NSW courses- Richmond and Windsor

[FlyBallDavo]

Thinking about heading towards the mountains to play either of these 2 courses.
Can anyone provide any feedback? Is it worth the trip and which is better?

[3oneday]

In my opinion Windsor is a good track but I'm biased, I'm a member.

I found/find Richmond flat and boring. A few good holes on the back side which are all bunched together and then it's back to boring.

Coupla good spots to roll a cart at Windsor ;)

[KristianJ]

I agree with Pete - Windsor is the better of the 2 IMO. Richmond has a couple of decent/good holes on the back 9 with a lot more character than the rest of the course, but Windsor makes you think a little bit about your tee shot placement to more easily attack the greens (and there are a few pretty small ones - the 10th stands out as one of the narrowest I've ever seen)

Scottt had a pretty good review posted in the Course Reviews section, but I don't know if that part of the site made it through the upgrade.

[BrisVegas]

In my opinion Windsor is a good track but I'm biased, I'm a member.

I found/find Richmond flat and boring. A few good holes on the back side which are all bunched together and then it's back to boring.

Coupla good spots to roll a cart at Windsor ;)

don't suppose you want a game at Riverside Oaks Friday arvo?? I'm staying in Windsor Friday night as it seems to be the closest civilisation to Cattai....

[3oneday]

I'd love to but can't get out of work.

[BrisVegas]

it's a 2:30 tee time. take a turn for the worse and head home at lunch time.... :wink:

[3oneday]

Actually, kids also have soccer training and swimming too :(

[Scottt]

As Kristian said, I did a review of Windsor but it seems it may have been a victim of the upgrade. Probably just hiding somewhere.

IMO, Richmond is far too narrow and up-and-back. Holes like 3, 11, 12, 14 and 15 are good fun, but all told it's a bit of a death march.

Windsor has much better terrain and greater variety.

[davepuppies]

I have been a member of both, and will go against the flow here and say Richmond is my preferred track....

The water holes on back nine are fantatic, and it is long!!!!!

Windsor is a good course though too!

[Scottt]

From memory Richmond is shorter than Windsor. In par definitely (70 to 71). Not that yardage and quality are in any way linked.

[WeekendHacker]

You always have the option of Lynwood as well out that way

[3oneday]

Very true, as long as it isn't hot, cold or windy :lol:

[terrys]

I was a member at Richmond as Junior on the late 79s, early 80s. Yikes, that sounds like a long time ago. I've never played the course since it has been changed.

[WeekendHacker]

Very true, as long as it isn't hot, cold or windy :lol:

very true

[KristianJ]

From memory Richmond is shorter than Windsor. In par definitely (70 to 71). Not that yardage and quality are in any way linked.

I think you're right - I can't recall if there are any par 5s at Richmond that are as long as the 3rd and 14th at Windsor (the 3rd being up near 550m - definitely the longest I recall ever playing, along with the 4th at Glenmore Heritage, which is around 540m from the back tees).

[terrys]

Kristian,

you need to come play Mt Broughton. From the black tees we have a 575m, a 550m and a 538m. The 575m often plays into the win as well.

when I played at Richmond there was a reasonably long par 5 that ran along the eastern boundary. Seemed to be pretty long when I was a kid. Is that one still there?

[Scottt]

You mean #6 terrys? Runs alongside the sewage treatment plant?

[3oneday]

They've rerouted the course in the last couple of years as well, but there is a par 5 after the par 3 over the water. There's one which is either 10 or 1, ie first hole on one side, the one Scottt mentioned and I think that's it. So three 5's.

[Scottt]

Last I played it, the three-shotters were #1, #6 and #16 with par threes at #2, #8, #10, #12 and #15.

[terrys]

That would be it, Scott. You used to walk back up the fence line to a raised tee, and there was a small platform someone could stand on to see where the drives landed as the landing zone was out of sight.

Last time i played there the back nine kicked off with two par 3s. The 10th ran slightly down hill next to the rail line, then 11 hit across a bid gorge type thing. is 11 now 10? I might fire up google maps and check it out

[terrys]

I just looked on Google Earth. I've merged two holes. The raised tee was the old 16. Those holes up the back around the lake weren't there when I played.

I think i might have to go up and play there again

[Scottt]

That would be it, Scott. You used to walk back up the fence line to a raised tee, and there was a small platform someone could stand on to see where the drives landed as the landing zone was out of sight.

