Course 16 for 2024 & 384 all-up: Omeo GC, Vic
The business end of the short par4 1st, steep downhill
Nomadic_golfer : February 2024 – Omeo Golf Club, Vic review
9 holes Par 35 , 2748m, Slope 118 $20
9 holes – 2 par3s 115 & 185m, 6 par4s 263-400m, 1 par5 432m
Golf isn’t necessarily the first thing you think of in Omeo, on the Great Alpine Rd, coming down off Mount Hotham to the East. Despite a population of less than 500, it still has a different/ romantic vibe about it with its Alpine location and rich gold-related history.
After driving the caravan over the top of the mountain in the morning, I still had some adrenaline pumping after setting up in the magnificent, sprawling Omeo Caravan Park. A twilight comp was just what the doctor ordered. And I loved this quirky little 9-hole track, that local ski guru and Canadian expat Carter Bloom, hosted me on. They play the twilight comp on the short course that misses the 2 hilly holes in 2 and 3, yet play the 2 longest 4s in 8 & 9 twice, to make up the 9. Those 2 are both very solid holes at 400 (tight tree line fairway & small green) and 370m straight-away but sloping left to right fairway with a ridge, then a semi-blind approach to a green that runs away from you and downhill to the right and you can only see the pin.
Those holes are solid, but the 3 holes that grab you are: 1 (272m, severe dogleg left to right, where the second shot is steeply downhill. There is a completely blind 3 wood/ driver option at the green, aiming 45 degrees right from the tee and it is very reachable at circa 260m downhill – it is as fun a hole as you would find); 4 (185m par3 from an extremely high elevated tee where you walk back up a dirt track and hit over your buggy between trees downhill into the prevailing wind to a small elevated green. It is no. 1 on the index for a reason); and 7 (115m par 3 that is just about all water carry, to a green sloping away from you and down to the right). The 6th is another short 4 with some character – at a straight 260m it seems simple but the green sits in a little enclave where anything that is the right distance but not straight will meet with trouble (especially left).
Overall, this is a fun little, volunteer-run 9 hole course that won’t be the best conditioned track you’ll ever play but you will appreciate some good design, some super-fun holes with views and a group of really good people.
