37. Flights from Hobart to Sydney to Honolulu to Kilo, March 5, 2016

Flights from Hobart to Sydney to Honolulu to Kilo, March 5, 2016

I had booked us on a set of flights taking us from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia to Kilo, Hawaii, USA on March 5.  Because these flights cross the International Date Line, we were scheduled to depart Hobart at 4:15pm and arrive in Kilo at noon the same day (after about 16 ¾ hours of flights and layover times).  The evening before I noticed that the first flight (Hobart to Sydney) was on Jetstar, and given our experience flying from Queenstown, NZ to Melbourne on February 18, wanted to be sure we would avoid getting “jetstarred” with highly exorbitant luggage charges.  The Jetstar website provided several sets of highly confusing legal language regarding luggage allowances and reaching Jetstar by phone was impossible.  So we left for the airport early enough to get us there at least 3 hours before our flight.

That turned out to be a good thing.  The Qantas and Jetstar folks at the airport did advise that our luggage allowance (including carry-ons) would be only 46 lbs each (even though we were flying business class on the main leg…Sydney to Honolulu), but that we could purchase excess luggage credits over the web or phone until 2 hours before scheduled departure, at a cost of about $55 between us…compared with about $500 after 2:15pm.  We got that done in time at the lower rate, and then checked in at 2:15pm.

However, Jetstar would not book our luggage through to either Honolulu of Kilo…this despite the following:

1.     Our air tickets were purchased on the Qantas website which offered this set of connections and issued the tickets for these 3 flights under a single airline ticket number/confirmation code;

2.     Jetstar is a wholly owner subsidiary of Qantas.

While the scheduled layover time in Sydney was 1 hour 50 minutes, the above meant we would have to:

1.     get off the Jetstar flight;

2.     collect our checked luggage;

3.     bring 4 pieces of checked luggage and two carry on pieces (totaling some 220 pounds) to a separate terminal; and

4.     check in at Qantas for the Sydney-Honolulu leg

all within a grand total of 50 minutes…as Qantas had a firm cutoff of for check-in one hour prior to scheduled departure.  Qantas provided zero instructions on the fastest way to get between the Jetstar terminal and the International Qantas terminal.  Discussions with 3 different Jetstar and Qantas employees yielded three different ways to proceed with step 3.  All three employees opined that doing the above in less than 50 minutes would be next to impossible, but that it must be “doable” since Qantas wrote all three flights on a single ticket.

To make a long story short…we were able to make the flight, thanks to sage Sydney airport advice provided by a flight attendant on the Jetstar flight.  We checked into the Sydney-Honolulu-Kilo flights (and checked the luggage through to Kilo) 1 hour 20 minutes prior to scheduled departure, and made it to the Qantas International terminal and through emigration with all of 10 minutes to spare after several mad dashes.

Well, at least we made it.  When we reached Honolulu, we had to collect our luggage to clear US Customs…and two of our four pieces of checked luggage did not appear on the carousel (fortunately our clubs made it and our clothing etc. did not…although Pat did not agree with that assessment).  The Qantas baggage customer service person claimed he could not determine where the two suitcases were…this despite that fact that all checked luggage is bar coded and scanned at multiple points…and tried to shuttle us off to Hawaiian Airlines in Kilo (our final destination).  After some somewhat unpleasant discussions, they were able to advise that both pieces were still in Sydney and would be about the March 6 flights and delivered to our friend’s house the next day (which did happen).  And I remember when Qantas was one of the world’s great airlines…

Nanea Golf Club and Mauna Kea Resort, March 6 and 7, 2016

We stayed at the house of friends at their Hawaiian vacation home on The Big Island’s Kona coast.  They are members of Nanea Golf Club and Mauna Kea.   I had played Mauna Kea in 1974 while returning from a trip to the Far East, and Pat and I played both Nanea and Mauna Kea two years ago on another trip to Hawaii.

Nanea Golf Club, March 6, 2016:  This is a very very private club.  It is simply exquisite, and fun to play…but it also very much values its privacy, and I shall respect that, and severely limit what I say about the course and club on this forum.

