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| Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links meanders through
towering dunes and along the beach, one of the world's most natural golf
courses. The course using the wonderful landscape to stimulate golfers who
can enjoy undulating fairways & greens, tall bushes and huge & deep
bunkers that are features of a links course. The views in & around the
course are superb, too. The weather plays a most significant part in determining
the difficulties of the holes although the holes have been designed with
the prevailing wind in mind. When the wind picks up, it adds greatly to
the level of difficulty. |
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A slight dogleg to the right, a very short par 4. A carry of 240 yards
is needed to clear a large bunker which should be avoided as it is 10
meters (30 ft.) deep. Long hitters can drive up close to the green but
the fairway narrows in front of the green with another deep bunker in
front of the green on the left. If you get caught in this bunker, the
chance of birdie will be extremely low. So, you need to make a decision
off the tee whether you go over the bunker or lay up safely to the left
of the bunker. The green is a reverse “L” shaped and slopes to its front & to the right at the rear.
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A slightly downhill, long par 3. You can enjoy the picturesque ocean view
on the left from the tee. The green is oval-shaped with a ridge running
down the middle and slopes sharply to the right. |
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A very short par 3. The highly elevated green has distinct features with
the ocean sweeping away behind the green. The green is only 15 yards wide
with 2 very deep bunkers on the left and a slope off the right from where
the pitch shot is very demanding, so you must hit onto the green off the
tee. When Greg Norman played this hole, he used a 5 iron into a strong wind.
He was a long hitter, usually to using a 5 iron for more than 200 yards
but here he chose a 5 iron for some 120 yards. You can imagine how difficult
this course becomes on windy days. |
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| A very long par 4. This hole has been selected as the most
difficult par 4 in Australia. Two fairways are provided off the tee and
the hole becomes straight when you choose the left fairway and becomes a
dogleg to the left when you choose the right fairway. The green is steeply
elevated and deep. To hit the green in 2, you need to drive 250 yards on
the left fairway to enjoy the slightly downhill slope from there. Distance
and accuracy are required on both the tee and second shots. |
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| A slight dogleg to the left, a par 4. The fairway is generous
off the tee and a drive up the left side will open your line into the green.
The green is narrow with bunkers on the right and the front coming into
play. The views seen from the hole are spectacular. |
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A slight dogleg to the right, a very short par 4. A carry of 180 yards is
needed to clear a first fairway bunker and a carry of 245 yards to clear
a second fairway bunker. The fairway slopes to right. The sand dune on the
right should be avoided off the tee. The view of the course and the coastline
seen from the green is beautiful. |
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A par 3 with a demanding green. The green is multi layered and basically
slopes from back to front. The right half of the green slopes especially
steeply. The view seen from the green is superb on this hole, too.
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A double dogleg par 5 with a dogleg to the right followed by a dogleg to
the left. The green slopes gently upwards starting from 40 yards in front.
Bunkers on both sides of the green are in play. |
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A slight dogleg to the right, a short par 4. A bunker in the center of the
fairway is reachable 240 yards off the tee and offers 4 lines on the tee
shot; safe right , safe left, tight right or beyond. There is a sharp slope
on the left of the green, which should be avoided. A lagoon on the right
of the hole is breathtakingly beautiful.
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A par 3 with the ocean on the right. You should hit over a large bunker
on the short and some 30 yards left of the edge of the green, and then a
steep slope will bring your ball down onto the center of the green.
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A dogleg to the right, a tough par 4. Sand dunes on the right corner 275
yards off the tee come into play. The second shot is gently uphill. The
green is deep & narrow, and protruding from the dunes. The sea sweeps
away on the right of this hole. |
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It takes 1hour 10 minutes from Launceston Airport, 3 hours and half from
Hobart Airport and 2 hours from Devonport Airport by car. The distances
are in meters, so I have converted them into yards. The caddies were friendly
and efficient. Cottages overlooking the golf course and the ocean are
available. A roasted duck at the restaurant was delicious. The remaining
distances are measured up to the front edges of the greens, not up to
the centers of them.
Another 18 holes will be completed on the adjacent terrain in early
2010s. The condition of the site is as superb as or better than this golf
course, so 9 topnotch world famous course designers, including Greg Norman
and Nick Faldo, submitted proposals.Ben Crenshaw was chosen. The course
name is Barnbougle Lost Farm.
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| US Golf Magazine ranked the course 35th of the
top 100 courses in the world for 2007. Those others selected in Asia and
Oceania were Royal
Melbourne GC – West Course (15th), Kingstone
Heath GC (26th, Australia), New South Wales
GC (36th, Australia), Hirono
GC (37th, Japan), Cape Kidnappers GC (41st, New Zealand), The
Club at Nine Bridges (60th, Korea), Kauri Cliffs GC (63rd, New Zealand),
Royal Adelaide GC (75th, Australia), Royal
Melbourne GC – East Course (72nd), Tokyo
GC, (84th, Japan), Kawana
HGC – Fuji Course (87th, Japan), and Naruo
GC (94th, Japan).
Among the other Tom Doak designed courses, 3 other courses were ranked
in the top 100 courses in the world for 2007 by US Golf Magazine. Those
are Pacific Dunes (13th) and Ballyneal (82nd) in America, and Cape Kidnappers
GC (41st) in New Zealand. 75 of the top 100 courses were built before
1940. However, all of the above 4 Tom Doak designed courses were opened
in 2000s, which shows his extraordinary talent.
The course was ranked 7th in Australia by Golf Digest 2006. Another Tom
Doak- designed course in Australia is St. Andrews Beach GC while the other
Michael Clayton- designed courses in Australia are Amstel GC - Ranfurlie
Course, Peninsula GC (remodeled) and Portsea GC (remodeled).
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4th undulating green