Course no. 25, Mallacoota, Vic
They copped the worst of last summer’s fires and had managed to open the front 9 in early March. I was blown away by the contrast of colours against the background of the blackened trees; the whites of the sand, the greens of the grass and the blues of the sky and sea.
Nomadic_golfer : March 2020
Par 72, 5807m, slope 120 , green fee $25
Front 9: 2 par 3s 140 & 170m, 5 par 4s from 339 – 403m, 2 par 5s 435 & 474m
Mallacoota golfers fighting back
In mid March, I played my last round in Gippsland at Mallacoota. This was only 11 weeks after the town was the centre of the nation’s focus as devastating bushfires tore through the town. These fires ripped the golf course apart and severely damaged the irrigation system. As at this March date, the locals had managed to get the front 9 fit for play and I believe the full 18 opened in April.
There were reminders of the fire with you on every hole; mostly charred trees, roos hopping through empty bushland and greens in various stages of recovery, while the kikuyu fairways had already recovered well. One lasting memory for me is the brilliant contrast of colours against the background of blackened trees: the white of the sand, the green of the grass and the blue of the skies & sea.
The front 9 of 3075m par 36 is a very interesting layout on nicely undulating ground, providing a good test of golf with 3 par 4s over 375m and views of the beach and sea. The fairways are generally quite wide, but framed by thick rows of trees.
My favourite holes on this front 9 are: 3 (uphill 140m over a hollow, running parallel to the beach which is in view); and 8 (400m par 4, downhill off the tee but rises steeply from about 200m to 250m, then falls and rises again to the green, turning 45 degrees right. A lack of trees on the inside corner gives some margin for error on this visually exciting hole).
A number of clubs around the nation have helped raised funds for the recovery, and it’s great to see the locals haven’t lost their sense of humour (final photo).
