Jacks Point

Since first seeing the pictures of this course a few years ago, I was sure it would have to get played if the opportunity arose, and thankfully it did. This is one of the most spectacular settings for a course you will ever see and the scenery is definitely on a par with the likes of Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers, albeit more of an alpine experience. My tee time was around 8.30 but as is usual with the excitement that accompanies such trips I was there at 0730, half an hour before anyone working there bar the greenkeepers arrived. It was a crisp start to the day with very low lying cloud initially surrounding the 18th green and making it even more atmospheric than normal. The mountain range of the Remarkables the fascinating backdrop on one side of the course with lake Wakatipu on the other.

The half hour prior to starting at least allowed the camera to get a work out.. It would be busy for the next 4 hours. ( 18th green)

The opening hole is a gentle but interesting introduction of what is to come, a gently turning par 4 with a generous fairway the rewards a draw. The second ( below) begins a stretch of 3 holes that all travel significantly up hill to the plateaux. The second is a strong mid length par 4 with accuracy the key from the tee to an uphill approach and a green guarded at the front. 

The 3rd is the first of a strong collection of par 3s, This time uphill and about 180 yards off the back to a greatly undulating, split level green. The ragged bunkering a strong feature of the course.

 The 4th if as another short/mid range par 4 up hill but aesthetically different from the second and is a strong hole, though the approach does bear resemblance to the second. None the less a good hole and offering many a photo opportunity. The greens on this day I have to say were very slick and I was impressed with the subtle contouring.

Below the par 4 4th before we reach the top of the hill.

The 5^th is a lovely dogleg par 5 that exposes the fantastic views but also offers a good, risk reward opportunity for being more aggressive off the tee. The fairways are fairly generous but stray off them and you will be punished by very long grass. It's a short hole but the direct route to the green is uphill and semi blind over a very large waste bunker.. The large rock in the fairway is a marker from the tee that you don;t want to fall too far right of.

 6 in my view is the first world class hole, a short par 4 maybe 340 off the back. It again asks the question of how aggressive you want to be off the tee, with the fairway narrowing considerably by a bunker that comes in from the right side. Not the hole to hook on either.

The par 3 seventh is visually stunning with its infinity green perched high above the lake, though perhaps seeing and hearing about this hole prior to playing it removed some of the wow factor that I was expecting. The nature of the hole, 140-150 yards but playing only really pitching wedge distance due to the height is fun although tried and tested. I understand you probably cant ignore the possibility of making this hole when the scenery around you is just begging for it! It actually falls to a flat looking green that turns out to be pretty nasty if you fall on the wrong side of the hole.

below, the signature 7th.

The 8^th is strong par 5 with a tough second to an elevated and blind green past some well positioned bunkers. The view below is looking back down the fairway about 100 yards short of a fine and undulating green.

 and the 9^th is just a good, long and tough golf hole with bushes lining a fairly generous but not huge fairway. Even with a strong drive you are left with a long approach to an elevated and well protected green below.

The back 9 offers more in terms of strategic golf with positioning being key off the tee on 10 and 12. The impressive par 3 11^th sandwiched between them. A very large but undulating green again protected on the short side by large bunkers and a tricky uphill pitch if you fall between them.

The impressive 11th above.

 Looking back on the par 3s,  I felt there was  a good variety and actually preferred the 3rd, 11th and 13th as oppose to the more glamorous 7th.

The 14th is a heavily bunkered par 5 reminiscent of those at Kinloch on the North Island ( never a bad thing) though my favourite  hole would certainly be the 15^th with the wall along the left acting as a fascinating hazard to avoid and again influences your tee shot with bunkers right taking the overly cautious bail out. A lovely interpretation of the cape style hole on this par 4 and one of my favourite par 4s, pictured below, it doesn't get much better if you can pull of a nice draw from the tee here.

 The 16th is  a ' long' par 4 that plays hugely downhill, with the ball seemingly staying in the air forever against the backdrop of the remarkables. It has a double fairway but maybe not the most strategic of holes due to the huge distance that is possible off the tee..

below, the 16th green from close to the 3rd tee.

The 17th is another downhill hole with bilateral bunkering at driving distance but a second shot that lacks maybe a bunker of two to deal with prior to getting to the green..

The 18^th, a little reminiscent of Kinloch with its lake down the left side is an incredibly tough par 4 off the backs and deserving of its number 1 rating. I enjoyed it although it maybe isn’t too in keeping with the rest of the course. It’s the sort of heroic finishing hole that more modern ‘championship’ venues seem to favour these days. Here is the green and its misty surrounds from the morning..

