Blog 217 – Tully

Nomadic_golfer : September 2022

Par 71, 6036m, slope 108 $15

4 par3s 130-175m, 11 par4s 328-426m, 3 par5s 461-467m

This 9 hole track on flat land in the township of Tully actually has more to it than first meets the eye. Situated in Australia’s wettest town – it didn’t feel like it in late September, it is lush and green and I’m tipping would command a lot of mower-time.

Your arrival at the club is highlighted by a large, homely looking clubhouse with a cricket pitch/ oval out the back and a flat wide-open looking golf course. Once you unpeel it a little, you start finding some character. The wellington boots as tee markers give you some insight, then equivalent course features keep you interested; they have done a good job of getting the most out of their resources here. From the copse of trees that juts out from the right, 1/2 way across the fairway at driving distance on the 340/ 370m 1st, to the creek running across the 6th fairway, to the faux tiger tee on the par5 15th, the playing features are subtle and effective, while the little touches add to the experience.

Generally, fairways are wide and there is not too much punishment for missing the cut stuff, with plenty of bail-outs also, but there are a few areas of hazard, and well placed trees that keep you on your toes. Fairways are natural broad-leaf grasses and were in pretty good condition, while the greens, which were larger than you normally find in the country looked to have something like 328 Bermuda on the surface. They were quite good, but not overly fast, and pretty generically shaped apart from the long, narrow hour-glass shaped 5th which is a beauty.

My favourite hole was the 470m 4th/ 13th which has its 2 tees 50m apart, asking for a draw off one and a fade off the other. A creek snakes its way down the entire right side sheltered a little by thicker trees, while the green is tucked in closer to the creek and the tighter fairway results in you likely needing to shape your 2nd if you are having a crack at the green, and brings the creek into play. The 330m 5th is interesting too, driving over a creek, narrows as you get to the green so you have to hit the middle of the fairway; has thick rough down the right and that super, long and narrow green, with a beautiful mountain view as the backdrop. 7 at 130/ 138 across a dam is well designed too, a narrow-ish green with a bunker left to catch the bail-out for those afraid of H2O.

However, the most memorable hole is 8, which may be the toughest par4 in Qld. At 426m, trees down both sides of a fairway that narrows a little at driving length, to an elevated green tucked behind trees on the right with a creek that cuts across the fairway 10-15 metres short of the green, you’d take 4 every time.

Overall, this an enjoyable 9 hole course; it is lush, has some length and some interesting features. And don’t be fooled by first impressions, there is more trouble awaiting you than it appears.