Course 77, Nambucca Heads, NSW
It’s on it’s own island
Nomadic_golfer : October 2020
Par 69, 5281m, slope 125, green fee $30
6 par 3s from 120-175m, 9 par 4s from 283-385m, 3 par 5s from 459-489m
Credit Nambucca Heads GC for the picture; it’s the front of their card
The 4th course from our Mylestom base was on the island at Nambucca Heads.
This is an unsual golfing experience. Firstly the golf course takes up a whole island, that’s unique!. Secondly, the layout is average but it does have a couple of excellent holes and thirdly, the condition around the course varied significantly. The bent greens are quite small but they are the best conditioned surface in the area (yes, better than Coffs, Bonville etc), fairways are mostly couch and some in great nick, some pretty ordinary (1st & 9th for eg). Rough and surrounds are kikuyu and the surrounds are pretty good. The tees are a mixture and in very ordinary condition.
There is water everywhere here, not just the boundaries, and I think there is some sort of water in play on every hole. Apart from the water, there is some bunkering but the other penalties for missing fairways are not harsh, trees aren’t that thick. The first two holes have water immediately left of the fairways and are a good strong start at 354m and 477m, though the bail out right is not harshly penalised. Best of the rest on the front 9 is the 175m par 3 7th with water well left, a greenside bunker left and an unusually shaped green that has some good left pin positions to bring those features into play. 9 is a good par 4 of 374m that turns gently left off the tee then snakes its way north, with water on the left for the entire hole. 13 maybe the signature hole; 123m with the main water as backdrop, a water carry of 90m and a very large bunker short right. The best hole on the course is 16: 385m with the main water on the left, slight right to left off the tee and a water hazard from about 220m on the right, say 20m from the fairway, and a slightly raised green; tough and interesting hole.
Overall, its a favourable experience with aesthetics ranking above pure golf. I couldn’t understand the slope rating of 125 though, its not that difficult despite the water; there are plenty of bail outs, soft green surrounds and pure greens.
