deluge, and had the course closed about 3 or 4 days throughout. Mind you it took some heavy rainfall to trigger this and most courses around Melbourne were closed as a result. It is freakish windy at sunshine with the front 9 bein hilly and undulating whereas the back is more open and flat, and more susceptible to wind.

I ended up joining sunshine because:
A: Kooringal was nice, but prefer the $1500 in my pocket.
B: it’s almost like two different courses playing off the whites and the blues.
C: difficulty level is ok. Not hard, but not easy. Off the whites is easier and will need to be on low single figures for you to ever find it too easy.
D: driving range facilities. Discount rate for members.

Hi,

A relatively new member at Kooringal. Played Sunshine once..ditto to most parts of Ghetto’s post.
I choose Kooringal:
Established club.
All year round play (even during the heavy rains, course drains well)
Bunkers are strategically placed.
Overall condition of the course is better and well maintained.
So far, members and playing groups have been a pleasure.
-No dedicated range, but one of the holes are used…there are a couple of warm up nets.

There are a few guys that are members and if you want to arrange a hit let me know..
kinesh dot moodley at yahoo dot com dot au

Hi,

A relatively new member at Kooringal. Played Sunshine once..ditto to most parts of Ghetto’s post.
I choose Kooringal:
Established club.
All year round play (even during the heavy rains, course drains well)
Bunkers are strategically placed.
Overall condition of the course is better and well maintained.
So far, members and playing groups have been a pleasure.
-No dedicated range, but one of the holes are used…there are a couple of warm up nets.

There are a few guys that are members and if you want to arrange a hit let me know..
kinesh dot moodley at yahoo dot com dot au

A two-foot putt counts the same as a two-foot drive.
http://www.golflink.com.au/...

What do you mean one of the holes is used as a range?

Orright.
I like Kooringal and have played there a number of times. Has its own water, a decent club house with Tabaret machines. Haven’t eaten in the club house but food looks ok. It’s a private club so you won’t have to put up with green fee paying visitors and closer in to town than Sunshine. Just. It drains well and played well throughout our recent wet winter. Layout is fairly flat and not too difficult a course to play, tee shots are generally quite open. Greens and fairways always seem to be in good nick. Cant remember if there is a practice range, practice green yes.

Sunshine obviously doesn’t have the joining fees, Sunday’s are shared with social groups and green fee paying visitors. Driving range facilities are available. Got really wet and muddy this winter especially with the tail end deluge, and had the course closed about 3 or 4 days throughout. Mind you it took some heavy rainfall to trigger this and most courses around Melbourne were closed as a result. It is freakish windy at sunshine with the front 9 bein hilly and undulating whereas the back is more open and flat, and more susceptible to wind.

I ended up joining sunshine because:
A: Kooringal was nice, but prefer the $1500 in my pocket.
B: it’s almost like two different courses playing off the whites and the blues.
C: difficulty level is ok. Not hard, but not easy. Off the whites is easier and will need to be on low single figures for you to ever find it too easy.
D: driving range facilities. Discount rate for members.

Ghetto train – get on it.
Bandit express.

Winner C grade OOM #3 Patterson River.

Thanks Ghetto. Possibly the most sensible thing I’ve read on ISG.

I did enjoy Sunshine and I can see what you mean about being two different courses off the blues and whites.

Have you read any of my other posts? They make absolutely no sense!
Bernie Larkham is a member at Kooringal as well. Top bloke and not a bad player (shoots off 5 or something crazy like that)
there’s a growing mob at Sunshinr now.
Me
Acca
Snap hook
Hawkers2013
Vinum coupe
Bomberclark

Conditioning at Kooringal is certainly better than Sunshine, greens in particular are very good. This winter Sunshine really suffered in winter, and I imagine this would be the case with average rainfall. I can only think of 3 factors that go against Kooringal.

1. How big a deal is $1500 joining fee.
2. Kykuya fairways (I’m not a fan)
3. The only bloke I know who’s a member at Kooringal uses a tray to carry 4 pots (far from appropriate behaviour)

Oh shit, forgot about that tray incident, retract what I said about Bernie Larkham. He uses the gay tray. Not on.

