The year seemed to move along at a steady pace, even with a few lock downs. However there was an opportunity to make a couple of golf trips interstate. This allowed a revisit to Barnbougle (Tasmania) and Lake Karrinyup C.C. (Western Australia).
I don’t know why it had taken so long to return to WA’s number one course, ten years between visits, which was where the top 100 adventure started. There will definitely not be a ten year gap before the next visit. The course rolls through the hills on the property, with a few blind shots, however is a joy to play.
James, Menekse and myself at Lost Farm
The Barnbougle trip saw a chance encounter with PutteringAroundTheWorld James and Menekse. They had started an adventure to travel the World, playing golf along the way. Staying in Australia for most of the lock down periods, they did manage to venture around quite a bit of Australia in their camper van, Putu, a temporary home for two years. We managed to have a game at Lost Farm (Tasmania) and Royal Park GC (Melbourne), which was a lot of fun. They have now returned to Germany, but I hope to run into them again one day.
Whilst at Barnbougle, there was also an opportunity to view Bougle Run. This is a fourteen hole short course, designed by Bill Coore. This is yet to open due to a seed contamination issue, which saw four greens have to be resowed, but after my initial wander around the course, I look forward to playing in one of my future visits.
There were a few first time course visits:
- Sandy Golf Links – public course neighbouring Royal Melbourne, which has undergone a redesign by OCM. Well worth the visit if you cannot manage to get onto one of the more renown courses in the area
- Curlewis GC – another OCM redesigned course but on the Bellarine Peninsula
- Lonsdale Links – again on the Bellarine Peninsula and redesigned by OCM. This course pays tribute to the Golden Age architects with many template holes and features of design from the early twentieth century
Hole 17 at Curlewis Golf Club
Playing at Curlewis GC saw the completion of Golf Australia Magazines Top 100 lists for 2014 and 2016. I think this would put me in a unique position having played both of Australia’s major magazine Top 100 lists. Only Brendan James, editor of Golf Australia Magazine, would be the only other person likely to have done this. I will say it wasn’t quite the same exhilaration as completing my first Top 100 list at Cape Wickham, but has re-inspired me to complete further local lists.
This year will see the release of the latest top 100 lists from both major golf magazines, but hopefully we can look forward to a less eventful 2022.
