EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS STEVE ELKINGTON & BEST-SELLING AUTHOR MATTHEW REILLY
IS TIGER WOODS’ CAREER COOKED? SEPTEMBER 2014 ISSUE #307
DUSTIN JOHNSON
SUSPENDED OR ON HOLIDAY? PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
RORY RULES A NEW ERA BEGINS
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WHY McILROY’S SWING KEEPS GETTING BETTER
IN A REGION OF QUEENSLAND BEST KNOWN FOR SEEMINGLY ENDLESS SUGAR CANE FIELDS, THERE ARE FIVE GOLF COURSES TO ENJOY WHEN YOU’RE NOT SPOTTING WHALES OR SIPPING SOME LIQUID GOLD. WORDS & COURSE PHOTOGRAPHY: BRENDAN JAMES t has been a dream of mine to visit Bundaberg for many years. My long love affair with the beautiful golden rum produced in the Central Queensland town is no secret among friends, family and a select few drinking establishments. When the opportunity arose to hit the Bruce Highway heading north out of Brisbane
following all signs to Bundaberg, I packed the clubs in the hope of mixing a little business and pleasure en route. While I knew what was waiting at the country’s most famous rum distillery, I was a little unsure of the golf courses I would encounter. Three hours into the drive from Brisbane Airport I rolled into Maryborough and the car
The beautiful par-3 9th hole at Maryborough Golf Club.
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park of Maryborough Golf Club. I had heard this layout was a hidden gem and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. The first really memorable hole is the 363-metre par-4 8th where a huge lake skirts the left edge of the fairway as it doglegs gradually from right to left. From the tee, you can hit your driver over the water and most players will be left with a mid- or short iron into the large green, which sits just beyond the edge of the lake and is surrounded by several bunkers. The next hole is not as daunting but it’s no less challenging. The 120-metre par-3 calls for a short iron approach over the edge of the aforementioned lake to a green that is perched above the water line and cut into the side of a hill. It is a long, narrow putting surface where the front pin position is close to playing three clubs shorter than it is for a back fl ag. Two bunkers right of the green add to the accuracy required here. I really enjoyed this area of the course but it was the closing trio of holes that I will remember as Maryborough’s best holes. The long par-4 16th follows the rolling landscape and boasts a fairway that cambers downhill and right to left and leaves any right-hander with an approach into the green with the ball sitting above their feet. The
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putting surface, guarded by bunkers short right and long left, lies diagonally left-to-right, which makes the second shot here one of the toughest in the region. The 185-metre par-3 17th hole, called ‘The Wrecker’, features a small green cut into the side of a hill with a huge, deep bunker to the left and a smaller pot-style bunker short and left. There is a water hazard lining the left of the fairway and out-of-bounds to the right but only wild mis-hits will be penalised. Heading for the clubhouse doesn’t get any easier with a 407-metre par-4. Rated the hardest hole on the course, the 18th hole plays into the prevailing south-easterly wind and features water right of the driving zone and is heavily tree-lined to the left. The second shot is slightly uphill with five bunkers lying right of the putting surface, and another big sand trap to the left so accuracy is paramount with the last full shot of the round. I figured while I was in the area I’d take the scenic route to Bundaberg via Hervey Bay. The bay is probably best known for its whale-watching tours and its easy access to the World Heritage-listed Fraser Island. The Esplanade here is a great spot for dining, to grab a coffee or to just relax and soak in the view.
PHOTOS: QUEENSLAND TOURISM X 3
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The par-4 18th at Maryborough is heavily bunkered and is a fine test; The view over Hervey Bay Boat Harbour; Hervey Bay is a well presented layout; The 377-metre par-4 11th at Hervey Bay is a gem; After a round at Hervey Bay you can head out for some whale-watching.
The most memorable hole at Coral Cove is the long par-3 2nd. Coral Cove’s semiisland green on the short par-3 10th.
Sugar cane fields dominate the landscape.