The club was founded by George Roberts (of KKR) and Charles Schwab (of Charles Schwab) in 2003.  Located high above the Pacific on the west coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, the course was designed by David McLay Kidd (think Bandon Dunes).  It stretches to about 7500 yards.  As you might expect, it is in wonderful condition.  What you might not expect is the difficulty associated with reading its greens, which are heavily influenced by the slope from Mauna Kae down to the Pacific Ocean.   The course is one of the very few that is both challenging and fun to play.  If you get the opportunity, do not let it pass.

Nanea earned a spot on the Golf Magazine World Top 100 in 2007-2011, peaking at #75 in 2009.  It also was #98 in the World on www.top100courses.co.uk in 2006.  In terms of USA Top 100 ratings, Nanea peaked at #44 in 2007 on the GM listing (having appeared in all GM listings in 2007 and after…and is currently #71).  It was #70 on Links Magazine’s final listing dated 12/31/14 and it has appeared in all www.top100courses.co.uk listings from 2006-16 except 2010.  It has never appeared in any Golf Digest or Golfweek Top 100…probably due to an insufficient number of ratings.

Mauna Kea Golf Course and Resort, March 7, 2016:  The Mauna Kea Resort was the dream of Laurance Rockefeller and the flagship of his Rock Resorts chain.  It opened in 1964 to rave reviews and was generally recognized and the most expensive and beautiful vacation resort in the world at that time.   The golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the most dominant and recognized name in golf course architecture of the 1950’s -1960’s era.  It was the first course built on black lava rock (which turns out to be very fertile when crushed).  I well remember venturing into the lava rock off the fairways when I played it in 1974 searching for errant drives…and hoping I would not break an ankle trying to navigate the terrain. 

The course was renovated by Jones’ son, Rees Jones in 2008 and now stretches to 7370 yards par 72 (76.6 rating/144 slope).  In terms of Top 100’s. it has never been on a World 100 list.  On USA Top 100 lists, the following highlights its history:

            --has been on 20 of 63 USA Top 100 Lists…most recent being Golf Magazine as #100 in 2009;

            --of the 20 lists it has appeared on, 15 were in Golf Digest and 5 in Golf Magazine

            --highest rating ever was in the 31-40 bracket in GD in 1969 and 1971.

Playing Nanea and Mauna Kea on consecutive days shows an interesting contrast between penal golf design (Mauna Kea) and strategic golf design (Nanea).  Mauna Kea is iconic, interesting to play once or twice, but rarely has the word “fun” been attached to it.  Nanea is the type of course that one could play every day without being bored…or feel beaten up regularly…yet it is a very demanding test.  To put it simply, give me strategic design over penal design any day of the week.

Wrap-Up

We made it home on March 8…and it is good to be home.  Courses played and Bucket List status:

            --lifetime to date…822 courses in 44 countries and 42 states;

            --World Top 100 Courses EVER (7 sources)—total of 284 courses, played 277 and seven to go;

            --Tom MacWood Spoof 1939 Top 100…101 courses of which 5 no longer exist, played 85 and 11 to go;

            --US Open Venues…54 courses, 52 played and two to go

Overall Evaluation…Australia and New Zealand:

This is a tough one.  We played the following courses on this trip in Aus/NZ (listed alphabetically):

Arrowtown

Barnbougle Dunes

Barnbougle Lost Farm

Cape Kidnappers

Cape Wickham Golf Club

Commonwealth Golf Club

Huntingdale Golf Club

Kingston Heath Golf Club

Kinloch Golf Club

National Golf Club—Moonah

National Golf Club—Old

Ocean Dunes Golf Club

Royal Melbourne GC—West

Tara Iti Golf Club

Victoria Golf Club

Among other courses I have played in Australia and New Zealand, I would throw Metropolitan, New South Wales, Royal Adelaide, Royal Melbourne—East, and Paraparamumu and into any list of great courses (RMGC—Composite excluded due to being a Composite course as per explanation from several posts ago).

My Top 10 in this region are:

1.  Royal Melbourne--West

2.  Kingston Heath

3.  Barnbougle Dunes

4.  Cape Wickham

5.  Tara Iti

6.  Cape Kidnappers

7.  New South Wales

8.  Barnbougle Lost Farm

9.  Metropolitan

10.  Victoria

I should point out that the top 5 above are, in my always humble opinion, very tightly bunched.  I consciously “tapped down” my enthusiasm for Cape Wickham and Tara Iti to guard against the “infatuation factor” and recognizing that courses change more in their initial years than later on.  To the degree that changes in the next few years on these two courses add to their brilliance, the ones listed higher need to watch their backs.  In any case, as a result of this trip, my personal World Top 100 needs careful reviewing.

