Blog 49 – Mullumbimby

Nomadic_golfer : July 2020

Par 70, 5681m, slope 126, green fee $30

5 par 3s from 129 – 194m, 10 par 4s from 274 – 378, 3 par 5s from 468 – 501m

From the mid-north coast, we spent a couple of hours towing the van to Stony Chute, and stayed at a gorgeous little property owned by my wife’s sister and her husband. It is a slopey 15 acres, sub-tropical and so peaceful, and it is 10 minutes out of Nimbin. My first round from this base was at the hipster capital of Australia, Mullumbimby (known locally as “Mullum”). It is promoted as the low-key little brother to Byron Bay.

Course is dead flat and in July was quite wet and muddy. Fairways are a mixture of broad and thin leaf grasses including some kikuyu. They were quite well grassed wthout a heap of definition between fairway and rough. Greens look like the 328 Bermuda and dormant in winter. Some water hazards present but they generally don’t encroach too far and there are a number of bunkers, while medium sized tree lined fairways have little or no growth/ rough underneath so missing fairways doesn’t get overly punished on most holes.

5 par 3s and 3 par 5s gives a par of 70. The layout is quite varied, despite the dead flat terrain and uses most of the clubs in the bag. My favourite holes were: 5 (130m to a very small green with bunkers right and 2 large trees just short and left, requiring a draw or at least holding one up); 15 (very unusual right to left par 4 with water and small trees the entire width of the fairway starting from about 235m on the left and 250m on right. Fairway opens way up on right so can hit it way right to be ultra-safe but makes for long 2nd shot. Shortest, and most dangerous route, is left-side); and 18 (very strong 380m finishing hole bending right to left with large trees on the inside of the dogleg).

As per Kempsey & SWR, this is not an overly tough track and is a very easy walk. This has also been the first course I have encountered on my trip with “tropical” signs, with the broad leaf grasses through the green.

And on this particular, still Sunday morning, I was joined by a number of air balloons. Quite a sight landing in the paddock next to me.