Venturing up to the "glorious" Thaxted GC this sunday morning. Of course after hearing the reports about it we'll go check it out. Not expecting much so maybe we will be pleasantly surprised. I doubt it.
Don't tell some course has been spot spraying Weeds or Kikuyu with a green dye in it and they are spreading the course is spaying the fairways green???
Couldn't see the sense or even the $ involve for either Thaxted or Vines to put a dye in the water. That stuffs only done for tournaments on Television.
Green liquid glitter
Driver- Slazenger Bruce Devlin 1 1/2
Fwy Wood - PGF Kel NagleIrons - 2-PW Keith Knox R700
Wedges - Wilson Jerry Pate
Putter - Bulls Eye Copy
After playing a few rounds at Thaxted I'm really enjoying the challenge, especially the back 9. It's tough, especially 16 and 18. Haven't got close to 18 in 2 yet 😅
WITB
Driver: Ping G410 Plus 10.5 w Tensei Orange AV Raw 65g S
5 Wood: Ping G425 w Tensei Orange AV Raw 75g S
4 hybrid: Ping G w Alta R
Irons: 5-PW Ping i210 w PX LZ 5.5
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 50-10*, SM8 58-10*
Putter: 2022 Bettinardi BB-8W, 35 inch
Bag: Jones Original Carry Bag
Well I played it and now it's just two completely different courses for the front and back nine. Back nine just as it always was, front nine quite a bit different obviously. All I can really say is that the front nine is better than it used to be, it's been cleaned up, but they just have dicky holes now...204meter uphill par 4? Huh? Birdied it. Short 9 iron par 3? Meh. Short easy downhill par 5 with little if any green protection? Huh? Birdied it.
I should also mention the new bunkers sand is nice too hit out of, almost too fuffy though, if there is such a thing. Overall yes the front nine has improved, but the holes are strange and compressed. The lies around the course on fairways are average as they have always been, and so is the first cut <- if you can even call it that. At least now they have decent nets and a practice range.
Having said all that I had a really scratchy round and still won the comp Sunday with 37pts I'll be back in 8 years time to pick up my prize.
For those interested, Tea Tree Gully has been progressively renovating the 9th hole. We are just starting phase 2 that will make the hole temporarily be played as a Par 3. The green is still bedding in but is playing very severe particularly on any approach shot that is short.
I may post a review of the hole on completion, it is fun to play and gives many club golfers a good chance at Eagle (particularly with a forward tee)
Details here:
https://www.ttggolfclub.com.au/upload/wysiwyg/enews-upload/Various Other Docs/TTG Hole 9 Concept Plan Rev Sept 2019.pdf
Screen Shot 2019-10-08 at 11.08.10 am.jpg
Last edited by thecollective; 8th October 2019 at 11:40 AM.
*** Kooyonga UPDATE ***
After a worthwhile redevelopment and outage for 3 months the 17th is now back in play complete with new rock wall. Water area now ever so slightly larger now apparently. Some of the unnatural features removed / leveled off.
The new Twilight season has started. Non members $30, thursday evenings. Lovely evening last week and shaping up to be nice also this week with Thurs being mid 30's. We're now doing announcements of the nightly twilight winners. Attendance has been excellent.
And lastly the 7million club house renovation is coming along nicely. Looks to be quite a bit more extensive than I'd first thought. Some minor interruptions to parking and clubhouse entry being around the pro shop side but otherwise facilities as they were. Should be fantastic when complete.
Chilled: how does the front to middle of the RHS part of the green play now?
I saw a time lapse video somewhere last week, looks to play a bit friendlier than before, I will try and find the link
*Edit* here tis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjtO...QGvqLLvnT4jXUA
Last edited by thecollective; 28th October 2019 at 05:44 PM.
Is 'Boots' a croweater? if not we will have even numbers (7 vs 7)
Played West Lakes for the first time, based on feedback from friends and co. was not expecting much but walked off surprisingly pleased.
First of all course is very tight, especially considering the land must share a large water catchment area. They have limited control of the land as I found out it is owned by the council. I noticed many fairways are bunched up with a large quantity of bunkers to protect balls from straying too far offline. The amount of fore calls from members is quite amusing. There is also an abundance of un-natural mounding but its kind of necessary to separate the holes, for a moment I felt like I was playing on the Gold Coast.
The course starts with a Par 5, a short 4 then backs on to a Par 3, this causes a bit of a traffic jam, surprisingly after that the course traffic flows ok. I was a little disappointed with the quantity and quality of Par 3's, all seemed pretty repetitive with bunkers cut into the edges. The 16th was the only one that I felt you could play a running shot.
Despite the negatives though the Par 4's and 5's in particular were a highlight, many of the 4's have well cut and strategically positioned bunkers placed in the best line to the green so I enjoyed taking them on off the tee. Whilst I am not a big fan of ponds per se, the water features are used quite effectively, reminded me a bit of The Glades. There were a couple of sharp doglegs but the club has done a great job of exposing the angles, I noticed this particularly on hole #10
The fairways were an excellent cut of Couch with Kikuyu sown on the edges as roughs. Despite the negatives of Kike I think the course does a great job of keeping it under control, it was nice to play off particularly around the green fringes. Greens were very true and good shapes overall, maybe a bit too repetitive with the raised greens but hey they are better than a lot of other private clubs in SA.
All in all considering the small size and quality of the land I feel the course was pretty good. I would definitely play it again and would choose it over Mount Osmond or The Vines.
Just my opinion
Last edited by thecollective; 3rd November 2019 at 02:06 PM. Reason: sh*t grammar
I think West Lakes suits the golfer who doesn't hit it over 200 metres.
The mounding has been added in recent years, to provide separation from boundary houses and adjacent fairways.
It used to be longer, with tees and greens tucked in corners (I am talking 40 years ago). I expect the balls in houses got pretty bad on the western and northern boundary. Bunkers have transitioned from links-style pot bunkers to larger splashes of sand.
The first was a par 4 and a par 3, but became a par 5 about 45 years ago. The old second tee can still be seen,as can the old first green site.
The 4th hole (might be 5th now) was a buffalo grass fairway at the shot point - ingress over the years from land neighbouring the fairway.
Benje
Thanks for the additional info Benje; clubhouse was also a highlight; looks to be recently renovated.
Very sad to hear all those years ago (in the old clubhouse) that when the roof caved in it actually killed a female member. That would have been a tough pill to swallow for the club.
Last edited by thecollective; 2nd November 2019 at 06:45 PM.
They say Kingston Heath is on a small parcel of land - West Lakes is on two-thirds of that acreage. Perhaps 80 acres.
Last game a West Lakes was 4-5 years ago now in A2 Pennant.
Wasn't impressed with course condition or design of areas inside 100m out from greens or around the greens.
Far too many low areas where all balls tended to end up in the same very small area that was chopped up to buggery.
It leaves a sour taste when you'd be much better off missing the green way wide for a better lie.
Turf condition looked really poor in that it needed a good rest from the hoards of choppers hacking into.
"Golf makes different creatures of us all, some worse, some better, but all enthusiastic" Evening Journal, 1897.
I may have goggles on when it comes to West Lakes.
Every time I played it was for a Westfield Charity Day.
So many choppers, 6 hour round and 40 degrees every time.
Once you go yellow, you will never go back
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