One final point…note that of the above ten, 50% were built in the last 20 years…further proof of the new golden age.

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?

35. Tasmania, February 26-March 1, 2016

Tasmania, February 26-March 1, 2016

Tasmania is one of 8 states and territories in Australia.  It consists of the island of Tasmania and King Island and Flinders Island (as well as some smaller islands) south of the State of Victoria and Melbourne.  Pat and I flew to Tasmania in 2012 to play the two courses at Barnbougle built in the last 15+ years.  We have wanted to return and this desire was strengthened by the recent (and ongoing) construction of two courses on King Island:

--Cape Wickham—recently completed, and

--Ocean Dunes ---still a work in progress.

Cape Wickham GC Feb 26-28, 2016:  We flew a puddle jumper from Melbourne to King Island the morning of 2/26.  After a 15-minute drive to our hotel, we drove about 45 minutes up to Cape Wickham GC.  The island is very rural, beautiful and relaxing…and windy (located in the Roaring 40’s…referring to the latitude).  Cape Wickham opened for play about 4 months ago.  It is located on the northern tip of King Island, and sits close to a 52 meter (170’) high lighthouse.  To say that it is exposed to the elements is one of the great understatements.  It is the creation of golf writer Darius Oliver (Planet Golf) and architect Michael DeVries (Kingsley Club and Greywalls in MI, and restorations of Siwanoy in NY and Meadow Club in CA).  I had the pleasure of meeting Darius last summer during a dinner on Cape Cod, and can testify that he has a wonderful sense of golf architecture and a great “eye”.

I played CW three times, in 20-25 mph winds on 2/26 and 10-15 mph winds 2/27 and 2/28.  Simply put, I do not remember ever having as much fun on a golf course.  Every hole has a view of the Southern Ocean (better views than Fisher Island).  The fairways are wide wide wide (in some cases as much as 60+ yards wide), which is necessary the way the wind blows.   The greens are appropriately large (for the same reason) and are beautifully shaped and placed.  Every hole feels different from the other holes, yet they all integrate perfectly into a very special flow.  I played my best on 2/26 (79) and got worse from there (81 and then 88).  During my first round, I got a lot of really good breaks and bounces…making me wonder if the course was too forgiving…but the round on Sunday (88) put that thought to bed.  I was a bit tired (having walked Ocean Dunes that morning…more later) and made a bunch of mental mistakes and paid the price each time.

Pat joined me on 2/27 and 2/28 and loved the course just as much for very much the same reasons. On 2/27 we were joined by Alex D. and Kevan W. of ISAGS (Intern. Senior Amateur Golf Assoc.) who were on their way to an ISAGS event near Brisbane.  Our foursome has handicaps ranging from just above scratch to almost 20…and we all loved the course.

Do not know where to begin to describe the holes as there are so many great ones.  First time playing it I was in love with it after playing 4 holes…and then discovered that the real course doesn’t really begin till #9!!  Plays firm and fast…hit a 205 yard 7-iron 25 yards over green on #4 in first round…and also nailed a 6 iron 115 yards on #5 into the wind.

In terms of reminder holes…#9 (sharply downhill par 5) reminded me of #11 at Arcadia Bluffs in MI, #16 (my favorite) reminded me of #11 at Ballybunion, and the views and drama of the whole place reminded me of Old Head…but golf course so so much better than Old Head as CW is a pure links course.  

Yes it is only 6765 yards from the Blue tees (not sure what it measures from the tips), but note how windy this place is…and we all know that shots into the wind lose a lot more distance than shots with the wind gain.  Also, the name of the game on firm fast courses is distance control in the air, AND ON THE GROUND.

Holes #3 and 11 gave me fits, but I conquered #10, 13, and18 big time…on 18 hitting fairway and green all three days for one birdie and two pars.

 

Most memorable holes follow…yardages are from long but not championship tees:

#1—365 yd par 4 with Victoria Cove looming off right side and a huge fairway which was deeply appreciated on my first round as wind was blowing left to right at about 30mph…hit good drive starting down left edge of fairway which first drifted right and then bounded right all the way into the light rough…almost over the cliff.  Slightly elevated green in a wonderful setting.