So overall the course is very strong and I’m sure it’s a must play if you are anywhere near Queenstown, probably the south island for that matter.. It reminded me a lot of Jack Nicklaus’s Kinloch on the North Island with its rugged bunkering and the style of some of the holes. Overall it certainly is a world class course a deserves to finds its place in the top 100. 

I find there isn't much between the top NZ courses I have played thus far, they are all great. I reckon in terms of the course and forgetting all else then Kinloch shades it for me with Kauri cliffs, Cape kidnappers and Jacks point in that order. though I'll probably change my mind tomorrow.

Lake Karrinyup Country Club

Lake Karrinyup, currently home of the Perth International Championship and designed by Mackenzie's companion Alex Russell is a fine course on the outskirts of the city. My overall impression was almost of a "Sunningdale of Australia". Not quite in the same league as Harry Colt's gems but not too far off.

The first is a fantastic opener, in theory a very straight forward short downhill par four but with an angled green that narrows the further back the you go and can lead to very tricky approaches. The second is probably even better, requiring a long drive to get over the crest of a hill ( a common theme here) where you then look down to a very well protected green that's hard to get on with the long iron you will be hitting in.

The quality approach to the second, above.

The Strong start continues with the par 5 third, a great risk reward tee shot with a watery grave all the way along the left and a well positioned bunker for those bailing out to the right.

The 4th is an uphill par four that bends to the left with a well protected green. I fine hole but a style that is possibly repeated too often throughout the round and what I though was one of the small weaknesses of the course.  

The 6th below is another example of the fine bunkering but was one of those uphill, bend to the left par 4s. Still very attractive though..

After the mammoth par 5 7th we get to the signature 8th, all carry par 3 over the lake and a real challenge before the front 9 finished with the uphill 9th ending at the clubhouse.

The 8th hole below.

The back 9 starts in a similar fashion to the front with a straight away par 4 down the hill before a relatively short but uphill par 5 with a central fairway bunker to be avoided.

The 11th is a lovely short par 3 with a postage stamp green that if missed provides a tricky approach over some well contoured slopes and a bunker on the front left.

The 13th is a lovely dogleg short par 4 and the 15th is equally strong, only 300 meters but with great cross bunkering requiring a bit of thought from the tee.

The last 3 holes offer a very stern test when coming home. The 450 yard 16th is followed by the tough but beautiful 220 yard par 3 17th with the well protected green below.

The 18th almost as expected, finishes with a decent uphill par 4 that again tends to the left and finished below the impressive clubhouse. 

Overall it really is a fine course, only let down slightly by some repetition on the par 4s. A strong track..

Torrey Pines (south)

So its been a while.. hopefully I can get back into the swing of things over the next few summer months. Anyway, Torrey Pines has been my first experience and hopefully not my last of american golf.

From what I am aware it can be exceedingly difficult to play many of the country's top courses so I jumped at the chance to get on this very public US open championship venue and obviously host to a regular PGA tour event. In fact I recall this course pretty well from playing 'tiger woods' on my games console so it was funny how many holes I recalled and how short I subsequently hit the ball!

we got up exceedingly early to get there for the shotgun start where we wandered to the 7th hole  (stroke index 1).

Not the best light to start the day in and the 7th is a fine tough dog leg to challenge you at 6 in the morning. The strong bunkering certainly a plus point of the course.

The 8th and certainly the 9th are not the most inspiring of holes, especially with the very nice industrial surrounds to the 9th fairway but the 10th I found was a well designed short par 4 with an undulating green.

The 11th is another par 3, testing at 190 yards and although visually appealing, is very similar in nature to the later par 3 we played, number 16.

Soon we get to the 13th, for me one of the strongest and unique holes on the course. A par 5 with bunkers right, trees left with a subsequent chasm to hit down into and an approach to an elevated green 5 large bunkers running up. If only they had built more holes like this..

The next is also a strong par 4 where position off the tee is key to maximise line to the green, promptly followed by one of the weakest holes on the course. The 15th really doesn't have much going for it and although I managed my first birdie there, it is just not the sort of hole I expect to see at a championship venue.

Following the 18th and it's memorable little pitch over the greenside pond we get to what was in my view the strongest section of the course.

