Course no.3 – Dunkeld, Vic
I would classify this as a hidden gem, if you accept the fact you are playing on black scrapes. Located at the foot of Mt Sturgeon, at the southern edge of The Grampians, the views are tremendous. Being very dry in January, you don’t expect much from this course, but it has fantastic variety in the make up of the 18 holes, utilising the undulations well and demanding you shape the ball both ways…..
Nomadic_golfer : January 2020
Par 70, 5457m, slope 109, $15 green fee
4 par 3s from 116 – 142m, 12 par 4s from 291 – 386m, 2 par 5s of 407 & 426m
This is something different, short and very dry in the summer but its “Aussieness” and variety make it a lot of fun. It’s a little gem, despite the black scrapes; a great layout with heaps of interesting holes that use the hilly terrain very well. The par 3s are fantastic, mostly surrounded by trees, requiring pinpoint accuracy and demanding you play a particular shaped shot. The par 4’s are full of risk and reward, with dog legs of all shapes and sizes which asks many questions off the tees. It’s definitely not a case of just blindly picking driver on every tee. The 407m par 5, 2nd hole intrigued me; seems very short on paper but the steep climb has it playing way beyond its yardage and the climb will double as a heart test.
Locals are proud of the track and there are a few characters about. I met Clive who was practicing hitting high wedges to the 18th scrape as I finished my round. I asked him why he was working on that particular shot and he told me it was only in case he travels to play at Hamilton, down the road.
I loved the experience & would play again (probably outside of Summer, where there is more brown than green).
