Pt Macquarie is not a bad track right along the beach.

Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter of NSW.
Great country track

Long time listener first time caller. Couple of the country tracks I don’t mind. Heathcote, Broadford & Whittlesea. Whittlesea has a tough run home with par 5 par 5 long par 3. On a hot day those last 3 holes are killer

I used to be a member at Whittlesea and I always thought it was a really good course. This was before the fires went though however, and I would be interested to go up there and see what it’s like these days.

Whittlesea was spared from the fires, they got right up close & personal but the course was untouched. Having said that, 3 months later the club house burnt down due to a bar fridge shorting out. They have rebuilt the clubhouse (been open for about 12 months) & are putting a lot of dirt on the course, rebuilding the 10th tee, leveling out the 9th fairway. I do enjoy the layout of the course. I was up there just after Christmas, some of the fairways are rock hard, the greens were pretty good but again, you have to expect these things at a country course.

South Coast of NSW – some of the lesser known courses but still very good :-
Moruya
Bermagui
Bega
Eden

Runner up (with Mark Gibson), 3 legged race, North Ainslie Primary School athletics carnival, 1966.

Narooma
Moruya has too many sneaky doglegs and some blind ones that demand toooo much local knowledge.
Does Narooma qualify as a “hidden gem”?
Tura Beach…if you catch it at the peak of preparation (watch the website for major tournaments and then play the week before)
Mollymook (Hilltop) is a ripper but can be variable in quality, depending on the time of year.

I don’t suppose any/any of the Murray courses qualify, but if there is a bit of space I nominate Howlong.

West of Melbourne is a very nice, fantastic/fantastic greens course: Eynesbury.

Just a question though…
How do you generally qualify as a “hidden gem”?

Not a private course
Not in the SandBelt
Not more than …$$... to play

how would you describe a hidden gem?

South Coast of NSW – some of the lesser known courses but still very good :-
Moruya
Bermagui
Bega
Eden

Runner up (with Mark Gibson), 3 legged race, North Ainslie Primary School athletics carnival, 1966.

West of Melbourne is a very nice, fantastic/fantastic greens course: Eynesbury.

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

You obviously haven’t played Eynesbury for a while, NWABP. The course is shocking now as the owners have let it go. I wouldn’t play there if it was free.

South Coast of NSW – some of the lesser known courses but still very good :-
Moruya
Bermagui
Bega
Eden

Runner up (with Mark Gibson), 3 legged race, North Ainslie Primary School athletics carnival, 1966.

West of Melbourne is a very nice, fantastic/fantastic greens course: Eynesbury.

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

You obviously haven’t played Eynesbury for a while, NWABP. The course is shocking now as the owners have let it go. I wouldn’t play there if it was free.

9/10/12 – Hole In One – 7th Hole Portsea GC
2012 (Official) Winner of Inaugural ISG Nat. Champs.
2011 Inaugural winner Vict. Order of Merit Putting Champion – Long Island

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

Bit harsh Francie. I wouldn’t say shocking… yet.

In all honesty though, I think the tee’s are fantastic, fairways are pretty hard but in OK condition aside from that and bunkers are OK. The greens were awful last week. Looked like a teenagers face with all the plug marks.

Not beyond repair but the new owners don’t seem to be doing too much to help it.

Just a question though…
How do you generally qualify as a “hidden gem”?

Not a private course
Not in the SandBelt
Not more than …$$... to play

how would you describe a hidden gem?

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

I reckon just the courses you don’t hear much/anything about is what I consider to be a ‘hidden gem.’
Cost and private/public doesn’t come into, in my opinion.

You obviously haven’t played Eynesbury for a while, NWABP. The course is shocking now as the owners have let it go. I wouldn’t play there if it was free.

I played there on 3 Jan when I thought they were smooth and lovely. “See the line and hit it” was my approach. I dropped some nice long ones and had 11 one-putts.
Fairways were dry and hard (but noting the heat preceding that date).
Certainly a very long course but I thought it was well presented.

Has it gone downhill so quickly? Pity if it has.

WA;
Lakewood shore – Binningup (20mins before Bunbury).

The best 9 hole course i’ve ever played – with the final two holes up with the best of any course i have played.

Payment ($15 all day) is an honour system and, with no club house on site, you will need an esky for the cold ones.

In Victoria

Sale
Drouin
Maffra (best greens I have played on!)
Eynsbury

WA

Collie
Busselton
Capel
Albany (sorry based LOL)
Dunsbourough lakes
Bunbury (sorry maffra these greens are slick and smicko)

all great value for less than 40 bucks

most of them listed are 30 bucks

Maclean near Grafton is the epitome of country golf. The condition may be up & down especially with the bad weather recently & having a only a few greenkeepers & Yamaba probably gets most of the business being on the coast. No pro shop just pay at the bar. Over 10 years ago they expanded the course to 18 holes & the members did it themselves witht the help of an archtiect & what a job they did. You can really tell the difference between the old & new holes but the way the back 9 flows you really would have thought it would have been done by a professional company. Lots of risk & reward with danger on every hole. Alot of bigger towns really would love to have a course of this standard & the members must so proud to play a course like this every week.

+1 for Yarram

(I think the only fully volunteer-run course in Australia?)

also

Gerringong (east coast NSW)
Port Fairy
Eynesbury

Why are so many people calling Eynesbury a hidden gem? Its a top 100 course in the country so its hardly a secret.

And its hardly a country course. The only reason its called Eynesbury is because no one would want to join Melton South GC/Hoppers Crossing West GC/Rockbank GC.

+1 for Yarram

(I think the only fully volunteer-run course in Australia?)

I believe South Pines in Lindenow is volunteer run also. Lovely country track that one. I play it whenever I am in the area.

Why are so many people calling Eynesbury a hidden gem? Its a top 100 course in the country so its hardly a secret.

And its hardly a country course. The only reason its called Eynesbury is because no one would want to join Melton South GC/Hoppers Crossing West GC/Rockbank GC.

Well it’s actually nearest to Exford, but I do agree with you. It’s hidden because people often get lost trying to find it…