SA 'heaps good' Course thread

[DaveK]

If you join The Vines, Blackwood, Flagstaff Hill, Mount Osmond, Tee Tree Gully or West Lakes, using the 'Club Advantage Card' that comes with the membership you get to play each of the other courses 3 times during the year! (BTW: I am at The Vines)

Yeah, the club advantage is a good sweetener. Even though i didn't get it when i was at Ozzy because i was still technically a "junior" member (Did avoid the joining fee though).
The thing i'm struggling with is the referee, because i don't know anyone who plays at these any more.
To be honest, that was the main thing i joined this for was to ask; Do clubs still require a new member to have a referee? Most of the application forms i've looked at say you need one.

[nadg63]

Yeah, the club advantage is a good sweetener. Even though i didn't get it when i was at Ozzy because i was still technically a "junior" member (Did avoid the joining fee though).
The thing i'm struggling with is the referee, because i don't know anyone who plays at these any more.
To be honest, that was the main thing i joined this for was to ask; Do clubs still require a new member to have a referee? Most of the application forms i've looked at say you need one.

Not these days, clubs in that tier are after every member they can get; but if it's The Vines you go with I can be your referee/seconder.

[DaveK]

Not these days, clubs in that tier are after every member they can get

That's what i thought?
The Vines would be about a 25-30 minute drive from the CBD, wouldn't it?

[nadg63]

That's what i thought?
The Vines would be about a 25-30 minute drive from the CBD, wouldn't it?

Yes, at the weekend the non-expressway would be running in the correct direction too to get there (ok for me, only live <10mins away)

[DaveK]

Does anyone know how Flagstaff Hill holds up over winter?
I imagine it would get boggier than places like the Vines or Blackwood, but how bad does it get?
They have a 18 months for the price of 12 on at the moment, but being an unashamed not-rainy-weather golfer, the condition of the course is one of the biggest factors in how much i would be motivated to play over winter.

[Chris32]

I've never heard of people saying it gets boggy in winter. Highercombe and Mt Osmond get pretty bad though

[nadg63]

Does anyone know how Flagstaff Hill holds up over winter?
I imagine it would get boggier than places like the Vines or Blackwood, but how bad does it get?
They have a 18 months for the price of 12 on at the moment, but being an unashamed not-rainy-weather golfer, the condition of the course is one of the biggest factors in how much i would be motivated to play over winter.

Of the 3 courses you mention I reckon Blackwood suffers the most from rain, gets more rainfall up in the hills!

Have you played Flaggy? Be prepared for the longest rounds of your life - it's so bloody slow around there

[DaveK]

I've played Blackwood in the wet and i thought it held up well. I played Flagstaff a fair bit as a kid, but that was 10 years ago now (wow, that makes me feel old). I heard that they've made some pretty big changes to the back 9 since then?
I imagine the Vines drains really well, being so sandy

[mrbluu]

guys I will be in Adelaide this week, where are open comps? I'm looking to get a game in on Monday and Thursday mornings. Cheers

[pingmanjas]

Which side of town you staying on?

[mrbluu]

Which side of town you staying on?

I'm staying on the north side but happy to travel.

[pingmanjas]

Gawler 45 mins from adel and Barossa Valley 1 hr from adel both run
Comps on a Thursday.

[mrbluu]

Gawler 45 mins from adel and Barossa Valley 1 hr from adel both run
Comps on a Thursday.

can you play on thursday?

[marcel]

mrbluu,

Gawler is about 30 mins from Mawson Lakes and a very good course

[thecollective]

New to the forum, been active on the others, great to see an S.A course thread.

thought I would share my two cents worth:
I grew up on Gawler GC, It has some fantastic land and a great variation of different holes: my favorites are 7,8 and 11. The course is currently experiencing hard financial times and its current condition no where near its best. Gawler also gets let down by some poor green structures and wacky golf architecture; 18 can be best described as a sausage roll, the 2nd green was unplayable until the re-development in 2000 and the greens on 1 and 10 are incredibly flat and narrow making it hard to stop the ball on a severely downhill sloped fairway. The 4th is a 110 metre par 3 - the idea is to bunt it off the cliff to an enormous green, many members have complained about this hole to no avail.

