Ballarat

[Hawkers2008]

Just wondering if a few members could let us know how things are going at Ballarat.

Whats the new course like?

Is Michael Phillips still the GM and if so how do you find him? For your sakes I hope he has had a personality transplant and learnt some fiscal skills.

[AndyP]

I don't know of any Ballarat members on the forum.

[LarryLong]

Hey Hawkers, don't think there are any Ballarat natives around these parts.

Snap!

[Hawkers2008]

Yes I guess so. I thought that there might be one or two not counting any escaped or lurking ISG natives.

[LarryLong]

Mind you, I was from Ballarat in a past life, but I didn't play Ballarat much in those days.

Haven't even seen the new course yet. I hear it's going to be a big improvement when everything grows in. Might end up being too long for the old bunters that would have burned their way around the old shorter layout.

[BrisWesty]

Hey Larry Long, I'm an ex-Buninyong member, and the extended family still lives in the Ballarat area. Whereabouts were you?

[LarryLong]

Hi BrisWesty,

Sebas boy, born and bred. Don't hold it against me.

I was also a member at Buninyong, albeit a junior member for a few years back around the late 80's, early 90s. Didn't really play comp though, mostly Sunday hits with my Dad and the odd game with mates.

Very fond memories of Buninyong, can still remember the layout (as it was then) off the top of my head, and I still have the odd game there when I'm in the area for a trip down memory lane.

How long since you played there?

[BrisWesty]

Nothing wrong with Sebas! Though I was a Brown Hill Cricket Club lad. Last had a hit at Buninyong in 2008. Some of the bunkering from when I was a junior there in the mid 80s has been turned into grass bunkering.

[LarryLong]

Yeah, I got the impression that they spent too much money on the clubrooms and couldn't afford sand anymore.

Bit of a shame, really.

Anyway, I think we're threadjacking. Shameful.

[Hawkers2008]

Yeah, I got the impression that they spent too much money on the clubrooms and couldn't afford sand anymore.

Bit of a shame, really.

Anyway, I think we're threadjacking. Shameful.

I was thought about pointing that a few posts ago but at the time I couldn't be stuffed.

[BrisWesty]

Played the course last week when I was down there visiting family. At the moment they have a $20 deal for unlimited holes after 4pm. Course supposedly rated 54 in Australia. From my perspective, for $20, this course is one of the best values for money in Australia!

The only part of the new course that goes onto the old course are the 4th and 5th holes (over the 3rd and 4th), but they don't follow the alignment of holes on the old course.

It is quite open, they seem to have tried to give a bit of a links type feel on parts of the course. You could end up pretty damp after 4 hours in the Ballarat mizzle. Could be a beast of a course with a westerly blowing as there is little protection from that quarter.

They've kept some of the stands of cypress, and put in quite a few water hazards.

Off the blacks, I'd be unlikely to reach the fairway bunkers on most holes. A couple of dinky short par 3s (under 130m), and a couple of strategic short par 4s (under 300m) are included in the layout for good measure. There are a couple of forced lay ups unless you can bomb driver well out past 250m, but that adds to the strategy.

I had a couple of poor holes and lost a couple of balls due to not knowing distance to hazards (double water carry on the par 5 10th is tricky) but still only just went over handicap.

Parts of the course are still growing in. There are some bare patches on the fairways.

My only gripe is that it appears they have used a quartz type of gravel/sand in parts of the fairway. There are quite a few shiny stones that look like broken glass and they would have the potential to scratch the club.

Would I play it again? Absolutely!

Apparently it was the only course open in Ballarat and surrounds for a few weeks because it does drain well (and for Ballarat that is saying something because it used to be an absolute bog)!

[LeftyHoges]

I'm an ex-Buninyong member

Have they blown up the 6th and 9th greens there yet!?!?!

Christ, that 9th was one of the most ****ed-up putting surfaces its ever been my misfortune to encounter....

[BrisWesty]

Have they blown up the 6th and 9th greens there yet!?!?!

Christ, that 9th was one of the most ****ed-up putting surfaces its ever been my misfortune to encounter....