Hervey Bay Golf and Country Club has been on its present site since 1945 and was extended to become an 18-hole layout during the late 1970s. In the years since, most of the greens have been rebuilt and bunkers added to create a very good quality country course. The downhill 377-metre par-4 11th hole is arguably the most memorable offering here. A wide fairway allows you to open the shoulders and give your tee shot a real crack but it is the approach where caution is required. A lake cuts into the fairway from the left, about 60 metres short of the green, and there are several bunkers surrounding the large green. It is a tough second shot but you’ll feel pretty pleased with yourself if you have a birdie attempt here. The putting surfaces at Hervey Bay were excellent and there would be a lot of bigger metropolitan clubs envious of their quality. Cloudless skies followed me for the 100-minute drive north to Bundaberg and a round at the first of three courses in the area. Located about 12 kilometres east of Bundaberg, Coral Cove Resort is an integrated golf resort and residential community covering 160 hectares. The course was fully completed in 2000, while Bundaberg’s old Base Hospital building was relocated to the site and fully restored
to become the clubhouse. The Queenslander-style building offers lovely views over the course and the Coral Sea. Essentially a resort-style layout, Coral Cove has been designed to be enjoyed by a wide-ranging level of golfers. There are four tees per hole and most of the fairways offer generous landing areas. The landscape varies from coastal links on the first two holes to a resortstyle lake course and on to natural wooded bush on several holes well away from the sea. The course is well spread between pockets of real estate so carts are compulsory. With so much land to spare, I was surprised to find the 1st hole is a 244-metre par-4. The green is certainly within range for long hitters who will stand on the slightly elevated tee and lick their chops in anticipation of getting off to a birdie start. But they must be wary as they head towards the Pacific Ocean. Fairway mounds surround the landing area just short of the green while nine bunkers ring the huge, sloping green. For mine, the 203-metre par-3 2nd is by far the best hole at Coral Cove. From the men’s and ladies markers the hole measures 168 metres and runs uninhibited along the Coral Sea shoreline. The golf australia
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cane burning lights up the night sky; The short par-4 13th at Bargara entices the big hitter to take a shot at the green from the tee but the huge bunker short must be avoided; The beautiful Esplanade walkway at Bargara; Bunkers totally surround the 139-metre par-3 5th hole at Bargara.
championship plates are 40 metres left on a small point. From here a long tee shot over the volcanic rock shore – and crystal clear waters at high tide – is needed to find the green, which is quite narrow and long. The 12th hole here is worth mentioning. It is a controversial hole and one that generates much discussion from those that play it. At 635 metres, this is Australia’s only par-6 hole. Yes, a par-6. This area of the course is set in gently rolling natural bushland, with mature blue gums lining the fairways. It takes three strong hits to reach the upturned saucer green and set up a putt for an eagle ‘four’. I had one more stop before seeing the ‘Welcome to Bundaberg’ sign. Bargara is a 20-minute drive north of Coral Cove and is directly east of ‘Bundy’ on the coast. Bargara is a popular seaside town of nearly 7,000 that swells considerably during the holidays. And it’s no wonder with two wonderful beaches and, as I was to discover, an equally good golf course. Bargara Golf Club, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, affords visitors ocean views, while the 1st tee is about 200 metres from the ocean. The layout covers a well-drained sand base and is easily affected by sea breezes, which adds to the challenge on a tight course that weaves between low-lying casuarina trees and strategically
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placed bunkers. There are some long, demanding par-4s and 5s but it was the par-4 2nd that I will remember as one of my favourites. Known as ‘The Corner’, the 247-metre hole bends gently from left to right and long hitters may be encouraged by this with a view to driving the green. But trouble awaits over the seemingly endless line of casuarinas fl anking the right. A long, deep bunker – straight from the Dr Alister Mackenzie school of bunker design – lies 30 metres short of the green on the ‘shortcut line’ to the green. A second bunker cuts into the right edge of the tiered putting surface, which falls steeply away to the left into long rough. A great sleeper hole! Of the long holes, the par-5 6th, is a beauty and brings into view Bargara Lagoon, which is home to dozens of local bird species. The driving area is one of the widest you will find on the course, and it needs to be. At 515 metres it is Bargara’s longest and for most players three solid long hits are needed to reach the green. En route, there is a long shallow bunker down the left of the driving zone and the lagoon comes into view the closer you get to the green. In recent times, two new holes – the par-3 14th and dogleg-left par-4 15th – have been added to the layout, both with undulating greens that present a terrific challenge to your putting skills.