Last time i played there the back nine kicked off with two par 3s. The 10th ran slightly down hill next to the rail line, then 11 hit across a bid gorge type thing. is 11 now 10? I might fire up google maps and check it out

That gorge on the 10th was actually dug as a quarry by convicts when the Hawkesbury was settled in 1794 and is actually, when viewed from above, an arrow that points to Sydney!

[terrys]

Interesting. Looks like it has been turned into a dam now (at least from google maps). Was much more rugged when I was a kid. We used to climb down there and retrieve balls that had been lost.

[KristianJ]

Played Richmond this arvo...I think they've renumbered a few of the holes from when I played there last year. The last 2 holes on each front 9 seem to have swapped - that is, what I recall being previously 8 and 9 (the shortish dogleg par 4 and the drivable par 4 on the western boundary) is now 17 and 18, and vice versa. Plus another couple of holes on the front 9 might have been renumbered.

I could be wrong though...if I'm lucky I might have last year's card around here somewhere at home so I can check it.

But I think I enjoyed it more this time than last time...appreciated the bunker positions more and how they guarded the pin placements. It did play pretty short though...the tee on #6 was at least 100-120m forward of where it usually would be and was on the card as a par 4.

[ParMaster]

Richmond have changed quite a few of the holes around since I started playing there a couple of years ago, so you are probably right Kristian.

[terrys]

Played Richmond this arvo...I think they've renumbered a few of the holes from when I played there last year. The last 2 holes on each front 9 seem to have swapped - that is, what I recall being previously 8 and 9 (the shortish dogleg par 4 and the drivable par 4 on the western boundary) is now 17 and 18, and vice versa. Plus another couple of holes on the front 9 might have been renumbered.

I could be wrong though...if I'm lucky I might have last year's card around here somewhere at home so I can check it.

But I think I enjoyed it more this time than last time...appreciated the bunker positions more and how they guarded the pin placements. It did play pretty short though...the tee on #6 was at least 100-120m forward of where it usually would be and was on the card as a par 4.

When I used to play there over 20 years ago 18 was the short par 4 on the Western boundary, while 9 was the long par 4 coming back to the club house heading due west.

[Scottt]

As Terrys said, 17 and 18 are traditionally the two short par 4s.

The course c. 90s/early 2000s at the very least - and I know of little change to it immediately before then was:

1: Par 5 played from right in front of the pro shop
2: Par 3 with heavily bunkered green, about a 6i or so.
3: Par 4 doglegging left around a long dam with a smallish green flanked by bunkers.
4: Par 4 down the road, lateral hazard "drain" between the hole and the road.
5: Long par 4 that climbs a hill at the green. I think this was a new green in the 90s.
6: Par 5 running parallel to the 5th but in the opposite direction, tee of next to the swage plant.
7: Short par 4 with tree in the middle of the fairway.
8: Par 3 next to the 2nd and in the same direction with water right.
9: Long par 4 with water carry off the tee and lots of sand at the green.

10: Par 3 over the quarry.
11: Par 4 dogleg left up to a plateau green. The start of the good stretch.
12: Par 3 over water to a green set in a sea of sand.
13: Par 4, quite narrow, from memory another tree in fairway only 30m-ish short of the green.
14: Par 4, dogleg left with water left off the tee and then both sides up to the green.
15: Par 3 back over the dam that's on the RHS of the 14th.
16: Par 5 from an elevated tee to a blind landing area (off the back tee, visible from the front)
17: Par 4, reachable but surrounded by sand.
18: Par 4, reachable up the hill and along the fence next to Pound Paddock (where I played my first ever game of cricket in U10s...) to a steep green.

[KristianJ]

Changes afoot in the Richmond pro shop, so I hear?

[Dangals]

Yep the old pro is gone and the guys who ran the driving range at panthers have taken over. Difference is night and day.... Plus we actually have stuff worth buying at a good price now tooApparantly the driving range is being redeveloped an closes around the 7th October or there abouts

[JADO75]

Mark used to be the pro at dunheved too, hell of a nice bloke. You guys won't know yourselves having a great bloke like Eiso instead of Ecob ( I think that's his name?)

[davepuppies]

The pro shop is full!!!!!

david Ecob was a really nice guy, but at over $100 for a box of provs he priced himself out of the market....

