
The unique stone-walled grass bunker on the par3 3rd
Course 50 for 2021 – Lucindale CC, SA
Beautiful setting out of town, with excellent greens & some innovation
Nomadic_golfer : October 2021
Par 72, 5942m, slope 117, $25 green fee
3 par3s 131-185m, 12 par4s 314-402m, 3 par5s 449-464m
The vibe/ atmosphere around Lucindale Country Club is fantastic. Located 4kms out of this SE farming community town of 500 people, 350km SE of Adelaide, the golf course is on the same property as the town’s beautifully maintained tennis courts. And like my old home town of Barmera, its fantastic to play golf next to tennis courts full of kids on a Saturday morning.
The course is on a beautiful farm setting amongst a lovely mix of medium and tall established gums, with a few rows of pines, rolling terrain, sandy/ loamy base, a few bunkers and a few other innovative features to fill that gap. A sunken grass bunker surrounded by a 1 foot high stone wall on the pretty 131m par 3 3rd is the most unique; I love it. I really enjoy a course that sits seemlessly amongst it’s surrounds, and this does it to a tee.
Excellent bentgrass green surfaces are a credit to the lone greenkeeper who looks after the grass tennis courts as well. The greens are very true, receptive and a nice pace, while the santa anna fairways are good also.
The start is very pretty: the left to right 357m 2nd turning downhill at about 200m, then back up to an elevated green; the par 3 3rd (per above); and another severe left to right short 4 of 314m, the 4th, which gives many options off the tee and the prettiest little downhill approach flanked by gums to a green protected by a short right bunker. The par 5 6th might be my favourite; 464m slightly downhill off the tee, turning uphill and marginally right with a row of huge pines and OB right, and the green tucked a little further right (accompanied just over the fence by a large number of sheep and young lambs on my visit).
Overall, it is such a tranquil and pretty place to play golf, and although the par 4s don’t have a heap of variety in length (11 of the 12 par 4s between 315m and 360m) and 5 of the first 7 holes go left to right, this Lucindale Country Club is a great place to visit. You can camp-up here too, they have some lovely grassed, powered camp sites on the property.
Footnote: as a cold-calling first time visitor, I don’t think I have ever had greater hospitality, initiated by the Mens & Ladies Presidents in Kevin & Jackie Baker. Kevin even walked 7 holes with me and gave me a few reads on the putts before his round!!
Below: 2 views of the left to right 357m 2nd
Pitch to 314m 4th Approach to 348m 5th From right on 5
Narrow 2-tiered 7th green Track to 8 End of the track
Approach to 346m 8th Saturday morning tennis
Approaching the 449m 10th 10th green
402m par 4 11th Storm brewing on 14 163m 16th