Course 84, Dubbo, NSW
Ditto after Tamworth; solid parklands course, with super greens
Nomadic_golfer : October 2020
Par 71, 5953m, slope 124, green fee $36
5 par 3s from 125-170m, 9 par 4s from 316-399m, 4 par 5s from 437-462m
A quick stop at Dubbo, too quick to go to the zoo but there long enough to sample the golf course. I found a course very similar in attributes and quality to Tamworth, parklands style and superb greens. There are 27 holes with the last 9 holes added in the late 90’s
Everything here is BIG; clubhouse, practice green, carpark. Greens are the highlight – large, bent and great grass coverage. Downpour in the lead up so slower than normal, look like they would get quite quick, without having massive slopes. Kikuyu fairways and tees in good condition too, despite downpour. Lots of local members out helping with some repair work the day I played.
The layout is not ‘over-treed’, Mike Clayton would be happy, predominantly native eucalypts and cyprus trees and that red dirt bare lie is part of the price you pay if you miss fairways wide! The course is well bunkered, and has a number of water hazards. A number of greens have bunkers either side of greens that narrow at that point, giving rise to the toughest pin positions – most of these at the front (good examples are 4, 8 and 10).
I played holes 1-18, which is the original course, established in 1921. The first 9 was the highlight for me, ~3000m with some challenging holes and character, no water but well bunkered and well treed and not necessarily any signature holes, they are all solid. The pick of the holes for me were: 4 (400m, left to right, fairway narrowing at driving length and green bunkered both sides, short ); and 8 (180m slight downhill par 3 with twin bunkers short left and right and severely undulating between these pots). Holes 10-18 have a slightly different feel, especially 12-15 which are played around a trio of dams. These are aesthetically weaker than the rest of the course but represent some good, tough holes. The pick are: 12 (reachable par 5 of 460m that bends slightly right to left around these dams and protects the right bail out, as well as having short bunkers left and right and a 2 tiered green); and 13 (390m par 4, basically straight with OB left and large trees right, no water on this one but a very ‘honest’ hole and good 4). Unusual finish with a long 180m uphill par 3 that is very well bunkered.
Overall, a very nice country track; fantastic condition (not quite Murray Downs-esque but next tier); a pretty good layout; plenty of space; and no elephants buried in the greens.
