Newcastle GC - Condition at the moment?

[meh]

All holes open at the moment? Temp greens? General condition of the course?

[Minor_Threat]

I am a member but havent played there for 2 months. I know that all holes are in play and fairways are great. Can't report on the greens, but can do after I play this Saturday.

[Dangals]

Played there 3 or so weeks ago and apart from a few waterlogged bunkers the course was in great shape... Shame I wasn't striking the ball well enough to enjoy it properly but still enjoyed the round immensely.

[LowTee]

Played last Sunday course is in great condition greens nice and firm a touch slower than they look

[LowTee]

Anyone planning a trip to Newcastle get up there soon the course is in amazing condition played there all Easter weekend well worth the trip

[Minor_Threat]

Anyone planning a trip to Newcastle get up there soon the course is in amazing condition played there all Easter weekend well worth the tripGreens could be better, they are very slow atm due to renovations a few weeks ago!

[Captain Nemo]

Played last Sunday course is in great condition greens nice and firm a touch slower than they look

Did you go up there with a group of guys by any chance?

[LowTee]

Nah i am a member there as well as my course in Sydney

[Captain Nemo]

Wel lucky you!
Nice...

[matty]

I'm playing at Newcastle for the first time next Monday. Look forward to it as everyone seems to rate it. Tough course? What makes it a good experience, for those who have played it?

[Minor_Threat]

I'm playing at Newcastle for the first time next Monday. Look forward to it as everyone seems to rate it. Tough course? What makes it a good experience, for those who have played it?

Most people struggle their first time around, because it can be visually intimidating. Knowing if you spray it, you aren't going to find it, screws with most peoples psych. I don't think it is that tough, but I have been a member for almost 5 years now and have learnt how to get it around.

Pros:
Elevated greens
Great layout
Wind
Fairways
Tough par 3s
Great risk reward par 5s
Wildlife on course

Cons:
Bunkers are extremely bad, avoid at all cost. Volunteer brigade at Newy has destroyed them. Everything plugs badly
Greens are on the slow side. Trying to promote the Poa.
The tough par 3s (two over 200m)

[matty]

Thanks MT. Looks like it's vital to play the par 5's well. They're some par 3's from hell all right!

[Mixjah]

Trying to promote the Poa. Why would they be doing this for?

[Minor_Threat]

Why would they be doing this for?

Because they won't pay enough to get a greenkeeper that the course deserves. The current one has great difficulty in maintaining the bent.

Rumours are someone thinks we are too far North to have bent greens, which is just laughable (Tuncurry is 2 hours North of us and has some of the best bent I have ever seen)

[matty]

Nice course MT. Great layout.

Greens were a good speed. I found them just right, not real quick, not slow.

I found the distances very deceptive off the tee due the blind tee shots, blind landing areas, or dead ground. What looked like a huge par 4 was only a short iron in once at the ball.

[petethepilot]

Truly is a great course Matt. If it was in Sydney, it would have had multiple Aussie Opens!

Hope the committee keeps Ross Watson away. Apperley's greens are genius.

Pete

[petethepilot]

Duplicate post

[matty]

Truly is a great course Matt. If it was in Sydney, it would have had multiple Aussie Opens!

Hope the committee keeps Ross Watson away. Apperley's greens are genius.

Pete

Yeah, loved the greens. Were nice and responsive. Sunk a couple with some crazy breaks on them. A couple of the fairways reminded me of Bonville, the way they ran left and right on the same hole.

Some of the par 3's were daunting. I handled them great but got it royally on the shortest. Par 5's were good birdie opps.

I didn't want to say it as there were no real negatives to worry about but I thought in some places the course looked a bit scrappy. Can't put my finger on what it was. There were lots of people out doing maintenance so maybe it was noticed. A couple of the tees were pretty chopped up with uneven lies, one of my pet hates. Fairways and greens in great condition.

I liked the old clubhouse too.

I had a good day off the tee. Only missed one fairway. As usual that dictates how I score. Had 5 birds, 9 pars, 2 boges, a double, and a triple. Interestingly my two bad holes came on two of the 'easier' holes, the short par 3 7th and I think the 17, the short par 4.

[petethepilot]

17 is not short Matt. It was the index 1 hole. 8 is shortish!