I think richmond is heading in the right direction, i am seeing some good changes on the course with them cleaning it up, all we need now is consistant levels of sand in the bunkers!!!!

[3oneday]

I thought the club set the prices and what was in the shop, he was just on a wage ?

[davepuppies]

Really?

He had to retender for his spot, so I can't imagine that would be for wages only?

[3oneday]

He whinged about it 10 odd years ago, maybe it changed. Mark will be great for there, sorry he ever was forced out of Dunheved.

[JADO75]

I thought the club set the prices and what was in the shop, he was just on a wage ?


Pretty sure he ran the show, that's why bunches of bloke's would come to Penrith pro shop to buy things. Dunheved absolutely shat on Mark, I know he missed out on getting Leonay but he will be great for Richmond.

[rqrox]

Ecob shop was his business and like Dave said, he set the prices.
The club, I thought, got the pro's from adventure golf in Penrith?
Isn't that what the Lady was saying to us on Saturday Dave?, Either way the Pro shop actually looks like a pro shop ( didn't check the prices) and they have been given some cash to start fixing everything up and purchasing equipment.

I've joined again this year because of the change!

[JADO75]

Mark was at dunheved originally, was running adventure golf at panthers & is now at your club.

[3oneday]

Played Windsor today, copped a pizzling with all the rains earlier in the year but starting to come back. Should be good in a month or two.

[live4golf]

Used to be a member at Windsor, was a good course and the pro, Michael was excellent. The committee was filled with complete tools and thought they were managing Augusta...they ousted a mate of mine many moons ago because he was basically a good bloke...Pete clatworthy was his name, I was suspended for 6 months for saying the F word in front of one of the committee members wives and that did me for golf for sometime.

I fully expected Windsor to fold, such a different atmosphere to Richmond. Shame, a great track. Anyone a member? I hope they have picked up their game.

[rqrox]

At Richmond they suspend you for not abusing everybody! I'm going to have to convince Rich to come over as well!

[davepuppies]

And there was plenty of that on sat!

[KristianJ]

Used to be a member at Windsor, was a good course and the pro, Michael was excellent. The committee was filled with complete tools and thought they were managing Augusta...they ousted a mate of mine many moons ago because he was basically a good bloke...Pete clatworthy was his name, I was suspended for 6 months for saying the F word in front of one of the committee members wives and that did me for golf for sometime.

I fully expected Windsor to fold, such a different atmosphere to Richmond. Shame, a great track. Anyone a member? I hope they have picked up their game.

Mate of mine's a member there and I've played a few open comps with him over the past year. They seem to be going OK and my mate said tonight something along the lines of what Pete said about the course coming back from the drenching earlier in the year.

[3oneday]

There's no grass in some spots, reminded me of MacGrange when we played there. I hit one that landed at the front of 11 (par 3), took a massive bounce right and ran 25 metres further. On 17 I landed on the upslope short right, another massive bounce and almost went out of bounds right!

I've never chipped with a hybrid so much in one round.

[liptout]

The creek at Windsor (rickabys creek) flooded that bad earlier in the year that it flooded up to the hill going down 10 (and up 18). That's a he'll of a lot of water and the course was out of action for a fair time. a lot of the lower greens like 10, 11 and 16 took an absolute pounding!! Some others went under as well, but these seem to take it the worse.
It's not the worst I've seen it. I've seen it flood right up to the top of the hill a few years ago. But it was gone a week later and didn't seem to do as much damage as it did this year.

Live4, it's a completely different place these days. I don't who was on the committee back in your day, but I'd be surprised if any of the people on the committee now were involved back then.
And the pro shop is one of the best shops you could possibly walk into. Best I've ever been into anyways.
The pro, Wayne, is top class and would do anything to help just about anybody.
I'm not a member there anymore, but have a lot of mates that still are and I still go back and play there a fair bit, so maybe I am a little biased.... :)

[3oneday]

They had the pro shop extended, massive now and has a hitting screen as well. He'll die there I reckon.

[JADO75]

Wayne & Luke in the pro shop are great blokes, awesome bacon & egg rolls in the clubhouse too.

[liptout]

Oh yea, forgot about Luke...... Sorry Luke. ;)

Personally I reckon half the members there are only there because of the Wayne and his team......