Couch trumps kikuyu any day, unless it’s under water.

I never forget that sort of stuff, scarred for life.

I never forget that sort of stuff, scarred for life.

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

As I am with your trousers Peaksy!

Onto the subject at hand I think Ghetto had a pretty good summary.

I think Sunshine has the “better” land in that it isnt flat. Both courses get their fair share of wind, though Sunshine has plenty more yet Kooringal is a tighter track in terms of trees blocking shots so somewhat disagree with Ghetto that it is open off the tee. There is a stack of bunkers for the tee shot across the course and at the greens. Plays much longer than its 6000m due to lack of run from the kikuya.

Without question Kooringal is in better nick having played them both recently and it is always playable. Sand base is just brilliant and the greens are a joy for the majority, nice and quick. And you really wont lose a ball unless you put it in the water.

Major reason I chose KGC was due to this factor, no financial issues (very profitable with pokies a big revenue stream) and no social players hacking the course up nor slowing it down.

Practice facilities goes to Sunshine due to the driving range. KGC has a 60-70m pitching area and a large practice green and nets. 2 fairways can be used at certain hours during the week for longer practice though.

I enjoy the layout at both but I really cant stand playing behind social players. Golf is long enough as it is so 5hr plus rounds is just a no for me. Get around KGC in 4hrs 15mins usually in comp.

If you are able to get time after work then at KGC no one is on the course mid week and you can practice til your heart is content, a nice little bonus.

KGC sounds like a good track, I will have to get on to it at some stage.

I joined Sunshine for its potential – it has space which a lot of other courses dont. At only 5 years old it has a lot of improvement in it over the next few years.

Also as possibly the least straight ball striker ever to have a single figure handicap I appreciated the room off the tee.

I never forget that sort of stuff, scarred for life.

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

As I am with your trousers Peaksy!

Onto the subject at hand I think Ghetto had a pretty good summary.

I think Sunshine has the “better” land in that it isnt flat. Both courses get their fair share of wind, though Sunshine has plenty more yet Kooringal is a tighter track in terms of trees blocking shots so somewhat disagree with Ghetto that it is open off the tee. There is a stack of bunkers for the tee shot across the course and at the greens. Plays much longer than its 6000m due to lack of run from the kikuya.

Without question Kooringal is in better nick having played them both recently and it is always playable. Sand base is just brilliant and the greens are a joy for the majority, nice and quick. And you really wont lose a ball unless you put it in the water.

Major reason I chose KGC was due to this factor, no financial issues (very profitable with pokies a big revenue stream) and no social players hacking the course up nor slowing it down.

Practice facilities goes to Sunshine due to the driving range. KGC has a 60-70m pitching area and a large practice green and nets. 2 fairways can be used at certain hours during the week for longer practice though.

I enjoy the layout at both but I really cant stand playing behind social players. Golf is long enough as it is so 5hr plus rounds is just a no for me. Get around KGC in 4hrs 15mins usually in comp.

If you are able to get time after work then at KGC no one is on the course mid week and you can practice til your heart is content, a nice little bonus.

There’s many a slip ’tween a cup and a lip.

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

Just curious as to what are the limitations or usage of those fairways for practice?

I have twice been a member of both clubs they have their own pro and cons.

Joining fee and bar levy aside they cost about the same (yeh its easy for me to say I paid a joining fee at both and can hop back and forth for no cost). Both are friendly clubs with decent members.

To me Kooringal

• is shorter (although the kike grass slightly compensates), slightly easier and golfwise is a less interesting course – if you are straight you can hit some absolute shite and pay much less than the full price for doing so (well I regularly did anyway)
• is a much stronger club financially – it should be with fuller membership and pokies
• has a great advantage in not wanting/needing social players
• is a much better groomed course – again it should be more staff, less acreage and having been established for a long time
• for the most part has really appalling bunkers, not that Sunshine’s are materially better
• tends to have a much better pace of play
• has a much inferior food offering
• could desperately do with some decent practice facilities although who knows where you could put them and not that Sunshine’s couldn’t stand some improvement either

I never forget that sort of stuff, scarred for life.

