On Par – All about golf in Australia

Had a quick short game lesson with pro Kevin at Albert Park with Rob.
Problem: stance too open, too much wrist. Lead to inconsistent distance, decellerating downswing, fat, thin, in short, a mess!
Solution: straight stance, swing with shoulders/arms, min wrist, 70% weight on left. Move ball fwd in stance for higher flight.

Overview
Moonah Links Legends Course is part of Melbourne’s golfing Mecca on the Mornington Peninsula. The sister to the Moonah Links Open Course, Legends has quickly developed a strong reputation as one of the best layouts in the country. In 2008 the Australian Golf Digest Top Australian Courses ranked the Legends course at 14th, the Australian Golf Course Guide ranks the layout as the 2nd best public access course in the country behind Barnbougle Dunes, high praise indeed.

The par 3 5th Hole

The Layout
I agree with the rankings, the Moonah Links Legends course is a great layout. The variety of shots that are required, the change in landscape, the bunkering and many risk and reward opportunities makes this a tough but fair course. Designer Ross Perrett states “The course is a loop of 18 holes that generally follow the valleys through a variety of landscapes ranging from ancient Moonah woodlands to open links land. The fairways are generous and the putting surfaces gentle, but the bunkering style is bold and wild in appearance. At 6,315 metres, the course should be fun, but it won’t be a pushover”

Condition
In one of the countries best regions for golf courses, the Legends course is always in excellent condition. As at January 2010, the fairways were perfectly grassed and great to hit off, off fairway the rough is often long grass and Moonah trees. The everpresent bunkers are a mix of links style pot bunkers through to huge expansive waste bunkers where a shovel may be a better option than a wedge. The greens are large and undulating, firm and fairly fast. The 15th green in particular is massive, the largest green in the Southern Hemisphere can play anywhere between long iron and wedge depending on pin position and wind.

Favourite Holes

After easing into the round with a short par 5, and a short par 4, the third is a tough par 3, then the golfer is confronted with a tee shot from an elevated tee to a sharp dog leg left. The hero line is a driver with draw hugging the left hand tree line over the bunkers to the raised fairway plateau. Mere mortals should gear down to an iron and hit the fairway leaving a tougher mid iron to the green.

After emerging from the wooded section of the course, holes 7 through to 13 are played in open links conditions, the 8th hole is a classic links hole, played with a semi-blind tee shot, fairway bunkers are strategically placed to capture drives. The approach shot to a double green needs to be up to avoid the false front.

The par 3 10th hole is a tough start to the back nine. At 177metres from the back, the hole is tough enough, wind will make it a true test! A waste bunker captures anything too short, and a nasty pot bunker protects the front of the green. Steep slopes around the green will impact tee shots that arent on target.

The dogleg 15th will wreck a good round if not played with thought. Anything long off the tee will run into rough, anything left into a waste bunker. There is reward for trying to draw a long drive but the landing area is tiny. A well placed iron is the best choice, then a tough approach to an elevated green with trouble everywhere!

The Word
Moonah Links Legends course lives up to its rankings as one of Australia’s best layouts. It should always be part of the itinerary for the Mornington Peninsula golf trip, and teams up nicely with the Open course for a weekend. A golf cart is recommended for all but the fittest golfers, the landscape would make for a tiring walk.

Course details
Moonah Links – Legends Course
- Par 72
- 6,315 metres (Black)
- 5,939 metres (White)
- Address: Peter Thomson Drive, Fingal, Mornington Peninsula
- Proshop: (03) 5988 2088
- Course Bookings

Nige chips up to the short 5th hole on the Moonah Links Legends Course

After a warm up nine holes on the Open course the previous afternoon, Chris, Emma, Nige and myself teed off on the Moonah Links Legends course. The Legends course is a very different layout to the Open course, it winds through undulating woodlands and open dunes, with the local Moonah tree ever present. Rugged bunkering and changes in elevation, combine with large green for a great golfing experience. The Legends course is consistently rated higher than the Open course, I agree, its a great layout with a number of memorable holes, and requires thoughtful shot selection – review coming soon!