The 1st is a strong par 4 that I imagine would have been very tough with the rough up. The second is a good par 4 with a drive over the crest of a hill to a very appealing second shot (below)

Next is the picture postcard par 3 third that had me thinking back to my days at Kauri cliffs albeit only for a hole or two. A lovely golf hole, below.

Up next, another good cliffside hole par 5 with a hint of infinity green. Once again the feature is of well placed bunkers at driving distance with a well contoured green.

a rare moment of sun at just the right time on the par 5 fouth hole.

So Torrey Pines, a decent track but let down by average conditioning, too many average holes and not enough great ones. Glad to have played it but know that California has so much more to offer.. Next time it will have to be monterey.

Castle Stuart

Home of the Scottish open for the last few years, this certainly falls into the category of great modern courses. Only open for the last 4 years or so, Mark Parsinen and Co have in my view done a fantastic job in making the course appear that it has been there for many a year. The views over the Moray Firth are stunning, especially at the end of a long summers day and it's a course that is simply fun to play.

Above, the par 5 second highlights the very generous fairway with the option of the high or low road, leading to one of many infinity style greens looking out onto the firth. 

The third is probably the best hole on the course, tiny at only 250 yards or so but is one of the ultimate risk, reward holes and judging by the scores at the scottish open that ranged from 2 to 6 show that almost anything is possible. The use of the sleepers as oppose to bunkering was a very nice addition and adds difficulty to the greenside approach if you are long and left ( below)

 Quite a bit of photography done here doing last years Scottish open, before being roused by the stewards!

The 4th, as with many of the holes at Castle stuart is framed towards one of the local sites of in the distance. In this case it is Castle stuart itself that sits proudly behind the green. Though in my view the hole itself is probably the weakest of a good bunch of par 3s.

Castle Stuart is certainly in the same mould as Kingsbarns and with the themes of width and strategy apparent on both. Likewise the greens in my view are excellent at both tracks and offer a great variety of contours, certainly punishing if you end up on the wrong side.

Looking down the fairway on the 9th, one of my favourite par 4s here with a fantastic waste area if you leave your approach short.

The back 9 begins with a couple of cracking holes. 10 is a wonderful par 4 next to the water with a well placed bunker to be avoided from the tee. 11 is their signature par 3 and a hole I would put on my dream 18 holes. Only a short iron but with water long, sand short and a tricky run off for those who bail out to the right.

The 18th below is a fitting end to the round.  Along par 5 but plays downhill and offers a great risky second over a simply enormous waste area and another rivetted face close to the green.

So Castle Stuart certainly fits the mould of many a modern day architect but how does it rate compared to Parsinen's other work in Fife.. There might be some debate on this, I'm not too sure but I would still go for Kingsbarns which purely as a golf course I think just offers a little more. The rankings would seem to agree with that view but in the end who really cares!

 I suppose the weakness of both of these courses is the lack of trouble from the tees. A couple of well placed bunkers on the par 4s and 5s would add a great deal to both. Obviously they are not designed to be overly penal and to offer enjoyment for golfers of all standards. In that regard these courses are a resounding success.

Cape Kidnappers

Well this was without doubt one of the most highly anticipated games of golf of my life. Im sure I stumbled across those famous aerial shots a few years ago and thought that once in my life ( at least once) I would get there. As it happened it was a glorious early summer day and the 2 hour drive from taupo was beautiful in itself. Once reaching the gates it takes another 10 minutes driving through some hilly farmland and avoiding sheep before you arrive at the ranch style clubhouse.

From the outset you can see its a different style to Kauri cliffs, very classy but more rustic in design both of the club and the course, and without the jaw-droppingviews that greet you at Kauri. A bit minimalist in terms of visitors that day too..

The low key clubhouse above with the token wheelbarrow of golf balls to greet you at the driving range below.

 The first is a great opener with a fairly generous landing area followed by a mid iron second over  a small valley to a green well protected with bunkers to the left and with slopes off the front and back.

The first 4 holes all play inland and it certainly was surprising to play without the views that you expect. Each of them was strong in its own right without being spectacular. The 5th for me was a great mid length par 4 with a central fairway bunker and a challenging second to a green that gives the first view of the water 400 feet below.


This is followed by the mammoth 230 yard par 3 playing over a huge gorge and was the first real awe inspiring moment of the round, until I dumped the ball into the bushes.. Below the 6th green. Unfortunately the greens were still recovering from a core done 3 weeks prior.

The 7th, below is another very good par 4 that depending on length and bounce could see you only 80 yards from the front. The approach down the hill to the raised green makes it look like a very narrow target, though the green is actually pretty huge.

