Northern Rivers Golf

[Tiezto]

I have previously been a member at Ballina and Mullumbimby and currently a member at Lismore.

Ballina is a nice course and the best nick of all 3. Can be quite windy but they have the $$ so is always nice to play.

Mullumbimby has no $$ at all but I really enjoy the course. Very flat and has a lot of drains going across the course in different places. Hardly any bunkers, some water and a mix of long and short par 3's (120m-180+m, wedge or 4iron). Over all worth a play IMO.

Lismore is very hilly and has some very uneven lies in spots because of almost moguls because of the land, you bounce around in a cart a fair bit at times...lol. Has some long par 4's (2 good hits) and some drivable par 5's Driver 3w or 5w depending on your length (Mostly 3 hits for most ppl) friendly people and the Pro is fantasic. Can be decieving a bit on some holes where unless you are used to the course you will find yourself a club short on approach. Lismore has just been cored so the greens are a bit...........yep.

[shanksalot]

Murwillumbah will be having greens cored around mon 20 oct tues 21 oct or wed22nd . from memory.( just read the notice today) the cores will be used to fill the irrigation trench scars. greens should be perfect in a few weeks. I believe the irrigation system was finished a few weeks ago. main problem with trench scars is, the ones around the greens mean you have to chip over or putt through the trench scar. pretty frustrating if you are 4 ft off the green and want to putt.

[MAZA68]

Played Yamba today. Course was in fantastic condition. Also played Nambucca Heads, short course but excellent greens and Port Macquarie great layout and played quite tough in a stiff breeze that was about.[

[MAZA68]

Played MacLean today, what a hidden gem of a course. Greens were running true and fast and the course condition was in top nick. Even had a Pro shop, which considering its location was a bit of a surprise.

[LarryLong]

I'm heading up that way for a 3-day golf weekend with the BIL in a few weeks, just wondering if anybody has feedback on current conditions?

At the moment I'm thinking of flying into Coffs and playing Nambucca Island, then MacLean (BIL lives in Grafton) and then finishing with a round at Bonville.

[Lagerlover]

Come up to Murwillumbah LL, I promise it'll be worth it

[MAZA68]

MacLean was in good nick when I played it last month.Recommend a hit, interesting layout with lots of variety of holes.

[LarryLong]

Come up to Murwillumbah LL, I promise it'll be worth it

I've heard good things, and it's definitely on my list for a future trip, but this time it's just a little too far out of the way. I'm actually trying to tee up a road trip with some old uni mates who are based in Brisbane later in the year, so that could be an option.

MacLean was in good nick when I played it last month.Recommend a hit, interesting layout with lots of variety of holes.

Cheers! Looking forward to that one.

[Daves]

A mate has just spent most of the last week at Bonville, possibly with PerryGroves, if he attended this year. I will chase a condition report when I see him.

[LarryLong]

A mate has just spent most of the last week at Bonville, possibly with PerryGroves, if he attended this year. I will chase a condition report when I see him.

Cheers Dave. I'm assuming Bonville will be pretty good year-round, but we've all been caught out with cored greens from time to time.

[jimandr]

I'm heading up that way for a 3-day golf weekend with the BIL in a few weeks, just wondering if anybody has feedback on current conditions?

At the moment I'm thinking of flying into Coffs and playing Nambucca Island, then MacLean (BIL lives in Grafton) and then finishing with a round at Bonville.

I live in the Northern Rivers region, so you should ask me.

Except I would tell you that Coffs Harbour isn't in the Northern Rivers, but closer to being Mid North Coast.

Despite Coffs being 2.5 hours south of me, conditions shouldn't be much different. It hasn't rained anywhere on the North Coast for two months, and most of the time it has been unusually warm. Greens coring usually happens in October and November, so you should be OK for that aspect.

So the golf courses, wherever you go, should be hard and fast. If it isn't raining, late winter/early spring is a very good time for golf in this part of the world.

As an aside, while Maclean is worth playing, and cheap, if you haven't played Coffs Harbour before, you should play it.

[PerryGroves]

A mate has just spent most of the last week at Bonville, possibly with PerryGroves, if he attended this year. I will chase a condition report when I see him.

Just back yesterday Daves..............an exhausting schedule, unrelated to golf.

Larry, the greens are never great, they are very grainy, that said, they are as good as I've seen them in a few years. Course is very dry so the ball runs for ever at times, don't hit it right on 7.

If you haven't played Bonville before its worth a go, will be interested on your thoughts.

[LarryLong]

Forgot to report back on this one.

Nambucca was my pick - really nice scenic track in reasonably good nick for a country track, and we got on for $15 late in the day. Bargain! Golf is about scenery for me, so keep that in mind.
MacLean is what I would call a good country track - nothing spectacular, but it's pretty well looked after given that they have volunteers and everybody was friendly.
Bonville met expectations - overpriced by quite a margin, a little bit stuffy, but a very nice course that somehow doesn't quite live up to the hype if I'm honest. The carts only rule bummed me out, especially when you can't drive carts on the fairways and you're always running around with clubs in hand, but I guess I understand. In great nick given that there's not much water around, and I'm glad I played there, once.

On top of this, I played Grafton today - nice layout and I always enjoy a game there, but the greens were diabolically slow. So were some of the members, but they did call us through when it made sense to do so, so I can't complain. Grafton always wrecks me because I can't chip and the greens are surrounded by fluffy grass that prevents the gutless 50m fringe putt that I tend to favour. Fairways are drying out, and the back half of the course has a few fairways that are too hard for the slope on them, but it's holding up OK. I also had a cheeky 9 at Arora Park at Coutts Crossing - that's a country goat track with surprisingly decent greens, although they are also diabolically slow.

Yamba in a few days if all goes to plan, and then I might try to sneak a hit in on the morning of grand final day to calm my nerves, probably somewhere around Ballina.

[LarryLong]

Update - I played Yamba on Wednesday afternoon, and it's now my favourite track of the ones I played. Nice layout, in good condition. Not ridiculously tricked up like the fashionable premium tracks, but a challenging course with some well placed bunkers. The clubhouse deck is a great place to hang out after a round too.

[jimandr]

For those interested in such things, Byron Bay, Ocean Shores and Ballina Golf Courses are on The Golf Show this week. It gets repeated lots of times during the week.

At Ballina, the main feature hole is the most visually spectacular on the course, which makes the entire course look better than it actually is. But it will be interesting to see if we get an increase in visitor numbers from it.

[AndyP]

Way to talk up your home course, Jim!

[3Puttpete]

But it will be interesting to see if we get an increase in visitor numbers from it.

Should do, it’s a nice track. Great pies at half way.

[Lagerlover]

Should do, it’s a nice track. Great pies at half way.

Billinudgel?

[3Puttpete]

Billinudgel?

NFI. Ballina club house

[PeteyD]

mmm pies.

[jimandr]

Billinudgel?

Nope. Wardell Pies, and they are top class.