RACV Club Healesville

[Chris Kane]

I went out for a look at the  RACV Club at Healesville on Tuesday with Mike Clayton and Brian Walshe (and his son), where Clayton Golf Design is rebuilding the course.

At 5000m, it presented an opportunity for Michael Cocking (who I understand has been given a free hand there) to try some things which might not be so well received on a course of conventional length. 

The result is a course which will stun those who venture out to play it.  It was in no way "on the radar" in times gone past (I had no idea there was even a course there) - but when it opens it will be, for many, the most fun course to play in Melbourne.  Being so short, its full of short par-fours and fives - I commented to Mike on the way home that Healesville has all the exciting holes, without the longer holes which give length but aren't as fun to play.

I think the bunkering is sensational, and Healesville might possess the best set of greens built in Australia since the second world war.  I can't think of anything else which comes close.

















They've also constructed a "short course", which has four greens to hit at:



I should also pay tribute to the shapers, the unsung heroes of this exceptional course!

[Matthew Mollica]

Looks great Chris. Thanks for posting the pics.

Is the second to last image the 18th green? If so, any more pics of it?

Looking fwd to more commentary (and a visit) to this course soon.

MM

[Andrew Summerell]

Thanks Chris,

I was going to ask if anyone took photos.

The creek from the 3rd & 4th photo has a similarity to the 1st green at Peninsula South. It's a shame we don't see more green complexes like that, especially on holes that only require a short approach.

It seems there is only one company in Australia designing greens like this.

[Richard Boult]

added to our gca photo tour directory at:

http://delicious.com/golfclubatlas/Australia

[Tyler Kearns]

I remember Michael Clayton talking about this project when I met him a few years past, and I would like to commend him & Michael Cocking for what looks to be a fun golf course.  I am sure many may overlook a course measuring only 5000m, but I think it is these types of facilities that will be a boon to golf in the future.  With strategic bunkering & challenging green contours, a course of this length can still present a challenge, and with many short fours & fives will likely yield more thought from the tee than the usual 7000m design.

Keep up the great work!

TK

[Matthew Delahunty]

Thanks for the pics, Chris.

It looks like a course which will be very playable for the occasional golfer yet interesting/fun for the better golfers among us.

[Mark Bourgeois]

I think the bunkering is sensational, and Healesville might possess the best set of greens built in Australia since the second world war.  I can't think of anything else which comes close.

Barnbougle?

[Chris Kane]

Barnbougle?

...has a fantastic set of greens.  But I think Healesville is on a whole new level.

[Mike_Clayton]

Chris,

I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Mike has done an amazing job completely rebuilding a course that was always pretty but was never taken seriously in Melbourne.
It's 5500 yards the aim was to make a course where Geoff Ogilvy, his dad and his mum could play off the same tees and all really enjoy it.
There are enough really fun shots on and around the greens for Geoff to enjoy it - as well as a couple of long 3s, short but interesting 4s and a couple of longish two-shotters to give him some difficult long shots.

The interesting thing to me is that there has always been a conventional wisdom in Melbourne that it was only possible to build great looking bunkers in sand.
That is not surprising given how good the bunkering is on the sandbelt and how poor it is away from those courses.
Mike Cocking has shown it is possible to build beautiful bunkers in clay and along with his greens this should be a really fun place to play.

The short course is interesting - four holes between 110 and 140 yards but you can play from anywhere to anywhere. The shot from the 4th tee to the 1st green is about 230 yards and it's a fantastic place to practice almost any shot you could find on the course - or most others.

[Tom_Doak]

Wow, that is weird ... a couple of the holes look like deja vu versions of the nine-hole Aetna Springs course we built in California at almost the same time. 

I wish I had some pictures to post for comparison, but the third and fourth photos are VERY similar to the first at Aetna Springs, from the stream bisecting the fairway and curving in front of the green, to the contours of the green itself.

The setting up against the hills is also quite similar.

[Mike_Clayton]

Tom,

That hole - the 15th -  was a 520 yard par five that we broke up into two to make a short five and a par three (it replaced the horrible uphill, blind par 3 17th) The new 16th (the green is in the back right of the photo) is a short par three with the same creek working across the front of the green.

The hole from the 15th tee to the 16th green is a really good par five - and obviously easily played for those who chose to.

There are a few who have said these sort of courses have a future - they are perfect for kids and shorter hitters who don't want to play a series of holes they never have a chance of reaching in regulation. It will be interesting to see how popular this one is.
Given the RACV (Royal Automobile Club of Victoria) has a huge statewide membership it should do very well.

Matt.

