Course Review – Mirage Country Club
January 6th, 2007 by Doogs
Mirage Country Club is a resort course making up part of the Mirage Resort. The course is in Port Douglas about 40 minutes drive North of Cairns, the drive itself is a scenic coastal drive and well worth it. Yet another course designed by Peter Thompson, the Mirage is very un-Thompson like with a much more resort-like feel than the links style courses such as Moonah Links and his other recent Port Douglas course, Sea Biscuit, Sea Temple or something like that.
The layout is distinct in a number of ways, there are 6 Par 5’s. 6 Par 4’s and 6 par 3’s, (a standard par 72 layout is usually 4, 10, 4), the two nines are also very different, the front nine has no water and is closer to the beach, the back nine goes inland and has water on most holes, and croc’s!!!
Unfortunately Google Maps have poor res images at the moment for Port Douglas so no aerial hole pics!
4th Hole – Accuracy required A very accurate tee shot is required on the 4th to stay in play with a fairway narrowing on both sides at driver distance. At 330metres the hole isnt long, and its straight. Steve and I both lashed out with driver and suffered, go the iron for accuracy.
6th Hole – Tough short hole A longish Par 3 at 180metres, bunkers short and left, large slope off the back and right of the green, a swirling wind adds to the complexity of the hole.
9th Tee – Baked Goods Definite highlight of the round is the bakery en-route from the 8th green to the 9th tee, with extensive buggy parking the bakery provides a welcome rest-stop.
11th Hole – Dogleg and Crocs Onto the backnine, the course changes with some more open holes, but deep rough replaced with water hazards. Another hazard comes into play, Crocodiles! Id seen one on the course when playing there a few years ago, only small but worth playing a provisional! Another had been sighted on the 11th hole recently, the dogleg hole is tough enough without keeping an eye out for a predator.
17th Hole – Placement The penultimate hole requires a good drive down the right hand side of the fairway. Anything short goes into a mangrove swamp, anything left is into the bunker, anything too far right gets wet. Green has water right and long. Apart from that, and the odd croc, its simple!
The Mirage layout is a good course without being great. It no longer figures in the Top 100 lists, the course is in good condition but there arent many holes that are memorable. If playing in Port Douglas, Id head up the road to Sea Temple (Links at Port Douglas), or preferably back down the highway to Paradise Palms.
