On the Commercial Golf Course at Albury
Global Golf
Yarrawonga-Mulwala, NSW-Victoria, Australia
This is a golfer’s mecca on the Victoria-New South Wales border, with at least seven clubs within an hour’s drive of each other (and 40 dotted along the Murray River). Arguably, the top four golf courses in the area are Yarrawonga & Border, Cobram Barooga, Tocumwal – a fairly new course – and Corowa, but a soon-to-open 18-hole championship course and 1000 residences at Silverwoods are about to expand your options.
All four of these courses have good accommodation and large restaurants attached or adjacent, but we book into the Golfers Resort where professionals Glenn McCully and his son James have an excellent set-up for coaching. The McCullys’ front paddock has been turned into a driving range, with a bunker and putting green for short-game practice and spotlessly clean, self-contained, motel-style units as well as a pool, recreation room and gym.
Yarrawonga & Border Golf Club is huge, capable of putting through more than 1000 players a day with the help of a long twilight. It has two 18-hole courses and a nine-hole course, a pro shop, lawn bowls, croquet lawns, tennis courts, self-contained accommodation and a large clubhouse with all-day dining and a bistro open after 6 PM.
The golf course at Bintan Lagoon Resort in Indonesia
It also has my favourite course – the Par 72, 6085-metre Murray Course – which winds beautifully along sandy river flats beneath towering river gums that cast long, slim shadows. The rich farmlands of the district and abundant water attract hordes of native wildlife: the air resounds with the squawks and chirps of cockatoos, galahs, ducks and magpies, and you’ll often catch sight of kangaroos or the odd echidna – even tortoises. I found one of these in the rough, hunched in stunned silence, with a muddy patch on its shell where my ball had bounced off it.
The couch fairways are undulating with plenty of water and the bent-grass greens are elevated so that they’re above flood levels and large enough to give players the choice of a tidy pitch up or a long chip-and-run.
The 5957-metre Lakes course is more open than the Murray and more testing, with 56 bunkers and strategically placed lakes. The nine-hole Executive Course, with its park-like layout, is kinder to beginners and fun to play if you’re a bit short of time.
The beautiful Murray River can be visited from neighbouring golf courses
Cobram Barooga Golf Club has two courses, both rated in Ausgolf’s Top 100. Its Old Course is a Par 72, measuring 6176 metres, in a fairly traditional design, its tight fairways lined with red gums and pines. The slightly longer West Course is more modern, with wider fairways and larger greens.
We also play Tocumwal Golf Club, which has newly developed areas where the trees have yet to reach their full height. Both courses here were listed in Ausgolf’s Top 100 last year. The Presidents Course is a Par 72, 6066-metre, with 11 old holes and seven new ones, while the Captains Course, also a Par 72, is a bit longer at 6272 metres and has five old and 13 new holes.
Corowa Golf Club celebrated its centenary in 2003, though it has had a few changes since it opened. The Corowa course in its present location was established in 1955 and has grown to a fine 27 holes.
On the 8th at Yarrwonga & Border Golf Course
All the courses we play in this region are maintained in excellent condition and have large clubhouses with all manner of facilities, buggies, carts and clubs for hire, and lessons on offer. They get busy, however, so it is wise to book ahead, and to check out the very good packages they offer.
Bintan Lagoon Resort, Bintan Island, Indonesia
One gets a deliciously naughty feeling when one sneaks away from a big city or a business meeting to play a game of golf – and nowhere is this easier and more exciting to do than from Singapore. Not far away from the city lies the lovely Indonesian island of Bintan, on which sprawls Bintan Lagoon Resort. Resort staff will cheerfully arrange your golfing escapade for you – including ferry and land transfers there and back, equipment hire, a caddy and lunch – so you’re back in the office before anyone misses you.
This resort offers two 18-hole championship courses, both fabulously green and looking out over the ocean, as well as accommodation, if you choose to stay on. The Sea View course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is a Par 72 with five tees, measures from 4592 metres and allows a leisurely game to 6443 metres for experienced players. The layout displays a clever use of the natural landscape to create a course that is both challenging and scenic. Its signature holes are the 12th, a tidy par 3 with views over the South China Sea, and the 13th, a par 4 with an unusual green that is split in two by a stream (and is the most difficult green on the course).
The Woodlands course, designed by Ian Baker-Finch, is steeper and has a more changeable terrain, with many of the greens ringed by steep slopes and mounds. Most players consider the 8th hole, a par 4 to be the most challenging – not because of its elevated tee but thanks to its long fairway, dotted with various hazards. For the best photos, take your camera out on the 13th, where the elevated tee affords sweeping views over the seaside villas and the ocean.
For more information on Bintan Lagoon Resort, phone +62 770 691 388 or visit www.bintanlagoon.com
Topshot
Golfers take note: the 2009 World Masters Games will be held in Sydney this year from 10 to 18 October. The golfing events are open to men and women aged between 35 and 75+ who have an officially recognised handicap. Even though it’s a competition, the emphasis is on having fun and “having a go”. For entry details, go to www.2009worldmasters.com
For questions, recommendations and comments, readers are invited to contact golf reviewer Shirley LaPlanche at shirley.laplanche@yahoo.com.au
|
|
Capital Gains