Blog 160 – Stanley

Nomadic_golfer : November 2021

Par 66, 4652m, slope 100, $20 green fee (9 hole course)

8 par3s 104-186m, 8 par4s 267-380m, 2 par5s 423m

This 9 hole course that hosts ‘The Nut Cup’ is blessed with an idealic seaside setting in the far NW Tassie town of Stanley, in the shadow of an old vocanic mountain called “The Nut”. The course looks like it could be in the UK, with lots of the old country’s links characteristics evident: rolling, tight-knit fairways amongst sandhills; low-lying bushes; a sparse population of trees; with a few pot bunkers to complete the authentic seaside experience. As well as that seaside charm, it has a classic old ‘holes out and holes back in’ routing (even if it is only 9 holes), on a thin tract of land overlooking Bass Strait.

Naturally occurring cool climate grasses adorn the fairways which were in nice condition and the greens are Pentcross Bent. Greens were in ok nick, and appear to have had a light sand/ scarify recently. There is only 1 set of tees so it’s the same holes twice, of which there are 4 par 3s and 1 par5 in the 9. This results in a very short course, but when that wind is up, it’s no snack

There are a couple of ripping holes here: the 3rd (an unusual 350m into the prevailing breeze, slightly right to left off the tee, straightens all the way to pin high, then has a green tucked left about 50m behind a couple of big pines. The tee shot must be down the right side of the fairway to get a shot at it, and they have fairway bunkers if you go too far right. Excellent strategic hole and something a bit different), and 4th (130m, still on the tract out, with a row of tall pines down the left which intrude into your line meaning a dead straight or right to left shot is required depending on tee and pin positions, to a small green that drops away behind and left with OB over the back).

But there is one hole that stands out here. Being very fond of high risk/ reward short par4s, I fell deeply in love with the 6th. It reminds me a little of 3 at Royal Adelaide. Only 267m & assisted by the prevailing breeze, it’s a gentle left to right with large pines on the line to the green, requiring a cut around or a bomb over them. The locals have done a great job in managing grass lengths to ensure it plays how it should. The pines are surrounded by thick, 2 foot high rough so missing down the right will likely result in a reload. The green is in a little bowl, shapes diagonally from front left and the surrounds have been grown long, so if you miss it green-high, you are faced with a very difficult chip/ pitch just to find the green. You need a really definitive plan off the tee here and its one of those holes where you can make a real easy 3 or a just as easy 8!!

Overall, this is a little charmer where degree of difficulty is directly linked to weather conditions, as per all seaside courses. Condition is fine and has those coastal elements that make you want to mutter in Scottish rhotic. It’s short and par is only 66 but don’t let that put you off, this is good golf stuff

_{^{Above & Below: The unusual 344m 3rd, with green tucked left behind a couple of big pines}}