The form from the previous day continued, driver still accurate, long irons working well, and the gap wedge came into play a number of times. Nige got the driver back on track and carded a solid round, Emma made the most of a borrowed Callaway Diablo driver cracking some excellent drives, Chris was lured to many of the Legends massive bunkers! Finished with 35 points, which included two wipes, so happy with the form.

7 of the best at Moonah Links
Originally uploaded by Doogsta

Played a late 9 holes on Moonah links Open course with Nige & Chris after a planning day. Great weather, and the swing was in rare form. Driver was long and straight, irons good, putts on line. Even after 6 holes with birdies on both par 5s. Another birdie on 8! Made a mess of 9th to finish with a 41. Tommorow we play the Legends course

Mr 8 and I headed up to Yarrambat Park Golf Course last Sunday afternoon for a leisurely 9 holes. We teed off at about 5pm, brilliant weather and not too busy on the course. Mr 8 has played most of his golf to date on the driving range, backyard, hallway and minigolf. We played a family ambrose last year at the Growling Frog which was the first ‘real’ golf he had played.

Golf in the eyes of an 8 year old is golf without fear. There are no mental demons, no pressure from the leaderboard, no memories of past failures and no incessant swing thoughts and tips. Its simply address the ball and give it your best shot. It was great to watch Mr 8s swing improve over 9 holes, by the 8th hole, a par 3, he carried a water hazard and then a bunker on successive shots. Again no fear, just hit it. He secretly wanted to go into the bunker, as he loves trying to hit out of the sand!

The short game is tougher on the 8 year old, as the grip it and rip it approach doesnt work, and touch is a difficult thing to get right (And I should know, I still havent got a short game!). By the end of the round, I was also worrying less about my shots and enjoying the game more. Yes, its only a game after all!
So if the game of golf is getting you down, if you have lost your mojo, or just arent enjoying hitting that little white ball anymore, play 9 holes of golf with an 8 year old, and learn about golf without fear.

Overview
Yarra Bend Golf Course is one of the closest courses to Melbournes CBD. Only 15 minutes drive from the city, the course is busy most days of the week. Part of the Yarra Bend Park, the course follows the Yarra River with holes following the bends in the river.


The par 3 7th Hole

The Layout
The Par 70 Yarra Bend layout isnt long, measuring 5,538 metres but what it misses out in length it makes up for in the need for accuracy. Whilst the river doesnt come into play at all, large gum trees line all of the fairways with a number of drives needing pinpoint accuracy. The clatter of golf balls into trees is a common sound on the course. The layout is fairly undulating with holes heading downhill to the river, then uphill towards the clubhouse. A number of bunkers dot the course, though they have inconsistent lies and are often unraked, but then they are a hazard!

Condition
Given the amount of traffic that this public course gets, Yarra Bend is always in very good condition. As at January 2010, the course is in excellent condition. The fairways are well grassed and great to hit off, off fairway is penalised by improvising shots through trees. Closer to the green, some of the rough has been grown deeper providing a nasty penalty for missed greens. The greens themselves are firm and fairly fast. There would be private courses around Melbourne that would struggle to compete with the conditioning of Yarra Bend at the moment.

Favourite Holes

After a reasonably easy opening hole, the second hole is a dogleg left with a partially blind drive over the hill to a downhill green. The drive needs to be just right of the trees gaurding the left corner of the dogleg. The second shot to the downhill green is tougher than it looks. Anything left is gone. Par here is worth it.

Yarra Bend has three short holes that all point roughly Southwest, following the Yarra river. The 7th is my favourite of the three, 148 metres to an elevated green, anything short will run back down the hill. Almost an Augusta feel to this hole (replace pines with gums!)

The 8th is a short 333 metre par 4 requiring an accurate drive (suggest dropping the driver to a 3 wood or an iron), the fairway is very narrow almost claustrophobic with the second shot needing an equally accurate shot to the green. Rated 8 for good reason

The penultimate hole at Yarra Bend has ruined many a good round. The 159 metre par 3 sits on the side of a hill with a steep drop to the right of the green. Anything right will kick down the hill and most likely finish under a large tree! Long or left of the green can take advantage of a friendly kick off down to the green.

