Topic: Golf Talk / A Rank Decision

Completely agree Brendan, Bribie Isalnd is a better track than Pacific Harbour.

It used to host PGA Q school so somebody thought it was ok.

Topic: Your Favourite Golf Courses / Hyatt Regency Coolum

The pro shop proudly displays that the average player loses something like 8 balls in a round.

That is right judging on the pace of play last time I was there because average is way below what I consider average.

I lost 1 ball for the round when one of the average players decided to pick my ball up from the trees and drive off in his cart.

Course is only rated where it is because it hosts the PGA.

Nice in-offensive resort course that is getting overun with condos.

Topic: Golf Talk / A Rank Decision

I have always compared golf courses to paintings.

Some you like some you don’t.

A couse architect has the ground he is given as his canvas.

His vision turns ground into a piece of art we all love to play on.

Some get better a better canvas than others. Some use bulldozers and machinery to improve their canvas.

Some get given a brilliant canvas. eg a blind man could have turned the canvas that became Barnbougle Dunes into a fantastic course

It seems to me in the ratings that new is better to a large degree. ie you would expect them to be better conditioned but most of them have a sameness about them and therefore lack memorability and character. A good example is Pacific Harbour. Nice course I have played 3 times on holidays. (has improved each time) Water, big slopy greens and room for lots of houses. Is it a golf course or a housing development with a course in it. Thats what makes Barnbougle pure – no housing development there.

New = way overated resort, pay for play and housing development courses in order of rating I have played are -

Moonah Links (open course) – Thompson can talk it up all he likes but it is till just a boring slog

Hope Island – as per above re Thomo (note it is going backwards in the ratings continually)

Sanctuary Cove (Pines) – Arnies influence was to build a long course with the highest ACR in Australia – that was all he achieved aside from making an impossibly hard course for rich fat incompetent resort guests

Coolum – only where it is because it hosts the PGA – boring layout that can only get worse when all the new condos are built

The Vines – ditto Coolum for hosting major tournaments – facilities also a bit run down

Club Pelican – another Pacific Harbour with the Shark influence

Links Lady Bay – Jack Newton uses a bulldozer to create a links – you are joking

Pacific Dunes – refer to Club Pelican

Pacific Harbour – see previous comments

Twin Waters – older version of Pacific Harbour – going backwards now Jack doesn’t hold his end of season hit and giggle there

Horizons – as per Twin Waters

Noosa Springs – best thing about that track are the mansions in it – more marble than the Taj Mahal

Murray Downs – rated 89 but at least as good as all of the above

My thoughts, hope this gets some lively conversation going.

Your thoughts?

Topic: Your Favourite Golf Courses / Glenelg

Large putting green joined to practice green with 3 bunkers and you can practice 50 metre pitches. (near 1st tee)

Practice fairwy is wide but a little short (about 220 mts) High net at the end so you can hit drivers. 3 target greens at 60, 100 and 150 metres. (40 metres from clubhouse, with auto ball vending machine)

Don’t use it much now. lol

Topic: Your Favourite Golf Courses / Glenelg

Bunny

Agree with you.

I will declare my bias, I am a member and play every Saturday..

Have seen a dramatic improvement over the past 5 years.

Golf Digest 4 years ago it was slipping out of the top 100. Recent issue has it jumping 23 places to 46.

Australian amateur qualifying a couple of years ago was 4 shots harder than Royal Adelaide.

Very tough track, penal bunkers off every tee and abutting greens. (sodded vertical faces means it costs you a shot nealy every time you venture off the fairway into them)

Greens are now bent, hard and fast with subtle breaks.