Course 11 for 2024 & 379 all-up: Albert Park Golf Course, Vic
The course has been here a while, apparently
Nomadic_golfer : January 2024 – Albert Park Golf Course, Vic review
Par 72, 5743m $45
5 par3s 121-191m, 8 par4s 276-376m, 5 par5s 416-489m
Melbourne’s Albert Park Golf Course occupies the ultimate city location, and as a result hosts thousands of rounds each year. Fairways are tree-lined but it doesn’t play very penal as they are typically single rows and pruned to ground level, so it plays quite open. The presentation is well suited for large public crowds with not many ball-losing opportunities unless they let the grass grow.
The location does give rise to a really different, but appealing, aesthetic with the city skyline as backdrop on a few holes. And the ability to hit a tee shot on to the very busy Queens Rd is something different too.
There is a very unusual hole sequence with a heap of the 3s and 5s in a row around the turn (4 par 5s and 3 par3s from 6 to 12). Unseasonal rain in January had conditions very lush – kikuyu predominant on fairways which had good cover and was very thick in the rough – there was next to no run. Greens had exceptional cover but were soft and not fast.
I only played the front 9 where the best 2 holes were: the 376m par 4 5th (dogleg right, before a short-mid iron that may need some shape depending on position of your drive between the trees, into an attractive green complex with bunkers on both sides); and the 141m par 3 8th (requiring a short-mid iron into the prevailing breeze to an elevated green with bunker short right and drop-offs on 3 sides).
The 3 par5s on the front are quite tame (but for a narrow stretch of fairway at drivable length if you want a chance to hit the 9th in 2) and with the softness of surrounds, scores would be very low if the Vic PGA was held there now. You almost need to wear a hard-hat (especially on a windy day) as many fairways run close to each other and there are lots of opportunities to get pole-axed.
This is far from the worst golfing experience; it meets the McKenzie mantra by not being daunting at all for the high-handicapper, but doesn’t quite hit the other part of his criteria by not increasing risk too much in seeking birdies. Even those short 5s don’t have penal outcomes for brave attempts with poor execution.
Overall, it is a layout that is very fit for its purpose, and one that every Melbournian should experience
