Blog 59 – Ocean Shores

Nomadic_golfer : August 2020

Par 72, 6002m, slope 131, green fee $45

6 par 3s from 124 – 173m, 6 par 4s from 324 – 381m, 6 par 5s from 466 – 528m

We had a new Northern Rivers base at the very relaxed Tyalgum, with @reidie63gmailcom. This catered for a mid August trip to Ocean Shores, a town of 5k people which was only established in 1969 and is 20km north of Byron.

I love the unusual course composition of 6 par 3s, 6 x 4s, 6 x 5s with no two consecutive holes of the same par. It’s a very attractive course, designed by Bruce Devlin and opened in 1972. There is water on many holes with the back nine generally more heavily wooded and the scenery spectacular. Having said that, the approach to the par 5 first green (main photo x 2) sets the standard for the day, with water and sand against a backdrop of gums being magnificent.

The couch fairways were a little bit patchy with some dormancy at that time of year; while the large bent greens were as good as any in the region. The setting is of natural bushland and many gums, some lighter coloured varieties providing spectacular backdrops against the vivid green of the putting surfaces (see photos below).

The layout is fun; 3 of the 6 par 5s are well over 500m and true 3 shotters. From the white tees, the 4’s are probably the weakest with only 16 at 381 being a test for length; most of the other 4s are doglegs. The character of holes 9-11 impressed me; 9 (dead straight 527m par 5 with trees lining both sides of the fairway for the entire length of the hole before the last 100m rises to the green; a real contrast to the nuances and doglegs of the prior holes and a real honest test of hitting targets); 10 (my favourite hole aesthetically and strategically; 370m left to right from an elevated tee, which steps down at driver length and turns right to a spectacularly bunkered green set in an ampitheatre of trees); and 11 (strong 175m par 3 across water to a shallow green which puts the onus on club selection and strike).

An excellent golf experience, deserved of the Ausgolf 2019 ranking of 31 in NSW