Blog 194 – Orford

Nomadic_golfer : February 2022

Par 70, 5383m, slope 119, $20 green fee

4 par3s 124-157m, 12 par4s 268-351m, 2 par5s 446-476m

The Orford course was established in 1957, is set across the road from Prosser Bay, with many views of the water and of Maria Island in this holiday/ fishing hotspot, 2/3 of the way down the East Coast of Tassie, 1 hour NE of Hobart. The layout starts and ends at sea level (1, 2, 8 & 9), with the middle 5 holes slightly higher on moderately undulating country.

The course is neat and pretty, it is quite tight and short. Defences include bunkers on most greens and a couple of the fairway variety, a creek and a dam as water hazards, numerous green-side grassy mounds, with many different types of medium-sized trees (more pines than gums, some poplars and blackwoods).

The bentgrass green surfaces were small to medium in size, nothing out of the ordinary in shape, in good condition, very true, and of good pace. The predominantly rye fairways were not quite as consistent. A couple (1 and 9) appeared as though they had recently been re-seeded but may be a result of recent flooding. Condition was better on those higher-lying middle holes.

The parkland course layout doesn’t have too many quirks, with the differentiated features that were memorable for me being; the 300m 4th (the highlight here is the approach and green complex, with the last 100m downhill and bending slightly right around a large pine, to a small green with 2 bunkers right, a bunker and grass mounds left and a creek that runs across the back from the left side); 5 (350m par4 with the tee shot over the creek that wraps around the back of 4, the hole sweeps right for it’s entirety around a large dam 10-20m right of the fairway, with trees lining both sides. Any attempt to shorten the hole brings the dam in play, while a downhill approach to a green that slopes away from you, means you do need to play your 2nd shot from the tight fairway here); and 7 (150m downhill par 3 to a narrow green with bunkers each side, green sloping to the right and the prevailing sea breeze pushing right also, making it a tough green to hit and hold. This is particularly true from the eastern-most 16th tee.)

Overall, this is a neat little track that is popular with locals and tourists alike (it is situated next door to the Tourist Park). Everything is pretty solid for a 9 hole country course: condition (apart from some temporary issues), layout, aesthetic, and a smattering of memorable features