The 6th green was always tough going, but I'm a little surprised by your lack of love for the 9th. Are you referring to the old 9th that ran along parallel to the Midland Hwy, or the former par 5 18th hole

[LarryLong]

Played the course last week when I was down there visiting family. At the moment they have a $20 deal for unlimited holes after 4pm. Course supposedly rated 54 in Australia. From my perspective, for $20, this course is one of the best values for money in Australia!

The only part of the new course that goes onto the old course are the 4th and 5th holes (over the 3rd and 4th), but they don't follow the alignment of holes on the old course.

It is quite open, they seem to have tried to give a bit of a links type feel on parts of the course. You could end up pretty damp after 4 hours in the Ballarat mizzle. Could be a beast of a course with a westerly blowing as there is little protection from that quarter.

They've kept some of the stands of cypress, and put in quite a few water hazards.

Off the blacks, I'd be unlikely to reach the fairway bunkers on most holes. A couple of dinky short par 3s (under 130m), and a couple of strategic short par 4s (under 300m) are included in the layout for good measure. There are a couple of forced lay ups unless you can bomb driver well out past 250m, but that adds to the strategy.

I had a couple of poor holes and lost a couple of balls due to not knowing distance to hazards (double water carry on the par 5 10th is tricky) but still only just went over handicap.

Parts of the course are still growing in. There are some bare patches on the fairways.

My only gripe is that it appears they have used a quartz type of gravel/sand in parts of the fairway. There are quite a few shiny stones that look like broken glass and they would have the potential to scratch the club.

Would I play it again? Absolutely!

Apparently it was the only course open in Ballarat and surrounds for a few weeks because it does drain well (and for Ballarat that is saying something because it used to be an absolute bog)!

I played there on Tuesday with a mate of mine and his ex-FIL who is on the committee. Quite impressed, although the afore-mentioned mizzle and wind coupled with the high rough and some terrible golf saw me shoot a truly terrible score. Lost 5 balls in the first 5 holes, including the tee shot on the 4th (I think) where my mate and I were both playing 5 off the tee. He topped his about 100m and I hooked mine to within 2m of a water hazard to set up a well-earned 10. Funny stuff.

Anyway, the course. Very impressive. So much better than the old dinky short course they used to have, and the drainage is amazing compared to the old bog they used to play on in the winter. The bloke I was playing with said they got Thompson Perret to do the course, but they had to rein them in on the bunkers a bit to keep things managable. He was very happy with the outcome. I don't know anything about golf course design, but most of the holes made me think, and in many cases, panic. If I played it again I would consider putting the driver away, because you really want to keep it on the short grass if you want to score. Some nasty rough and quite a bit of water. It would be a beast off the blacks for anybody who can't hit a good driver.

Definitely worth a visit.

Have they blown up the 6th and 9th greens there yet!?!?!

Christ, that 9th was one of the most ****ed-up putting surfaces its ever been my misfortune to encounter....

The 6th green was always tough going, but I'm a little surprised by your lack of love for the 9th. Are you referring to the old 9th that ran along parallel to the Midland Hwy, or the former par 5 18th hole

Can't remember the 9th along the road being a big deal, so I guess Lefty must be talking about the two-tier one that used to be the 18th (I still think of the holes in their old layout). I think it was fun, and a fair enough green given that you should be able to hit your third shot to the tier of your choice. Lefty must have gone soft on a putt from the bottom one day and watched the ball roll past him and off the green.

I remember the 6th green being a little bit interesting, but I can't say I ever hated it - even though I'm a terrible putter. The 6th was one of my favourite holes just for the way it looked off the tee, and the occasional joy of making a flop shot off the hill at the back instead of skulling it into the massive bunker like I did most times.

[LeftyHoges]

The 9th as a par 5 with the double tier. And I hope I've got the 6th right aswell, the other par 5 with the big bunker in front right and big hill at back. Wait, wasn't 1 a par 5 too? Im getting confused. When I used to play it 10 was up that frigging hill and 16 was along the road with the dam on the left.

I used to play there every year from 1998 to 2003 in the Coca-Cola Buninyong Junior Masters. Must've been in January every year as it was always 75 friggin degrees. Loved the course. 12, the little donkey drop par 3 was great. I drove the 340m 14th as a 14 year old. Always loved the 2nd and definitely the 4th. Great golf holes!

