Blog 303 – Tamborine Mountain

Nomadic_golfer : December 2024 – Tamborine Mountain, Qld, review

9 holes Par 72 5278m Slope 114 $30

5 par3s 118 – 194m, 8 par4s 206 – 383m, 5 par5s 407 – 490m

As you would expect from a golf course in a place called Tamborine Mountain (an hour inland from Qld’s Gold Coast), there are a lot of elevation changes on this track. Combine this with a total of only 5300 metres, a number of ‘half-par’ length holes, and some small and creatively shaped greens and you have a recipe for fun golf. Not so much in the form of scary risks but plenty of upsides in rewards should you make some pure strikes with adventurous clubs and lines.

With the recent heavy rains in the area, everything was boggy so missed greens weren’t penalised much as the ball wouldn’t run down the slopes and the greens were very, very receptive. Some firm and fast conditions here would be a totally different ball game. The greens are bentgrass and were in good enough condition, while the fairways had some kikuyu and some natural, local broad-leaf grasses.

One -man band, Kiwi-bred Super Graeme Andrews has been in charge here for about 3 years and was recently bestowed with a Superintendents Achievement Award. Its obvious from his output, that he loves his job. He credits a willing team of volunteers for being able to achieve what they have. The clay-based soil gets pretty sticky in the wet, and I’m sure there’s much activity on the ground once the rain stops!!

Hilly 9-hole tracks can often present some weird and wonderful (read ‘quirky’) outcomes and while you get that general sense around here, its not so much that there are obvious quirks, its more about the green compositions at the end of the elevation changes that bring about that vibe. And that is what makes it fun.

The par5 first is a great reflection of what Tamborine Mountain is all about – a 500m par5, quite severely downhill for the first ~400m where it comes upon a water hazard that breaches 75% of the fairway’s width before it climbs back up the last 80-100m to a long and very shallow green, diagonally positioned from short right to long left with drop-offs short and banks long.

The small green complex on the 125m 5th (ground tilting down to the right, bunker left and drop off right) and the downhill left to right 6th/ 15th that plays as a 160m par3 and a 240m par4 respectively with a tiered green, are two other design highlights.

Within the 18 hole configuration, a 410m par5, 5 par4s under 300m, and a couple of par3s that effectively play ~200m all represent these ‘half-par’ holes that I think get the adrenaline pumping and the eyes widening.

Overall, this detour from the Gold Coast will get you something completely different – a fun little layout, a good aerobic workout, some great views and a chance to make some birdies if you are on your game