The second last photo is the 18th. It is about 310 yards with a lot of options.

[Matthew Mollica]

Brian was in raptures telling me of the 18th gren Mike.
Was the boomerang shaped original 9th at Augusta National any sort of inspiration?

These sorts of courses have a really important place in golf IMHO.

Where else can you go with young kids who are learning the game, and both the competent golfing parent and young kid starting out in the game experiencing the same degree of enjoyment. In an environment where shorter hitters, and/or less accomplished golfers are not frowned upon?

Burnley Brighton or Healsville? I know where I'd rather go...

MM

[Mike_Clayton]

Matt,

The original 9th green at Augusta looked a little like it but the bunker at the Healesville green eats up almost into the middle of the green with the wings coming back on either side.

[Chris Kane]

Matt, here are two more shots of the 18th green.  The shape is so unusual that I wasn't able to capture it well!





Four of us walked the course on Tuesday - if the same foursome went back for a game, I expect we'd have a ball.  It offers something for Simon Walshe (young beginner) all the way through to Mike Clayton (professional), from the same set of tees.  And a kid learning to play here would develop an unbelievable short game!

[Andrew Bertram]

Mike

the course looks a lot of fun. I ws chatting with Brian Hiscock about it last week and he was very impressed with how it was turning out.

Very impressed with the green and bunker shapes.

Andrew

[Paul_Daley]

Clayts and crew: nice work in transforming this place; it should be very well accepted in the marketplace. Everyone sees diferent things: I see a lot of Peninsula South in the Healseville works --- but in a completely different setting. Best of luck with it.


 

[Sean_A]

Wow, this looks a peach.  Are there any more pix?  Also, are there any old pix to compare?

Ciao

[Brian Walshe]

Healesville is extremely impressive and is likely to make an impact for a couple of reasons.  Firstly it is short, really shot at just over 5000m, yet it will probably be appreciated just as much by a long hitting low marker as a short hitting 25 marker.  Every hole is manageable and it really is the "shorter, more fun" course that people have talked so much about.

The second reason it will get a lot of attention are it's green complexes.  There isn't a bad or even average one out there and there is a couple that are absolutely stunning, with a ton of movement and the opportunity for some wicked pin postions.  The best word to discribe them is "fun", with 6 or 7 greens where most of the guys on this site would hold up the field for a couple of hours while they mucked around working out how to get the ball to various spots.   Oh and as you can see from the photos, the bunkering is exceptional.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Barnbougle?

...has a fantastic set of greens.  But I think Healesville is on a whole new level.

Chris -- and / or anyone who's got the moxie -- how about a head-to-head, greeno a greeno, comparison?  In order or matching par 3s to 3s, 4s to 4s, etc.

Mark

[Chris Kane]

Chris -- and / or anyone who's got the moxie -- how about a head-to-head, greeno a greeno, comparison?  In order or matching par 3s to 3s, 4s to 4s, etc.

Mark, I don't think such an exercise is a fair exercise.  Matching the holes would be almost impossible, because Healesville is 5000m, while Barnbougle is 6200m.   In addition, greens are a product of the hole they are a part of: you can't judge the quality of a green without considering its relationship with the rest of the hole.  A hole-by-hole comparison would see Barnbougle win in a landslide, but that wasn't the point of the thread!

[Shane Gurnett]

Chris, how often can a short knocker like me expect to get the driver out of the bag? Or am I going to be hitting hybrids and 7 woods off the tees on all these short 4's and 5's? That doesn't sound like much fun to me.

Shane

[Jon Wiggett]

Chris, how often can a short knocker like me expect to get the driver out of the bag? Or am I going to be hitting hybrids and 7 woods off the tees on all these short 4's and 5's? That doesn't sound like much fun to me.

Shane

Shane,

your question is like asking how long is a piece of string? Depends on the piece of string I guess. If you find hitting driver most of the time is more fun then hit it off every tee even the short par 3s. If your good enough you will still hit the green.

I do however understand your point. I would point out, that in my experience most of the best short par 4 and 5 holes do tempt you to go for it and that is what makes them interesting/challenging/fun.

[Mike_Clayton]

Shane,

Every hole, other than the dogleg right par 4 1st and the par 3s, is a driver if you want to hit it.
There is plenty of room but you still have to go to the right part of the fairway to get the best line to the pin.

[Kevin Pallier]

Love the look of the greens and the hole with that snakeing stream.

When is is slated for "official" opening ? and any idea of anticipated green fees ?

[Mike_Clayton]

Kevin.

The course should be open about this time next year although the members are playing most of the back nine already.