#2 CW from tee...note fairway bunker to negotiate in middle of FW

#4---435 yd par 4 with blind tee shot over a crest…hitting line is for the distant lighthouse.  Approach shot had to successfully negotiate ground as wind was straight with you…bounded 25+ yards past pin first two rounds and finally figured it out in round 3.  Front 2/3rds of green slopes toward back and rear of green slopes to front.

CW #4 tee shot...aim for lighthouse on this blind drive

CW #4 approach shot...very easy to run thru green

CW #5 2nd shot...need to come in from right...note small mound guarding front left...since this is links golf (ground game), you must avoid this mound.

#6---495 yard par 5 doglegging right to elevated green setting and a green with a deep swale back right…hard to keep third shot on top of swale when pin is left.  Beautifully shaped hole.

CW #6 second shot on par 5...difficult green to hit and hold...given swale back right of green placement of 2nd is key

CW #6 third shot...this is view from 80 yard out.  I kept this one left of pin.

#7—150 yard par 3 slightly uphill to deep narrow green angled from front left to back right, protected my high mound in front of front edge, mounds to the left of the green, and a deep deep swale of right of green.  Played w wind and tee shot required high shot landing on downslope of front mound or front of green.  Great creative par 3, that almost plays like a dogleg and is a “semi-reverse Redan” but without fall off behind and swale but no bunkers in front (no bunkers on hole).

#8—par 4 420 yds with blind tee shot (but you can just see the green from the tee (I think just the top of flagstick from back tee) to forgiving fairway where tee shots left and right funnel right and left respectively to center of fairway (but tees shots too far off line are gonzo).  Approach to raised green in neat setting with false front, bunker protecting front left, and sharp fall off back and left.  Safe shot in is right at back right bunker…but your mind has a tough time doing that!  Neat architectural trick.

#9—here it starts…540 yard par 5 with drive over a crest to catch a big downhill slope.  Second shot must cross a large swale if you go for it…or be hit well right over a large dune if you layup (there is room right but it is blind).  If you don’t hit second well right, third will be off sidehill lie to a raised green…not fun.  Green protected my large sand mound/dune at front right and fall offs in front and back.  Great hole that got the best of me.

SW #9 tee shot...need to clear mound in middle of fairway to get big roll downhill

#10—straight par 4 only 325 yards (drivable) heading sharply downhill into the Southern Ocean…views on this hole are amazing…you can just see top of flagstick from the tee…and the flag looks like it is in the ocean.  Played dead into wind and great fun to play.  Very well contoured green with shelf back right falling off to swale front left.  Could play this one forever without getting bored.

CW#10 tee shot...heading directly toward Southern Ocean!!

CW#10 second shot...and don't bitch about quality of photos (or lack thereof).

#11—150 yd par 3 with green sitting down on the rocks…back tee is elevated and middle/front tees are lower.  I wonder if over time storms will wipe out the lower tees as they are only about 10-15’ above sea level.  This hole ate my lunch trying to get the tee shot near a front pin position with a following wind.

CW #11 from back (upper) tee...this hole ate my lunch...note front right pin placement

#12—325 yard drivable par 4 uphill dogleg left with left side of fairway overlooking high ledge over Southern Ocean.  Unless you go for it, requires a mid iron off the tee and then a precise wedge...green shaped a little like #10’s and there ain’t much room on right to shoot for if the pin is on right side…but that seems fair to me on a short pat 4.

#14—425 yard par 4 slightly uphill dogleg left…drive looks heroic with 5 deep fairway bunkers guarding left side of fairway.  Approach shot is great fun to a punchbowl green that results in a blind approach from the wrong angle.

CW #14 tee shot (heroic)...note line of 5 bunkers protecting left side...I hit into the right most bunker twice!!

#16—simply brilliant 425 yard par 4 uphill off tee with lots of room left, but that is the long way on the hole that turns right and sharply downhill to the green on the approach…with Victoria Cove very very visible in the background…similar in look and feel to #11 at Ballybunion (Tom Watson’s favorite hole).  With the wind in your face (as it was to some degree all three days for me), the second shot is something to behold, and laying up w a nine iron can be a very wise option.

CW #16 second shot...from about 175 yards out...straight down to green...scary shot

CW #16 send shot from about 120 yards out...still tough.  18th fairway and green in background

#17—downhill 180 yard par 3 with Victoria Cove to your right…green slopes sharply from back to front and is a daunting target.

