The Dunes Port Hughes on Public Holiday Jan 27

[Hatchman]

Putting it out there to see if there's any interest in a game at The Dunes Port Hughes on the Public Holiday Monday January 27.
On their online booking site there's currently 4 early TEE Times available 9:10, 9:20, 9:30 and 9:40. There nothing earlier.
Next times are 12:10 and after.

It's $60 for 18 holes.

Is anyone interested? Would like firm commitments to book something by no later than Friday if the early slots are still available.

Update Fri 23 @ 09:50
Booking has been made for 9:10am
1. Hatchman
2. Hardpan
3. Paul
4. ??

[Hard_Pan]

Interested. Pencil for now. I'll make some enquiries today and let you know asap.

[Hard_Pan]

OK. Esteemed RNHGC member Todd and myself are in. Book away!

[Hatchman]

Booking has been made for 9:10am
1 more spots available.

1. Hatchman
2. Hardpan
3. Paul
4.

[Hard_Pan]

Todd was texting me from doctor's waiting room. Said yes to the round. Went in and computer said no.. Badly torn muscle in his side.. Now he said he's out for 4 weeks.

[Hatchman]

Booking was made for 9:10am for 3 players.


1. Hatchman
2. Hardpan
3. Paul
4.

[Hard_Pan]

Got someone to replace Todd.

[Hatchman]

Course was in very good condition and a pleasure to play. Fairways completely covered in a carpet of couch. I’d forgot how wide and generous the width of them is. Greens were sneaky quick and true. Some had some repair sections in them but no where near the pins in play.
1 club wind for the first 6-7 holes then it picked up and was brutal in typical Port Hughes Dunes style going back into the wind on the back nine.
Thanks HP & Todd for a good day.

[Hatchman]

[Hatchman]

[Benje]

Hatch (and others)

What are your thoughts of The Dunes Port Hughes vs Lady Bay and vs Mt Compass?
It is only 9 holes, but with the different pins and an option for moving up/back on tees the holes can play quite differently second time round.

I really like Port Hughes and think it is an excellent example of a country 9 hole course making the most of their market/money.
Full marks for the initial work Bob Harrison did in working out how the effluent could provide the necessary irrigation.

Benje

[Hatchman]

A very good topic for discussion to compare the 3.
My order of preference/like would be.
1. Mount Compass
2. The Dunes Port Hughes
3. Links Lady Bay

Mount Compass is a great course that challenges you with its design. I’ve played a lot of courses and this place I’ve found rewards you when striking it well like no other. On the flip side it bites and bites you hard when you stuff up and in the wrong place. You don’t have to stuff up much to be bitten sometimes .
If I could change anything about Mount Compass it would be to cut some of the yum yums further back to give it more width before the severe penalty. This is purely from a weekend choppers view on getting repeat green fees business to survive.

The Dunes Port Hughes is exposed to stronger winds on a regular basis compared to the other 2 and they both get windy. They were very smart with the design in giving a ton of width before getting into the nasty stuff. Fairways are easily 3x the width of just about every course you will play in S.A. It’s hard enough playing in strong wind without trying to land drives on a ribbon. This course is the most friendly of the 3 for the weekend chopper. The trash can be just as penal as the other 2 but it takes a worse shot to get there on most occasions.

Links Lady Bay comes with a rating and hype in the top 100 I’ve never really understood. The funky holes of 13, 14 especially, 15 and 16 let the whole course down massively. If the back nine was more like the front nine maybe the view would be different. It feels like it has a little more width than Compass and the trash may not be quite as brutal as Compass as well. It just doesn’t excite this golfer as much as Compass does.

For a weekend chopper The Dunes Port Hughes is the best value for money atm.
The other 2 have now priced themselves at a point in the Adelaide Golf market where “is it fun to spend a fair portion of your day looking for balls with the snakes. Do you want to do that a few more times during the year at the $ asked? It may be ok for the travelling/holiday one time experience player but repeat visitor not so much.

[Benje]

Port Hughes is the longest drive (not so bad if you are in the northern suburbs).

