Blog 89 – Gold Creek

Nomadic_golfer : December 2020

Par 72, 6217m, slope 128, green fee $50

4 par 3s from 122-171m, 10 par 4s from 312-404m, 4 par 5s from 460-522m

We arrived back in Coolac (after 3 months here March-June) for another stint at Coolac Cabins & Camping. A 2 day trip to Canberra beckoned for 4 courses and I was hosted by the unbelievably hospitable Mark & Lynda Remmers in Googong. First up was the Bruce Devlin designed Gold Creek, opened in 1996, 15 minutes north of the city centre of Canberra.

They had just had club champs, bent greens were very good, quite fast but very receptive. Medium to large in size, with a number of narrow greens which suit design (eg. 14 & 16 both 5s on the back). Transcontinental Bermuda Couch fairways and pretty good, preferred lie for some reason; perhaps a bit wet in bottom part of course, first few holes. Plenty of well placed bunkering. Water hazards and lots of medium sized gums with placement well thought out in construction of holes; some sides of fairways definitely better to miss than others.

It is a challenging course, with some length, especially the back 9. A little bit of run in fairways so doesn’t seem to play so long and soft around green surrounds makes missing greens not as penal as a sand belt course. Fairways quite wide.

Front nine is solid; best holes: par 5, 3rd and the two par 3s (5 is 171m with mounds on the left that can keep the ball on or around the green, a bunker front right makes the front pin position hardest, 7 is short with water right and long and a step down to a little back tier that really brings water into play.

Back nine is a brute; the 5 par4s are really tough; 4 of them 390 or longer and the 13th at 370 is the hardest on the index. My favourites are: 11 (390 with a straight, flat tee shot between 2 rocky outcrops, then downhill and 45 degrees right to a green that sits diagonally front left to back right with a long bunker right; need tee shot down left side); and 13 (again a straight flat outlook for the tee shot then turns uphill and right 45 degrees to a big green with a false front and 2 tiers; coming up short can result in the ball coming 30-40 metres back at you.

Overall, a good layout in good condition with excellent greens: well worth a round and a very good test of golf. Hosted the Australian Seniors Champs in the 90s, won by Lee Trevino.