Blog 275 – Southern

Nomadic_golfer : December 2023 – Southern Golf Club, Vic review

Par 72, 6265m slope 138 (Blue) $85

4 par3s 129-170m, 10 par4s 313-411m, 4 par5s 475-515m

This Sam Berriman design of the late 1930’s was home to the late, great Bob Shearer and is 5 minutes away from my home of 20 years, in the heart of Melbourne’s sandbelt. The original layout required a crossing of the very busy Lower Dandenong Rd, so a new nine designed by Thomson & Wolveridge opened in 1979 after swapping the land across the road (which now houses the Spring Park nine-hole public course) for another parcel on the southern side.

The holes on the new nine ventured away from the traditional Sandbelt look and feel of the existing nine. Thomson created lots of mounds, put in pot bunkers and all the greens were elevated, many with multiple tiers. There is now a push to ensure the newer 9 blends in better with the original holes and has more of a traditional sandbelt look and feel. They have engaged OCM to help achieve this, establishing a masterplan a few years ago, with work commencing last year (they were working on 3, 4 & 5 on our visit).

I was lucky enough to get an invitation from the local member, Marathon-running, Dulux stalwart in Hilton Kahlberg and we had a great day out. In looking at the current (late 2023) layout, the back 9 is definitely the stronger and the 4s on the back 9 are the memorable part of the course for me: 10 (380m with a generous fairway but need to avoid being cut off down the left before a mid-iron to a relatively narrow redan-shaped green in front of Lower Dandenong Rd); 13 &14 are both very tough and around the 400m mark, with 13 turning left to right off a reverse camber over a hill to a magnificent elevated green complex which is well bunkered and breaks a lot, while 14 also involves a drive over a hill to a very narrow fairway with tree trouble both sides (thicker than other parts of the course) before rising uphill for the last 100m to a very slopey, well protected green); and 15 (312m hard right to left that tempts the big hitters with a high draw, but has a very narrow opening to an elevated green which is narrow its entire length and has deep bunkers either side.

All the 5s give you a bit of a chance with 11 and 17 being the best, offering some risk/ reward on the 2nd. My favourite is 17, with a drive that looks tighter than what it is, with Springvale Rd representing OB on your left but there is more room right than you think. The 2nd shot needs to negotiate a large gum in the middle of the fairway 100m out before being greeted by a tricky, elevated and sloped green, dangerously close to trees left. It is full of features down its entire length.

On the front, there is a bit of water with the 2 short 4s featuring it prominently (324m 5th with water both sides and bunkers all the way down the left) and (299m 8th with water all down the right side and the left side bail-out protected by thicker rough and pots).

The couch fairways and bent greens were in very good nick on this December visit. Overall, an enjoyable track with some acknowledged room for improvement on what is now the front nine that the club is addressing and I can’t wait to see the outcome.