[matty]

Had a shotgun start so not as easy to remember the holes. Must have been 18. There was a road on the right. Sprayed it well right off the tee into bush near the fence.

[Minor_Threat]

I'm glad you enjoyed the course Matty. Your description has made me keen for hit this weekend!

5 x birdies is a great effort mate.

The 7th for me is a great hole and is certainly not easy! If you miss the green anywhere long you are screwed and if you go in any of the bunkers you are screwed (due to the amount of sand and nuffies maintaining them). Add to this that the wind is difficult to judge and you have a great hole.

The 17th is a short hole IF you hit Driver off the tee. It only takes a couple of sprayed ones on that hole before your balls shrivel up and uou go back to a 3 wood or knock down driver to the 150m peg (Just short of the creek). This hole is tough into a southerly, dont get me started on how quick this green can get (Hopefully one day the greens can get back to the speeds they are famous for).

The scrappiness I can concur with you e.g. Weeds / Runners growing into the bunkers etc. If you are refering to the sand in the rough as scrappiness then I have to disagree as this is an inherent part of the course and is a unique feature.

I am not a huge fan of the 2 x Par 3's over 200m (especially 16), but I think 3 and 4 go together well as a Par 8 for the 2 holes and I believe this is something that Apperly intended.

[Minor_Threat]

17 is not short Matt. It was the index 1 hole. 8 is shortish!
Pete are you an ex 'A' Grade pennant player for Newcastle GC?

I remember Seaton talking about an ex player named Pete who was a pilot.

[matty]

Thanks. Sunk a few and hit the fairways. Got a few u&d's which always help.

Yep, was the 17th. I remember the creek, and I hit driver. Sometimes it helps not knowing a course as the mental scars aren't there yet!

No, I didn't mean the sandy areas around the course. Was more some tees and some bunkers and trees cut up and laying around. Dunno. Looked like a bit going on around the course.

That bloody 7th got me in the front right bunker. Came up out of the shot and drifted in there on a slight downhill lie. Pin was front, so impossible to get at. Got out but ran off. Chip and two putts. Owned!

[petethepilot]

Pete are you an ex 'A' Grade pennant player for Newcastle GC?

I remember Seaton talking about an ex player named Pete who was a pilot.

YEP, was a member for 10 years before moving to Brisbane in 2006. I got it to scratch there once for a couple of months (too hard to maintain that and still work when you don't have a classic swing) but mostly around 2. Many happy memories there. Give Seaton my regards and tell him I now live in Hobart. It was Seaton who gave me the "PetethePilot" nickname!

BTW, I'm visible in the locker room on the photo of the 2000 A grade Pennant winning team (well it was on the wall for years!). First win in A grade for NGC in 54 years!
I'm the balding old fart (well I was 38 then!) on the side I think.

I'm recip with you guys (Royal Hobart) so I may try and get back and have a game with you MT.

regards,

Pete

[Minor_Threat]

I will pass on my regards mate. He mentioned you did not have a 'classic' swing, and it might have been Gilso that used to 'rib' you for it.

The pennant team is not what it used to be, we are stuck in division two with no real prospects of leaving!

[petethepilot]

You wouldn't call Gilso's classsic either, but he could certainly play in those days. Very confident but could back it up.

BTW Tell Seaton that my swing has improved but my short game is nearly as good as his these days :)

Pete

[Andrew]

Because they won't pay enough to get a greenkeeper that the course deserves. The current one has great difficulty in maintaining the bent.

Rumours are someone thinks we are too far North to have bent greens, which is just laughable (Tuncurry is 2 hours North of us and has some of the best bent I have ever seen)

MT, you need to have a chat with Ross Wilson about why they are promoting the Poa. I'm not sure whether Ross is still on the greens committee, but it was one of his plans 4 or 5 years ago. When I left there a few years back there were a couple of greens fully Poa and another couple where Poa was prominent. The others had varying degrees of infestation. One problem is that there were 2 strains of Poa, a more hardy version on the 6th and the less hardy version on the 17th and 18th.

Either way, whether they want to bring the greens back to bent or promote Poa, it will cost money. Merely allowing the greens to slowly change to Poa is NOT a guaranteed method. Poa is an unusual grass that mutates in a localised manner. Oakmont is a good example. It has a form of Poa on its greens that exists on no other course in the world due to its many decades of mutation.