PHOTOS: QUEENSLAND TOURISM X 2
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Sugar
18 HOLE CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF COURSE 36 SELF CONTAINED FAMILY STYLE UNITS
Maryborough Golf Club Masterfully crafted on a small parcel in Maryborough, north of Brisbane, Maryborough Golf Course sits in the upper echelon of regional courses. Established in 1927, the course has a good mix of holes ranging in length and layout which utilise a variety of hazards to test the shot making of guests and members. On Wednesday, Friday or Saturday enjoy lunch from a selection of light meals, burgers & snack baskets on the balcony overlooking our picturesque 18 Hole Course or in the comfort of the air conditioned Clubhouse. Coaching Clinics are organised 4 times a year, speak to the PRO SHOP (07) 4121 3765
239 Queen St, Maryborough, Queensland, 4650. Phone (07) 4121 3717 maryboroughgolf@bigpond.com; Website: www.maryboroughgolfclub.com
Phone 4132 5600
www.coralcoveresort.com.au
ABOVE: The final approach to the long par-4 16th hole at Bundaberg Golf Club. Like many holes on the layout, large trees easily come into play. RIGHT: The par-3 2nd hole, with a tee perched above the water, demands a 130-metre-plus water carrry to reach dry land.
WHERE TO PLAY
Visitors to Bargara between November and March also have the opportunity of witnessing the area’s precious sea turtles during nesting and hatching season at the nearby turtle rookery. Then it was on to Bundaberg. I arrived just in time for the 1pm tour of the distillery during which you can look and taste your way through the making of the great rum. The first barrel of Bundy rum was produced in 1888, well before the first shots were struck at Bundaberg Golf Club, just north of the town centre. Bundaberg is an easy-walking, relatively fl at layout that measures a shade less than 6,000 metres from the tips. This might suggest that longer hitters will have a fi eld day here but many of the fairways are heavily tree-lined and dogleg either left or right. In fact, the only two straight holes – the par-5 12th and the short par-4 13th – are bordered to the right by the Brisbane to Cairns rail line. Bundaberg’s most unforgettable hole is the 145-metre par-3 2nd. The tee shot must carry a large lake for most of the journey to the green. The best possible miss here is to the right of the putting surface
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MARYBOROUGH GOLF CLUB Location: Queen St, Maryborough. Green fees: $35 (18 holes). Contact: (07) 4121 3765; www.maryboroughgolfclub.com.au
HERVEY BAY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB Location: Cnr Tooth St and Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay. Green fees: $35 (18 holes). Contact: (07) 4128 4249; www.hbgcc.com.au
CORAL COVE RESORT Location: Pebble Beach Dve, Coral Cove.
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but it still leaves a difficult chip and putt to save par. I was really impressed with the presentation of the layout at Bundaberg, in particular the greens. Bundaberg’s putting surfaces are as smooth as a nip of the heart-warming golden liquid produced down the road.
Green fees: $50 (18 holes, weekends), $40 (midweek). Contact: (07) 4159 3333; www.coralcoveresort.com.au
BARGARA GOLF CLUB Location: Miller St, Bargara. Green fees: $36 (18 holes). Contact: (07) 4159 2257; www.bargaragolfclub.com.au
BUNDABERG GOLF CLUB Location: One Mile Rd, Bundaberg. Green fees: $35 (18 holes), $22.50 for players with a GA handicap. Contact: (07) 4151 6706; www.bundaberggolfclub.com.au