The 8th plays  180 yards over a gully to a heavily contoured green. Named 'backstop' probably due to the large ridge sitting in the middle of the green that in normal conditions would allow many a shot to filter down towards the hole in a mini punchbowl style. 8th green below.

The first standout hole for me on the back 9 was the aptly named 'infinity' 12. A bunkerless 450 yards par 4 that certainly doesn't need any further distractions. On this glorious day, looking to the green that seemed to hover like a mirage over the water below was a bit of an almighty experience for me.. That was what I was expecting!

The very next 13th is a great little par 3 perched on the edge of the cliff with a bunker on the left of the green that isn't for those with a fear of heights.

14 is a sensational cape style hole with its green modelled on the 17th at St. Andrews though maybe not exactly now after  Mr Hawtree's work on the original.

The next is possibly the most controversial of all the holes at Cape Kidnappers ' Pirates plank' plays 650 yards dead straight with no bunkers but with some huge drop offs on either side of the fairway. Is it just a way of getting to the spectacular 16th tee, possibly... Though I was hugely intimidated by the sheer look of it and I wonder if thats what they were looking for.

The 18th provides an interesting finish with its punchbowl green that gathers anything vaguely close to the green down closer to the hole and is an entertaining finish to a very interesting and spectacular course..

So overall its a very different course to what you see from the pictures. Its a great experience but did leave me thinking 'did I overhype it', or maybe its because i just came down from Kauri cliffs and expected a similar sort of track. I daresay I would love a second chance to work it out.

The Dunes

The Dunes, seen as possibly the 3rd best public access course behind Barnbougle and lost farm,  is located in the Mornington Peninsula roughly an hour form Melbourne. It's very decent stretch of land with a few other notable courses nearby. It was a toss up between playing Doak's St. Andrews beach and the Dunes though being the tight scotsman ( having reciprocal rights for the dunes) and more favourable tee times available prior to catching an evening flight back to sydney, it was off to the Dunes. 

If anything it exceeded my expectations and also provided some good material to play around with the camera. It's certainly in the links style with the rolling hills/dunes being fairly similar to what we see back home. It's set back from the sea and doesn't have the view of the tasmanian courses but as a golf course I'd rate it pretty close, only slightly behind the Lost farm.

It begins with a decent and testing dogleg par 4 that runs between a set of dunes. The second is an excellent par 4 with rolling farmland to the left and a great waste area before a tricky elevated green.

The 3rd below was a tricky mid short/range par 3 with a very tough cross wind to negotiate on that day,  there was a nice contrast with the dry rough compared to the lush green and surrounds.

This leads to the 4th that is an absolute cracker of a risk reward short par 4 though I struggled to get a decent shot of it at the time. just over 300 yards, downhill to sloping, sideways ( nicklaus esque) green. at the 230 mark are a set of bunkers that certainly came into play with the 3 club wind that was around at the time.

The 5th continues the fine run and is an initially blind par 5 leading to a  fairway with numerous waste style bunkers running up to the green.

The 9th completes the first loop and ends down at the clubhouse. An interesting dog leg of sorts, down hill with all the room to the right and a huge waste bunker out of site from the tee to the left. ( below)

Highlights on the back 9 would be the run of holes from 12-15.  A quote from Nick Faldo in the strokesaver reveals his appreciation of the par 5 12th that features a great option for the second to bite off as much of another huge waste area ( roughly 150 - 200 yards long) to maximise distance to the green,

Below the view looking back down to the 12th fairway.

13 is an excellent par 3 that really has a scottish feel to it with a green perched below a large dunes and well protected by a couple of bunkers at the front and one at the back. The 14th is very reminiscent of the 10th at Barnbougle with a generous fairway to the right of a huge bunker, although in this version there is a tricky fairway bunker on the driving line that improves the strategic nature of the hole ( and one that Barnbougle would benefit from too).

The 14th bunker to be avoided and green up the hill.

The course then has 2 new holes, developed after the owner purchased some extra land to prevent an apparent housing developement. Not sure what the old ones were like but the current run is very strong.

The 17th is interesting in that there is a plaque on the tee from Tom Watson who described it as 'exquisite' on his visit here. Its roughly 200 yards to an elevated green surrounded at the front by numerous bunkers. I didn't actually rate it that high but here is the green none the less.

after the relative let down of 17 ( for me anyway!) the course finishes with an excellent par 4 finish. lying between the most grand dunes on the course, the bunkerless fairway leads to a very tough elevated green that is not to be missed on the short side.