Blackwood GC has the nicest membership in the state and I would highly recommend it. I have never met a bad member at this club! Back nine has some superb holes.

Mt Gambier is a very under-rated course. Its back nine is sublime and has similar great land to that of Gawler. This course has wonderful fairways and takes advantage of a great undulating site, I believe it is almost as good as Tasmania GC pending some changes.

Links Lady Bay is an amazing links layout; its only weakness being a stretch of holes on the back nine which falls on different land at the back of the course (13-16). 17 is a world class Par 3 and 18 a fantastic closing hole, I stand by this course in all its glory as being a pure gem. I have come across many who think differently.

TC

[dspavin]

Hi guys, a bit off topic, but needed some South Aussie perspective. Anyone recommend a good instructor in SA to get some lessons from? I live in Andrews Farm, but willing to travel, just not too far South. Any help appreciated. Cheers in advance

[thecollective]

Troy Lane @ Flagstaff Hill is the guy you want to see, I know a number of PGA graduates on the pro am scene that take lessons off him

Voted best coach in S.A 5 times, definitely worth the drive

More info here:http://www.fhgc.com.au/guests/golf/proshop.mhtml

[Hatchman]

Hi guys, a bit off topic, but needed some South Aussie perspective. Anyone recommend a good instructor in SA to get some lessons from? I live in Andrews Farm, but willing to travel, just not too far South. Any help appreciated. Cheers in advance

It really depends on what sort of level your currently playing at. Some are better with players at the higher end of the handicap scale than others and vice versa.
I found Chris Holliday to quite good. Kept it fairly simple. I was a mid single figure Hcp at the time. He's now at West Lakes Golf Club (used to be called Riverside)

I've never had a lesson with Gary Masters at Regency Park but had heaps of mates who were off mid to low teens at the time have lessons form many pros and all said he was best for them. Shoot Catch22 a PM as he was booked to have a lesson with Gary recently.
These two have been around for awhile and I've only just taken the game up again after a 6yr holiday so may be out of touch with who the recommended guns in S.A are.

Keep us up dated and let us know who you go with and how they worked for you.

[fireblade]

Troy Lane @ Flagstaff Hill is the guy you want to see, I know a number of PGA graduates on the pro am scene that take lessons off him

Voted best coach in S.A 5 times, definitely worth the drive

More info here:http://www.fhgc.com.au/guests/golf/proshop.mhtml

i hear his job is up for tender....looks like he may be on the move soon.

[catch22]

Yep, had 3 lessons from Gary now (got a groupon thingy worked out to about $30 a lesson or so)

Seems to watch you and just fix your faults rather than rebuilding your swing from scratch ... seems to work so far for me anyway, have dropped a few strokes since I've had lessons with him (although I usually go worse just after a lesson, then get better after I practice a bit). (I'm off 13 atm, was off ~18-19 before)

Only negative is that the driving range area at regency is not long enough to swing a driver (although he let me hit a couple when there was no one on the oval behind).

I've never had a lesson with anyone else in Adelaide so cant really compare though!

[Hatchman]

Conversations with good friends that are on single figures and have had lessons with Troy give me the impression he's more for the single figure and below golfer IMHO.

[dspavin]

Thanks for the input guys. Some friends have said to give Simon MacWhirter a go. I'm mid cap, looking to go back to single digits after a break from golf.

[coalesce]

Time to resurrect another thread in the hope of stimulating some of the SA contingent - who knows, eventually we might have a champs?!

Anyway, I'm due to be playing at Gawler for the first time this weekend. What should I be expecting?

[Hatchman]

Gawler has always been a good course. Haven't played it for about 8 years so have no idea what sort of nick it is in these days. There is a mixture of old tight tree lined holes and newer more open holes. Greens vary from small predominately flat to the large with tiers and swales. There's quite a few bunkers filled with soft powdery sand. Water can come into play on a number of holes.
Most holes a played going up or down changes in gradient.

[talbo]

If you're talking about Sandy Creek, then it's a great course! My favourite!

Some great driving holes and some pretty tricky fast greens. Hole 2 is probably the hardest par 3 holes I've played although this time of year will slow the green. Water will definitely come into play and there's potentially a lot of trouble for missing fairways but overall it's a great challenge and I think you'll like it.