Blog 197 – Quamby Estate

Nomadic_golfer : March 2022

Par 74, 6008m, slope 127, $25 green fee

4 par3s 144-184m, 8 par4s 265-409m, 6 par5s 415-552m

The golf course is set within a beautiful old estate, which is a splendid mix of old and meticulously maintained. I can safely say that it is the only one of it’s kind in Tassie, reflective of an old English manor and grounds. It is a thing of beauty, and of large proportions, with plenty of wow factor, among farms, on mildly undulating terrain, 25 minutes from Launceston. The only other course I’ve played on an “Estate” is the Nicklaus designed Mt Juliet Estate, where Lucas Herbert won the Irish Open last year, and this place shares many attributes with it’s Irish cousin.

It ticks all the boxes. The aesthetic is the highlight, the layout is very good and the condition was fantastic. My only knock is that it’s a pity there are only 9 holes, as each one here has some individual flair and is distinctly different from it’s 8 comrades. Characterised by generous fairways, multiple varieties of trees (typically large), lots of water hazards with streams, dams & ponds, very large & prominent bunkering, and large, true greens, you are taken to another place once you step on the first tee here.

The whole place is spectacular, but the 2 things that blew my mind were: 1. the 410m 4th hole (over a stream and a bridge, through a valley to a crest on the tee shot, then through another valley to an elevated green, with thick stuff all the way down the left, big fairway bunker and water hazard right and another big bunker short & left of the green. It is a beast and it looks like a postcard from the tee) ; and 2. the green complex on the short par5 6th (see my multiple photos). It is a very interesting hole, the very wide fairway with blind 2nd shot on such a short par5, had me very suspicious of what lay ahead. My gut was right!!

My blogmate @golfingaroundoz (Owen) will wonder where the willow-framed, water-carry 150m par 3 2nd is on that list, as it is has some serious wow too, but it only gets a minor placing behind those 2 in my book.

Those large, true greens are Pentcross bent and the fairways are ‘Quamby blend’, which includes rye, fescue, poa (wintergrass) & summergrass.

There are multiple other highlights within this photogenic layout and I now know why Owen played 4 rounds here: there are spectacular settings at every turn, combined with testing, interesting golf on this par74 (6 par5s and 4 par3s) layout. Some secret stuff goes on here too, as I believe there are only 4 people who are aware of the identity of the course designer, and I am not one of them!

Check out this magnificent place out at quambyestate.com.au