The Word
Yarra Bend has always been a favourite track for a round of golf after work. Ive blogged about a few rounds played at the course recently and raved about the condition of the course. The summer twilight green fee deal is also a bargain, nothing better than 18 holes at ‘the bend’ on a balmy summers evening. Yarra Bend will never make the list of Top 100 courses in the country, but its a great public course and well worth the visit. Best value golf in Melbourne

Course details
Yarra Bend Golf Course
- Par 70
- 5,538 metres
- Address: Yarra Bend Road, Melbourne
- Proshop: (03) 9481 3729
- Bookings and Green Fees

Its the start of a new year (and decade!) so time to make a couple of golfing resolutions.

• Find the lost short game.
  In my early golfing years, I had an excellent short game and was even known as ‘Chipman’ for a while. Whilst i struggled with consistency off the tee, I could rely on the pitching and chips to save me from disaster. The short game is a crucial element to the game, yet is rarely practiced. Mine has deserted me and Im determined to find it again!

• More golf with Mr 8.
  After a really fun afternoon of golf with Mr 8 yesterday, Im keen to introduce him to the game further. The look on his face when he nailed a pitch was priceless, and to watch him improve over the course of 9 holes was fantastic.

• More golf reviews.
  Im aiming to add more golf course reviews to the On Par Blog, as they are the most visited pages on the site, and hopefully the most useful!

Heres to a safe and prosperous 2010

The tough 159 metre Par 3 17th hole at Yarra Bend

Finished work early today to meet Nige and Rob on the tee at Yarra Bend for a late round. Weather was sensational as we teed off. Rob and I were playing the First Test of the Ashes series (more on that later), so pressure was on from the first hole. Nige was on fire early, with the short game working a treat, Rob struggled off the tee with some wild drives, whilst I was hitting the ball well, putting well, but the short game was particularly crap! Finished with 35 pts, and pretty happy overall with the game, especially when I had relaxed the arms, something that has been an ongoing problem

Still amazed at the sensational condition of Yarra Bend, there are many private courses in Melbourne that would struggle to match the fairways and greens at Yarra Bend at the moment. The greens are firm and quick, and many of the fairways are superb to hit off. Again, the late afternoon weekday deal ($20 after 3pm, $15 after 5:30pm) is one of the best golf deals in Melbourne at the moment!

Played golf after work yesterday with colleagues Nige and Linds. Teed off at about 5:30pm at Yarra Bend Golf Course, only a short drive from Melbourne CBD. The summer twilight golf deal is excellent, $15 unlimited golf from 3:30pm. There arent many golf courses around that cost less than $1 per hole!

Yarra Bend is in excellent condition for this time of the year. Green keepers across Melbourne have been rejoicing thanks to the recent mix of warm weather and rains. The fairways at Yarra Bend are the best I have seen them, and the greens are reasonably fast and firm. Some of the rough especially around the greens is deep and tough to escape from. All this from a course that gets massive amounts of foot traffic. Speaking to the pro last night, there was one tee time left for the following day at 6am, the next spot was 4pm! Booked solid.

Would recommend a twilight round at Yarra Bend over Summer

Adam Scott’s long overdue Australian Open win last week showed some signs that the classic Scott swing was getting back on track after a shocker of a year. Scott crashed to 108th on the USA PGA Tour money list in 2009

At the Australian PGA at Coolum this weekend, Scott is 2 shots off the lead going into the final round. But he should be closer. Scott carved his tee shot on the par 3 8th hole way left, wedge onto the green was long and the par putt missed the hole stopping 2 feet past. He jabbed at the return putt and missed!

Ive missed a number of 2 foot putts, and unfortunately they count exactly the same as a scorching drive down the middle of the fairway. Even for the average golfer, missing a two footer is all mental. The brain throws in doubt on the roll, slope and you decelerate or jab at the putt only to watch it edge past. Its important to accelerate through the ball and not take a large backswing.

Scott has the game to win a major, but please dont give him a 2 footer for the win at Augusta.