Course 71 for 2021 – Country Club Tasmania, Launceston
Approach to 352m 7th
A tough, Thomson Wolveridge design with lots of different elements
Nomadic_golfer : December 2021
Par 71, 6065m, slope 126, $45 green fee
6 par3s 152-178m, 7 par4s 318-397m, 5 par5s 477-512m
Built in 1982 by Wolveridge & Thomson, this is a resort course attached to Tassie’s second casino, with both links and parklands elements. It is quite exposed, has many & varied water hazards, great looking whispy stuff around the bunkers and long, dry rough in the summer. Beautiful medium to large sized bentgrass greens, while the generally wide fairways are pretty good too, with a bit of summer browning giving some lovely contrasts against the lush greens.
With mostly small trees of <10m, a smattering of big gums, 6 par 3’s and 5 par 5s, it a very interesting mix and provides a good ying & yang with the older Launceston GC track down the road (which has large, mature gums, and 12 par 4s). It really is a tale of 2 9’s here though. The 1st 9 is long (3240m), tough, easy on the eye, has excellent bunkering, heaps of water in play and lovely surrounds. The 2nd 9 has only 2 par 4s (4 3s and 3 5s) but is 400m shorter and doesn’t quite have the aesthetic appeal as the front, withe more houses and power lines in view.
I liked the 2 par 5s on the front: 4 (475m with water down the right requiring a 220m carry off the tee to take the most direct route to the green, which must negotiate some cross bunkers 60m out from the green); and 6 (500m,with lots of decisions to make. A creek cuts the fairway at about 250m (leaves about a 10m gap in the centre), then it narrows for the approach, with a grassy mound and bunker on the right 70m out, and trees & a closer fairway bunker on the left); and the par3 3rd (178m with water swallowing anything left and a couple of bunkers short & right to catch the bail out, played in front of a lovely background of old gums), and while the 370m 14th is overpowered with electricity towers and lines, I love the design of the hole. It has thick rough down the right side and a stream running down the left, cutting into the fairway at about 230m off the tee. The approach is uphill to an elevated green that slopes back towards you with bunkers across the front.
Overall, there is lots of variety (length, shape, surroundings) on offer here, plenty of challenge, good risk/ reward par 5s, lovely condition and an aesthetic that peaks with the yardage on the front 9.
