PDA

View Full Version : Aussiewood - Toughest Par 3 in Australia.



markTHEblake
28th August 2008, 11:12 PM
Aussiewood Golf Complex is a privately built golf course in Helidon - just 20 mins east of Toowoomba (http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Helidon,+QLD&ie=UTF8&ll=-27.553662,152.114693&spn=0.012499,0.018582&t=h&z=16) (you cannot miss it from the highway) and it has the toughest par 3 I have ever played.

The 3rd hole is, 165m of sheer terror, it is surrounded by water on all sides with only a land bridge a fee metres wide. The green is absolutely flat so only the perfect shot will hold, and as the terrain is very unprotected the prevailing wind blows into you and across (right to left). And the photo doesnt do the hole justice, there is really no layup, no maintained fairway anywhere

http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/8089/img6077ry6.jpg

The course is a personal project of Canadian :oops: American Pat Murphy, and he doesnt play golf, and I suspect he likes tormenting golfers. This 3rd tee actually is right in front of the licensed clubhouse where he sits all day and watches golfers hit ball after ball into the drink (when he is not in his shed working on his helicopters, jets and planes) Many people come just to play this one hole.

The rest of the course has about 3 more holes that are just as evil, including a great little par three with water short, OB long and a green only about 5 metres deep.

There is also a full length driving range here, first class golf balls. The range is usually pretty quiet so its a good spot if you want to work on some distances etc.

If you are driving through, its a great place to stop, have a beer, donate a few balls to the lake, and spin a yarn with Pat. He has some good tales to tell. I am gunna have another go on Saturday, 7 is my best.

Its not going to make Australia's greatest golf holes but If you can appreciate the golf hole (and the course) for what its meant to be, you can have some fun. The locals certainly do.

* most of the course rerouted since the google maps photo. This new par 3 green is inside the 'brown' lake you can see.

Xray
29th August 2008, 07:34 AM
Going to have to give this course a go, never knew it existed until I seen your post.

Cheers

BrisVegas
29th August 2008, 08:01 AM
Looks crazy, must try it! The 200m+ par 3 2nd hole at Goondiwindi is the toughest par 3 I can think of. It's got OOB along the entire right side and long and trees down the left. The green is hard up against the OOB and is domed. I lived there for a year and I don't think I ever managed to hold that green....

damoocow
29th August 2008, 06:35 PM
there is a little course called Moggil Country Club I played about 10 years ago - it had a par 3 called 'Elm St' - about 160m from memory BUT if you did not hit the green with the tee shot your ball rolled off the 45 degree angled fairway into a steep ravine never to be seen again - a wonderfully stupid hole !

chrisal
30th August 2008, 08:16 AM
I think the 17th at Pacific Harbour is up there - 208 Meters of sheer terror. Water and massive bunkering up the right & cabage down the left, wind (usually strong) from any given direction depending on the day and massive elevated undulating green. The 7th is also pretty tough but unlike the original post there is a bail-out area on both these holes.

markTHEblake
30th August 2008, 06:54 PM
The 17th at P.H. is a doddle to make 4 or 5. You WONT make 4 or 5 on this hole very often!

I visited Aussiewood today. Pat is going to re-route this hole as well as others, to make it tougher. The tee will be from another direction, and will dig one more lake (long left as the hole plays now) so that it will have lots of water 360 degrees.

He says that he designed this hole so that everybody will think he is an 'asshole', but once the new hole is in play, they will know it.

Scottt
1st September 2008, 12:07 PM
so what did you card, MTB? I'm assuming if you went out to see it you'd have taken a few clubs and a dozen pills?

Bruce
1st September 2008, 01:00 PM
Why?

Is it as stupid and offensive as it seems Blakey?

markTHEblake
27th September 2009, 10:47 PM
As a side note, this golf course has been sold to Chinese interests who are going to develop it into an 18 hole resort and hotel, complete with airstrip to fly the punters in. Thats a pretty big plus for little old Helidon.

markTHEblake
27th April 2010, 06:12 PM
The new owners have built a new dam there, that cost them more than what they paid for the place, it is a bloody big hole. a Guy called Ray Drummond is managing it and apparently he is a owner of Golf World in Toowoomba. The golf course has been rerouted a bit and has two new longer holes, and the classic par 3 is retained, now the 9th/18th.

The Google earth link has been updated (http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Helidon,+QLD&ie=UTF8&ll=-27.553662,152.114693&spn=0.012499,0.018582&t=h&z=16), you can see the Par 3 hole now.

Yossarian
27th April 2010, 06:31 PM
A wedge wedge putt strategy could be good there.

Moe Norman
27th April 2010, 06:41 PM
only if executed correctly

Webster
27th April 2010, 06:41 PM
Do you always aim at the pin Blakey??

markTHEblake
27th April 2010, 07:04 PM
A wedge wedge putt strategy could be good there.

There is actually no fairway to aim at, the ground is quite 'rugged' to the point it is virtually unplayable. The percentage play is to try and hit it in the water long, at least you get a drop close to the green. Its a genuine par 5.


only if executed correctly

Well true, if you consider that aiming for the small forward tee is a sensible strategy, its about 110m from there.


Do you always aim at the pin Blakey??

nowhere else to aim, buy a bucket of old balls and fire away.

Yossarian
27th April 2010, 10:28 PM
How about putting off the tee along the path....

AndyP
28th April 2010, 06:59 AM
I couldn't see anyone on the course on Saturday, but there seemed to be a few out there on Sunday.

markTHEblake
28th April 2010, 07:23 AM
I didnt see you there AP? :-) Same here, and quite a few playing monday as well. It is surprisingly busy given its location.

Bruce
28th April 2010, 10:17 AM
At what point does the novelty wear off and the realisation hit that it is a stupid golf hole?