So overall this was a very good track, really struggling to find a weak hole out there and provided a lot of decent photo opportunities. Lost farm pips it only with the scenery and one or two more 'wow' moments. I'll have to return to Melbourne to sample the more fancied National as well as the sandbelt courses that I felt a bit let down by on a previous visit.

Kauri Cliffs

So its been a little while but I have been able to sample a few old favourites as well as a couple of new additions from the top 100.  Basically this trip ticked off my favourite courses in the southern hemisphere and probably 3 of them appear in my all time top 5 right now.  Kauri Cliffs ( ranked 53 ) was probably the most memorable experience of the lot. If you look at the course on it's own then yes there are better tracks out there but if you take the conditioning, scenery, 'number of memorable holes' and service then it becomes a place to be reckoned with.

After getting in passed the locked gate, a rural drive of a km or so leads you to this very well appointed club house where the pro was waiting to see us.

We arrived on a crisp bright morning and were the first ones there ( and only 1 group of a handful using the course all day). Immediatly you turn round to the front of the clubhouse and are greeted by probably the most scenic putting green and practice range on earth. ( below)

The greens were reading 12 on the stimp that day, with the 2 club wind providing a more than suitable test off the tips! The Pyramids of balls were lined up and untouched on our arrival to what initially, and for most of the day felt like our private golf course.

Dare I say it, not even Castle Stuart could live up to this scenery and Kauri is probably the most photogenic course I have been to thus far.

So after this whets the apetite, the opening few holes are actually pretty conservative. The first is only a mid length straight par 4 but the adrenaline is pumping because you know that a real treat is in store. walking down the fairway you know it certainly isn't overplayed, there is barely a divot and the definition is fantastic. 1st green below.

From here follow the second that plays downhill to a well contoured green and the 3rd that initially seems non-descript but the second shot is an interesting approach with some lone trees ( maybe almost pebble beach/ cypress point like i'm guessing). The 4th is the first world class hole and if a decent drive gets far enough, offers a tempting risk reward strategy to hit the green in 2.

The Stretch of holes from 4-7 in my view is outstanding. The 5th is an excellent par 3 roughly 190 yards demanding a controlled fade to end near the hole, and yes it crosses over an 400 foot gorge which is a bit of a recurring theme here!
Below the 5th green and 6th fairways. The undulations are marked throughout the course and its possibly the toughest walk around a course that I've had, especially that last holes on both 9s but I'm glad we opted against the buggies.Walking I feel is necessary to appreciate a course fully in my opinion though if you have a dodgy knee here you could be in trouble.

The 7th is probably the most memorable par 3 on the course for me, being 220-230 yards from the tips and all carry over the cliff and 2 bunkers. The green is pretty generous to account for this and it is certainly better being long than short..

The 8th is a monster par 5 that leads to a tough uphill par 4 9th that involves a huge carry if taking it from the backs as we did. You then finish at the clubhouse, exhausted after a big climb and ready for a break before hitting the back 9.

10-13 are very different beasts to the rest of the course, playing without the views but each are great holes in their own right. Above is the island green on the 11th.

After this brief reprieve from the awesome views onto the bay of islands it's on to the last 5 holes.. 4 of which run along the edge of the cliffs which purists may argue lessons the 'routing' quality of the course but when you see the views, there is no way on earth you just couldn't build golf holes on them.

I think this is the tee on 15, a par 5 with cliff all the way down the left, and the more you cut off with the drive the better rewarded you are for your second. The green is actually a bit too severe here, one of the few little flaws that do actually exist on the course.

16 and 17 are excellent par 4s that again tempt you to bite off more than you can chew from the cliff edges. 18 is similar to 9, involving a mamouth carry over a gorge to the fairway that then plays all uphill ( very very uphill)

By the end we were absolutely knackered but equally impressed as to call it the most memorable experience of the 6 top 100 venues we got to. Its still not the perfect course, in particular the first couple      of holes are only good, if not great. Similarities do exist between a few holes and the scale of the hills does make walking a struggle at times.

Comparing it to Cape Kidnappers, its very different. Much more manicured and visually spectacular here compared to Doak's minimalist philosophy that appears more rough around the edges, but obviously there were two designers with different philosophies. I would actually rate Kinloch as the best course of the 3 we got to on the North island so I suppose it depends on what you are after. Anyway,  who cares about rankings they are all very special places!