Course no. 53, Casino, NSW
Unpretentious, great variety with some really good risk/ reward choices on 4s and 5s.
Nomadic_golfer : July 2020
Par 70, 5648m, slope 131, green fee $20
5 par 3s from 118 – 195m, 10 par 4s from 256 – 409m, 3 par 5s from 449 – 500m
It’s still late July and another 1 hour trip from our Stony Chute base takes me to the self proclaimed beef capital of Australia, Casino. Population is about 10,000 people and it lies on the Richmond River.
The golf course is a fantastic little track with some character. Well treed without being overbearing; mostly medium sized pines and gums, and some large strategically placed gums. Generally medium sized Bermuda 328 greens, currently dormant but roll smoothly and very receptive. Fairways primarily kikuyu; some wide, some narrow.
Overall, a course with great variety; 3 long par 3’s on the front nine (174, 178, 194), 2 very short par 3’s on the back (118, 133). Some excellent short par 4s (1 – 289m, 11 – 256m, 16 – 319m) which, together with the 449m par 5 6th hole give real risk / reward decisions. My favourite holes are: 2 (379m par 4 bending slightly left with some protruding trees so keep down the right side); 4 (super 338m par 4 that looks wide off the tee but a copse of very tall gums short and right of the green require you to keep the teeshot left of centre); 6 (short 450m par 5 that bends slightly right, gives you some help via mounds with the teeshot, then has water on both sides short of the green to ensure you hit an honest 2nd if you attempt to go for it); and 16 (short 319m par 4 bending hard left with many teeshot options, including over large trees on the corner. Its downhill from the corner to the green, so the further you carry trees/ cut the corner, the harder it will run down the hill).
This is a fun track and will be appreciated by shot-makers. Basic things are done well with variety of hole shapes and lengths and green complexes; ie. those easier holes have smaller, severely sloping greens. A very enjoyable golfing experience, and the friendliest, most helpful pro (Lang) that I’ve come across to date, and there’s been plenty. I will be back.
