Blog 157 – Burnie

Nomadic_golfer : November 2021

Par 72, 5966m, slope 121, $20 green fee (9 hole course)

4 par3s 120-166m, 10 par4s 309-369m, 4 par5s 493-539m

Neat 9-holer in the industrial outskirts of Burnie, set on hilly country with a red sand/ clay base, lush and well grassed fairways consisting of some kikuyu and some naturally appearing grasses. Greens are medium sized, receptive, true, medium paced and looked like poa.

There are some large gums about the place, tending to be in rows separating fairways, while there are bunkers on 4 or 5 holes. The course does play shorter than the measured 6000m as the par 5s are long (between 493 and 539m) and the longest 4 is only 369m. Hold on early as 4 of the first 5 holes have OB on the left.

The par5 3rd is a sensational hole and stood out to me both from a golf viewpoint and aesthetically. It might make my favourite 18 for 2021. 524m (3rd) or 539m (12th) bordered down the left by a forest (OB), the hole starts slightly downhill off the tee before moving right around a very large gum and has you playing a blind second over a crest before the last 100m goes steeply downhill to a green set diagonally from front left with bunkers both sides and the forrest as a backdrop. That view into the green is spectacular.

The first couple of 4s are a little bland, both par3s are steeply uphill and you can’t see the surface. The right-to-left 5th (320/340m) is a good little risk/ reward, downhill between a tight chute, where a slinging hook would get you pretty close. 8 is the strongest 4 at 361/ 369m left to right, slightly downhill while the last is the prettiest of the 4s; steep downhill off the tee, with the clubhouse in the background, turning right and steeply uphill to the green.

Overall, it’s a well maintained tidy track that will test you aerobically and for club choice with the elevation changes. A couple of very pretty holes to leave a stamp in your memory also. Still scratching my head at Ulverstone’s slope rating, Burnie is rated harder.

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