Blog 169 – Bicheno

Nomadic_golfer : December 2021

Par 71, 5762m, slope 111, $20 green fee (9-hole course)

4 par3s 126-195m, 11 par4s 241-334m, 3 par5s 425-455m

Set between the mountains of Douglas-Apsley National Park and the Tasman Sea, this 9-holer 5 minutes out of the surfing town of Bicheno, half-way up the East Coast of Tassie, is probably in the best condition of all the 9-holers I’ve played so far. The fairways are a native, naturally occurring rye, with some splashes of kikuyu and were in very good order, while the small bentgrass greens were fantastic, and a good speed.

You can constantly hear the ocean, but you don’t get to see it. You do, however, get plenty of views of the tree-clad mountains from across the road. The course itself is nice, but there are no quirks and not many differentiating features from hole to hole. The land is flat, with just some gradual, gentle elevation changes on course, fairways are tree-lined with small to medium trees (7 & 9 have very thick trees and growth down one side), most greens have a slight elevation (<1m at the back), there are no bunkers, and the only real hazards are a couple of out of bounds fences. The course’s main defence is probably the size and pace of the greens, while the wind would definitely make things tougher than it was on this calm, summer morning.

The two holes with character are the par 5’s: 7 (425m right to left off the tee around a heavily treed corner, snaking back to the right for your 2nd); and 9/ 18 (450m right to left off the tee with a very enticing inside corner full of trees and low-lying bushes, and an OB fence. I’m tipping a pull/ hook off the tee here has wrecked many a good card).

Overall, my memories here will be of the beautiful surfaces, the views across the road and the sound of the ocean.