The sharkinfested course

Nestled in the heart of the idyllic Canbrook Golf Club lies a hidden gem that draws visitors from far and wide: a lagoon inhabited by sharks. Yes, you read that right – sharks!

The lagoon is a man-made feature that was created as a water hazard for the golf course, but over the years it has evolved into something much more. It is believed that the sharks arrived during the Brisbane floods of the late 1990s. As the water receded, six bull sharks found themselves trapped inside the course, but they managed to thrive and reproduce. Today, it seems there are a dozen sharks living in the lake.

“As a kid I used to go with my mates and we used to go looking for balls out on the golf course but that doesn’t happen anymore,” said Scott Wagstaff, Carbrook Golf Course General Manager.

“If the ball goes into the shark lake, it is generally never to be seen again, there would be quite a lot of balls in that lake as no one has been in there in 15 years.”

“It’s hard to explain the feeling of seeing an eight-foot shark cruise past you on the edge of the lake while your golfing, it’s pretty cool to see. They are beautiful animals to see close, I have become a bit of an admirer in my time here, they have got that reputation of being aggressive and dangerous, and that is probably rightly so, but what I have seen of them is that they are very graceful, far from aggressive.”

So the next time you’re in the area, be sure to stop by Canbrook Golf Club and take in the beauty of the course – and maybe even catch a glimpse of these amazing creatures that call it home.

This month marks the halfway point for Ryder Cup qualification, with anticipation slowly building as to who will represent Europe in the biennial showdown at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in September.