CW #17 tee shot

#18—sharp dogleg right cape driving hole 435 yards (slightly downhill off the tee) on this hole that goes around Victoria Cove.  Plenty of room left off the tee but the approach shot is tough and you must decide how much to bite off with your drive.  You can be fooled by lack on wind as fairway is protected from prevailing Southwesterly wind by huge sand dune lining the left side of fairway (green probably 90’ below clubhouse).   I hit fairway and green all three rounds and ended up with one birdie and two pars…while I hope to play Cape Wickham again, not sure I want to face this hole again!!

CW #18 second shot...hit this fairway and green all three rounds for 1 bird and 2 pars...revenge for #11!! And the beach is in play!!

As you can tell from the pictures, some of the fairways are not quite ready…but the ones that were seeded early are in wonderful condition and all are very playable.  Assuming this course is maintained properly (and I would be shocked it is wasn’t) this is a sure World 100…only a question of how high.  And like the question of Kingston Heath vs. Royal Melbourne West, raising the question of Tara Iti vs. Cape Wickham.  To be sure, there is a very impressive group of courses that have opened in 2014-today.  I have seen the following superb tracks in this “class” (listed alphabetically):

            --Bluffs at Ho Tram, Vietnam

            --Dismal River (Doak), USA

            --Cape Wickham, Australia

            --Tara Iti, New Zealand

and…I won’t see Cabot Cliffs until this summer!!  No question that this is the New Golden Age of Golf Architecture…with one common theme throughout the great new courses built the past 20 years…built it anywhere and “they” will come.  Because of the high cost of land, anywhere ends up no longer being in the suburbs of cities like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Melbourne, etc etc.  Anywhere is now:

--the Nebraska Sandhills,

--high cliffs overlooking the Pacific in Oregon,

--Northeastern Colorado

--the Pacific coast of the North Island of New Zealand

--Bridport, Tasmania, Australia

--Hainan Island, China

--Cape Briton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

--King Island, Tasmania, Australia.

End of speech…if you are fortunate enough to have the time, access, and $$...go see some of these places…they are simply something to behold…and all of them are firm and fast (most are pure fescue), returning the game to its roots and making it fun again (guess it wasn’t “end of speech”).

Ocean Dunes GC, February 28, 2016: Located about 3 miles from the King Island airport and 25 miles from Cape Wickham (on King Island’s west coast) Australian golf architect Graeme Grant has designed this course encompassing 285 acres and stretching to about 7050 yards from the tips.

This is a fabulous piece of land, with sweeping views of the coast line.  The course is set with the front nine in a loop south of the clubhouse location, and the back nine in a loop north of the clubhouse location.  The front nine was open has been open for play for the past couple of months and the back nine is about to open (at least part of it).  I played with Hong Seh Lim of CA who followed me as #26 on the list of folks who have completed a Golf Mag World Top 100.  Hong Seh is a member of ISAGS and the Outpost Club and was on an Outpost trip and then going on to the ISAGS event in Brisbane.  I very much enjoyed meeting him…we have been corresponding by email for about 16 months or so.  I played only 10 holes and Hong Seh went on to play about 14…I had to pick up Pat so that we could get in another round at Cape Wickham (my third and Pat’s second) that afternoon. 

OD #2 second shot...short par 4...very wide green and mound/bunker left protects blind shot to left half of green, forcing player to flirt with right side of fairway (and beach) off tee.  This is best hole on front 9.

Ocean Dunes is at least 6 months behind Cape Wickham in terms of condition, but even adjusting for its earlier state, I do not think it will be an equal to CW…but in terms of “two courses make a destination” (as per Mike Keiser) it will definitely enhance King Island.  Problem is, IMHO, the fairways are too narrow and the course is too tough and punishing…as opposed to the “fun” aspects of CW.   Time will tell as lots of work remains to be done (and I only played 10).

That evening it was back on to a puddle jumper from King Island to the northern coast of the island of Tasmania.  We landed at Launceston, had dinner in town, and then arrived at Barnbougles around 10:30pm…greeted by Roscoe Banks, the indefatigable Head Pro at Lost Farm whom we met four years earlier.  Looking forward to this return to booth Lost Farm (a Coore Crenshaw) and Dunes (a Doak).