36. Barnbougle Lost Farm and Dunes

Barnbougle Lost Farm and Dunes

Pat and I were here four years ago.  These two courses were built about 5 years ago for Lost Farm and about 11 years ago for Dunes.  Dunes was designed by Tom Doak and Lost Farm by Coore-Crenshaw.  The property sits along the northern coast of Tasmania (close to Tasmania’s northeast corner) and was originally part of a cattle farm.  The projected was originally conceived as an 18-hole resort, but after the success enjoyed by Dunes (as well as the overwhelming success Bandon Dunes had with multiple tracks) a second course just east of Dunes was designed by Coore-Crenshaw.  Since then many have debated the relative merits of the two tracks.  In World Top 100 Rating since they were both operational, Dunes has “won” every head to head match up.  In 2015 Golf Magazine showed Dunes as #36 in the world and Lost Farm as #85…the widest spread ever.  Top100golfcourses.co.uk’s current listing shows Dunes at #35 and Lost Farm at #47.  To be perfectly honest, after playing both in 2012, I personally rated Lost Farm higher as I thought some of the Dunes greens (in particular #16) were too extreme and unfair.  My bride Pat considered Dunes to be the better course then (perhaps she should be the rater, and not me..but then again, she is unwilling to travel to Outer Mongolia, Madagascar, or Afghanistan to rate courses!).

In any case, we were both looking forward to this return visit.

Before continuing, I should state that both courses play beautifully firm and fast.  They are built on true links land.

Barnbougle Lost Farm, February 29, 2016:    LF plays to 6900 yards from the tips (for its standard 18 holes…the course actually contains 20 holes with two extra par 3’s of about 130 yards each…these are used as playoff holes or substitutes in case of maintenance on one of the regular holes).  The course has a wonderful flow to it and the golfer always knows where they are on the property.  Also has some fabulous holes, in particular:

            --#3…a drivable par 4 of only 280 yards, slightly uphill, with the green guarded by a large bunker in the middle of the fairway starting about 50 yards short of the middle of the green, and a very deep bunker guarding the left side of the green.  The fairway is tiered with the right side well above the left and the right side affording a far easier approach shot if you lay up off the tee.  This is a superbly designed drivable par 4 offering both risk and reward.

            --#5…476 yard par 4 dogleg right that may be the best driving hole I have ever seen.  Well placed drive is blind and must clear a large sand dune that runs along the entire right side of the hole…long hitters find an ever narrowing landing area the further they hit it (unless they can carry it about 335 yards off the tee like Adam Scott did when playing w Roscoe).  Those trying to lay up off the tee must flirt w the dune and carry it right of and past a relatively large upslope at the fairway’s right turn that runs away from the tee in the direction of the tee shot…and anything hit too safe (too far left or short) will bound left in a direction directly away from the green.  Wind against and this hole is sooo tough off tee.  Green is relatively accessible unless you are short right.

            --#8…610 yard uphill par 5 with two tiered fairway (right side above left).  Big hitters off tee must avoid large fairway bunker on left side of fairway about 320 yards out.  Green protected by small bunker short left, a large bunker on left side, a false front, and one of the deepest bunker/waste areas you will ever see to the right of the green (stay OUT of here).

            --#11…445 yard par 4 with uphill blind tee shot that needs to be long and straight to avoid fairway bunkers and have a good view of the green.

            --#16…420 yard dog leg right par 4 on relatively flat land (after elevated tee); requires drive down left side for view of green yet drive down left must carry about 250 yards to clear fairway bunker and large mound on left side of fairway.  Easy drive is down right side but then second is blind and affords a tougher angle into the green.

            --#17…185 yard uphill par 3 to green protected by large bunker short right and smaller bunker on left.  Large green is 40 yards deep but front 10-13 yards is a false front.

This is a brilliant Coore Crenshaw layout with wonderfully subtle green complexes.  However, the site had a fair amount of flat land and holes #1, 2, 12, 13, and 16 are relatively flat.  While the architects did an excellent job making these holes interesting, fun, and challenging, and the rest of the site is very special, me thinks this is a small negative.

Barnbougle Dunes, March 1, 2016:  I shall be quick and to the point regarding this Tom Doak course that is 6765 yards and par 71.  The problems I had with the 16^th green have been corrected and either the other greens were much fairer than I thought four years ago, or some of them have been softened as well.  In any case, for what it is worth, I now fully concur with the sense of the World Top 100 ratings  (not to mention Pat’s sense form 2012).  This is a brilliant, fun, and challenging design, and deserves a higher rating than Lost Farm (which also belongs in the Top 100)

Pat and I played as a twosome played on a beautiful day with strong but not brutal winds of about 20 mph.  I played from a mixture of tees…playing the 10 holes with the wind from longer tees than the 8 holes against…in total about 5950 yards.  Played one of the best rounds of my life…hitting 13 of 14 fairways, 13 of 18 greens, and 33 putts.  Bogeyed #5 (3 putt), 10, 11 (3 putt), and 15…and double bogeyed #7 (par 3 from all of 105 yards playing with the wind).  Birdied #3 on the front, and then 17 and 18 from about 25’ and 20’ respectively to finish with a three over 74.  Enough said!! 

Rest of Tasmania, March 1-5, 2016:  With my adrenaline still going at fever pitch, we drove form Barnbougle to Cradle Mountain Lodge (about 3 hours) for a couple of days of relaxation, and then to Freycinet Lodge near Tasmania’s eastern coast (about a four hour drive) for another two days of relaxation (and preparing this blog post), and then to Hobart for a series of flights (Hobart to Sydney to Honolulu to Kona) to take us to the Big Island of Hawaii.  As I write this, we are on the second of these three flights and I have survived 108 hours without a golf club in my hands!!

Just a quick word about Cradle Mountain and Freycinet…both are beautiful places but we loved the latter more.  Cradle Mountain Lodge was filled with aged hippies and felt like a Woodstock reunion.  This place was straight out of Vermont…all it was missing was Bernie Sanders.  I fought back by wearing Newport CC and The Country Club golf shirts and a golf hat from Ekwanok Golf Club (VT).  I shall finish this post by pointing out the following:

1.                    when we first entered Cradle Mountain Lodge, there were two other guests (in Woodstock reunion uniforms) outside smoking cigarettes;

2.                    the breakfast buffet offered “poison” as shown on the picture below (including two of my fingers!);

Would they lose their license in Vermont for serving this?

3.                    walking through the woods near the lodge we came across a series of wonderful peaceful waterfalls (see pic below) that were almost as beautiful as the ones built by The Donald on his golf courses…wonder if he built these?

Just like at Bedminster and others...so did The Donald build this?