On Par – All about golf in Australia

Moonah Links is a 36 hole complex on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne. The Open Course measures over 6,800 from the black tees designed by Peter Thomson as an Australian Open venue. The Legends course is a kinder resort style layout.

The Open Course features over 70 bunkers, most of which are very deep penal links style bunkers. The course is undulating and long, so unless you need a good workout, carts are recommended. Greens are firm and true, the undulations are subtle and its often easy to over-read the breaks.

3rd Hole – Accuracy off the tee The 3rd hole is a challenging par 4 requiring an accurate tee shot to a narrowing fairway. Choose between laying up in the valley and then a tough blind approach to the green, or the more risky drive to the elevated section avoiding the mound on the right and fairway bunkers.

10th Hole – Tough into the wind! Tee shot needs to find the fairway littered with five deep traps, approach shot is uphill to a green sitting on the side of a ridge exposed to the wind!

13th Hole – Fun at the beach Not one of the greatest holes on the course, I managed to visit two bunkers and still par the hole. Drive into trap, 9 iron out, 7 iron into trap, decent recovery and knocked in the putt, easy!

17th Hole – Tough short hole Tough hole when the swing is getting tired, and the wind is picking up. Huge tiered green

The Open Course has been hyped as one of Australia’s toughest tests of golf. As an Australian Open venue it was supposed to severely test the professionals, though Allenby shot a 63 in the first round of the 2005 Open and generally the scoring has been pretty easy on the layout unless the Southerly kicks in. For the average golfer in current Summer conditions the rough is dry and low offering pretty easy escapes from poor tee and fairway shots, the only real penalties are the bunkers. As such its not the demanding layout it should be. (Though I did play the course just after it has opened, with knee deep rough cut right up to the faiways, it severely punished the wayward shot, but this type of rough also causes 6 hour plus rounds so is not practical)

In addition, whilst the course is a good layout, there are no real standout holes in my mind. Its a fine course, but given the wealth of golfing treasure on the Mornington Peninsula there are plenty of other options.

9th February 2008 – Update: Played the Open Course again today at the Puma HSV Pro-Am, the course is in excellent condition tee to green is like carpet, and the rough has been allowed to grow adding teeth to the layout.  I have probably judged the course a little harshly when I reviewed it last, the course is definitely tough and requires good shotmaking and thought on club selection and placement around the greens.    So whilst not my favourite on the peninsula, its right up there!