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

As I am with your trousers Peaksy!

Onto the subject at hand I think Ghetto had a pretty good summary.

I think Sunshine has the “better” land in that it isnt flat. Both courses get their fair share of wind, though Sunshine has plenty more yet Kooringal is a tighter track in terms of trees blocking shots so somewhat disagree with Ghetto that it is open off the tee. There is a stack of bunkers for the tee shot across the course and at the greens. Plays much longer than its 6000m due to lack of run from the kikuya.

Without question Kooringal is in better nick having played them both recently and it is always playable. Sand base is just brilliant and the greens are a joy for the majority, nice and quick. And you really wont lose a ball unless you put it in the water.

Major reason I chose KGC was due to this factor, no financial issues (very profitable with pokies a big revenue stream) and no social players hacking the course up nor slowing it down.

Practice facilities goes to Sunshine due to the driving range. KGC has a 60-70m pitching area and a large practice green and nets. 2 fairways can be used at certain hours during the week for longer practice though.

I enjoy the layout at both but I really cant stand playing behind social players. Golf is long enough as it is so 5hr plus rounds is just a no for me. Get around KGC in 4hrs 15mins usually in comp.

If you are able to get time after work then at KGC no one is on the course mid week and you can practice til your heart is content, a nice little bonus.

There’s many a slip ’tween a cup and a lip.

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

Just curious as to what are the limitations or usage of those fairways for practice?

In the bag:
TM R11 – Project X 6.0
TM RBZ tour 3
Adams 3h
Mizuno MP-57 3-PW
Titleist Vokey 52, 56 & 60
TM penta / pro V1/ Z star

Anyone got any LH blades?

I am not 100% on the usage but I thinks it’s after 4pm weekdays. You have to give way to anyone playing but there isn’t much traffic at that time of day.

Hey Hawkers interested on your thoughts about the bunkers, can you expand on that a little?

Play at Kooringal once with Bernie, know Sunshine well. There is no comparison, Kooringal is better on every level.

Thread over.

there’s a growing mob at Sunshinr now.
Me
Acca
Snap hook
Hawkers2013
Vinum coupe
Bomberclark

well looking at that list Koorinagl it is then….

Play at Kooringal once with Bernie, know Sunshine well. There is no comparison, Kooringal is better on every level.

Thread over.

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

Perth ISG day hole in one, 5/8/2012.

now it is

for the most part has really appalling bunkers, not that Sunshine’s are materially better

Hey Hawkers interested on your thoughts about the bunkers, can you expand on that a little?

There’s many a slip ’tween a cup and a lip.

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

What you often see is bunkers that are very light on for sand and have significant areas with no sand that consist solely of a hard compacted base.

To be fair its not always like that, the bunkers perform all right through prolonged spells of mostly dry weather provided the greens staff groom them and make sure there is emough sand in them. Chuck in some solid wet weather and things rapidly deteriorate.

Some of the more elevated bunkers are less badly affected by the wet. The low ones like those on 12 can have water in them for weeks. Its not easy to pump water out of these because water from the course actually drains into these bunkers.

A lot of the bunkers are old, were not well built and have poor drainage. The icing on the cake is the fact that the water table is relatively high. The course is only a few feet above sea level and very close to the bay. When seriously wet the course as a whole drains really poorly (something that has gotten much worse since the Phil Ryan signature mounds were added around 2008).

So, I’m moving down from ACT to VIC and am thinking of signing up to Kooringal, however, of the two, which will allow me to play comp quicker? I read somewhere that if I sign with Kooringal, I’ll have to wait until a 7 day membership becomes available… any Ideas how long that wait is?

My understanding with Sunshine is that you can sign up for a 7 day membership immediately and get stuck into comps straight away.

no waiting at sunshine, just pay up and play

Thanks – still keen to see what the story is with Kooringal (closer to where I’ll be) but if the wait is too long, I’ll head on over to Sunshine.

Where are you going to be living?