How do you judge the greens, the fairways?
I find Pt Hughes has the best 'pure' fairway grass whilst Mt Compass has the best turf to actually hit a shot from (partly due to the sand lying beneath). Lady Bay comes third.
As for greens, I suspect that Port Hughes is the least old, whereas Mt Compass and Lady Bay are 25 years old and with renovations occurring infrequently.

Port Hughes is like Grange East with no trees/rough, Lady Bay is like so many daily fee facilities in Victoria and Mt Compass is surprisingly unique.
Hatch talks about the yum yums (I call them 'cousin Its') and some fairways are quite narrow (eg 6, 7, 10, 11, 13 and 15) but the approaches to the greens are quite generous which suits the clientele.

Yes, an interesting discussion.

Benje

[Hatchman]

Distance/time wise The Dunes Port Hughes is the furthest away from Saint Agnes where I am now.
The break down is as follows:
1hr 8min to Mount Compass
1hr 27min to Links Lady Bay
1hr 57min to The Dunes Port Hughes
Of all the drives to those courses I dislike the one to Links Lady Bay the most as you always tend to get stuck behind some Sunday driver going way under the limit and have no way to get past. It’s a frustrating drive most of the time tbh.

As for fairways and greens.
The Dunes Port Hughes has by far the best and truest greens hands down. I know they roll theirs while I’m confident the others don’t. Im guessing it gets a little less traffic which would help.
The Dunes Port Hughes has the best grass coverage on the fairways too. On well struck short iron you’ll take a clean flap of turf out from your divot at the other two where at The Dunes Port Hughes it’s more likely to be a little ragged.

[DMG]

Haven't played Dunes, but I would go Compass every day of the week before LLB. The back 9 (well, most of it) just kills the good vibes of the front, and to be honest I'm not even sure what the fuss is about on the front.

Only problem with Compass is the cost, as has been spoken about loads already. Yes, you can lose a sh*tload of balls when you play at my level (trash), but I'm still using secondhand 'found' balls so don't really care. Having said that, last time I played there I didn't lose one! I'm basically ready for the tour. Oh, and I've also shot my best ever round at Compass, so perhaps I'm biased.

Anyway, sounds like I need to make the drive up to the Dunes for a smash! Do they do different tee boxes for each 9, or just back around again like North Haven?

[Hatchman]

Anyway, sounds like I need to make the drive up to the Dunes for a smash! Do they do different tee boxes for each 9, or just back around again like North Haven?

Should/could of joined us on Monday

Exactly same Tee blocks.
Play to different flags on large greens.
Black Flags front 9
Red Flags back 9
To paint a picture for you. When playing the 8th hole (Black Flag) the Red Flag position was about 10-12 foot from the front edge. I was pin high to that flag and had a 30m putt to my Black Flag at the back of the green.

Unless you want to feel inadequate playing into the wind when it gets up play off the Gold blocks not the Black.





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[DMG]

Should/could of joined us on Monday

Agreed. Once again I saw the post too late! I played Mt Lofty (Stirling) on Sunday though, so may not have managed 2 in as many days.

[hippo10]

I played Port Hughes a couple of weeks ago for the first time and really enjoyed it. Not sure where I'd rate it compared to MtCompass and LLB, would like to play it another couple of times to see what it's like in some other wind conditions. Talking to a few of the members, they will sometimes play the second nine from a different set of tees as well as to the second set of flags.

[Hatchman]

I played Port Hughes a couple of weeks ago for the first time and really enjoyed it. Not sure where I'd rate it compared to MtCompass and LLB, would like to play it another couple of times to see what it's like in some other wind conditions. Talking to a few of the members, they will sometimes play the second nine from a different set of tees as well as to the second set of flags.

Wonder if they using Reds or Black for something different?
Black when the wind is up is brutal. Been there done that.

[hippo10]

Wonder if they using Reds or Black for something different?
Black when the wind is up is brutal. Been there done that.

The morning I played it was a 2-3 club wind and it was hard enough off the golds... It played into the wind for the first 3 which my playing partner said was pretty unusual.