Anyway, back to the original point of my post. Playing in the junior masters they used to have the greens that slick that you could not be above the hole on 9. One day they placed the pin about 3 foot above the tier and it wreaked absolute havoc. One of the kids I played with half skulled his approach onto the back edge. I kid you not, he tapped the ball so slightly and it moved about 8 inches before we thought it had come to rest. He started to bend down to mark it and it moved ever so slightly, then started to roll. And roll. And roll. And roll some more. 30 seconds later he had a 15 yard chip back onto the green. Sickest thing I have ever seen on a golf course. I 2 putted from the bottom tier for par and felt like king of the world. I got into the clubhouse at the end of the round and heard some absolute horror stories including one kid who had knocked it onto the front edge in two and walked off with 17 and I was told he was trying on every shot. Just couldn't get the damn thing in the hole.

6 was nearly as bad. If you were above the hole you could stop it from going off the front but you had to play it just right.

Mad times.

[BrisWesty]

You've got your hole numbers right Lefty.

They renumbered the holes from when I was a junior. #10 up the hill used to be #12

Agreed, 6 was a beast, especially when the green was quick.
#9, whoever put the pin position where they did should have been taken out back and dealt with.

Don't the pros walk off on courses where they get it this wrong?

[LeftyHoges]

You've got your hole numbers right Lefty.

They renumbered the holes from when I was a junior. #10 up the hill used to be #12

Agreed, 6 was a beast, especially when the green was quick.
#9, whoever put the pin position where they did should have been taken out back and dealt with.

Don't the pros walk off on courses where they get it this wrong?

Ah, cool. I thought my brain was going for a second there. I think I can remember pretty much all the holes now. Quite like 17 too, the 155ish par 3, bunker front right. Just a beautifully classic hole.

It's funny, the pro's can walk off yet I believe if we had of done it we would have got shit-canned by the state officials that were there. (The VGA used to send 2 or 3 officials / selectors for the tournament to spot any good young kids for Junior squads etc...)

[LarryLong]

Westy and I are showing our age - I thnk the re-ordering of holes was quite a few years ago now.

Don't think I've ever taken a 17 on that hole, but I reckon I would go close in the situation you described. Somebody must have had it in for talented young punks.

[bully4]

I am currently living in Ballarat, (originally from Eaglehawk), and I played only the first nine at Ballarat a couple of months ago. It is vastly ddifferent from the old course, very open as obvioulsy the trees havent grown, but not sure how many they even planted or wether they intend to keep it open. Some of the older members have left the club, as the course is now too long. I only had a 3 wood at the time, but I still managed to get close to the green in regulation, next time I play I will have a driver (just waiting on the postie!!!), so I will see how I go then. I didnt mind the front nine, and I kept trying to figure out where I was in relation to the old course as I was a member there on the old course, but currently have a summer membership at Mt. Xavier.

Ballarat is rated as #54 in the top 100, and there is also Forest Resort at Creswick which is rated at #83 I think.

Im not sure where the older members went, maybe to Midlands or even Bunningyong, but I think both of those are longer than the old Ballarat.

The drainage was one thing they had to get right on the new course....as even the old was was very damp under foot after some rain. But not as bad as Midlands can get, it has to be one of the wettest courses around here. Not sure about Bunny, as I havent played there for a few years. Even Xavier can get damp under foot in certain places, and its on the side of a hill!

[BrisWesty]

I'd love for them to keep it open. It's quite an unusual sight in Ballarat to be able to look across several fairways/greens. (I quite like the view back from the 8th green to the tee and beyond to the 10th, 11th and 12th).

[Abbott]

Played at Ballarat Golf Club last night taking up the $20 for a tee off after 4pm. Very good value i must say!!

When we left central Ballarat there was no wind, but as soon as we walked out to the 1st tee the wind picked up quite strongly and was in our face from the outset.

The course is very good for those who know how to hit their drivers well, but also don't get carried away looking to use their driver on every hole. We only played 9 holes as my mate had had enough after losing so many balls in either the scrub or in the water hazards.

Overall i was very happy with what i saw but this course is quite difficult and if your not a solid golfer, as my mate found out, it can turn into a very very long walk!!