[PCCraig]

That looks amazing.

Jim,

I think your point of this being a "second" Bandon is a good one. If there are 4 courses built there, coupled with Melborne being so close, would make this a prime destination for American Golfers. (Check out Barnbougle's website and the cabins you stay in, how neat!)

I hope the course is completed within the next two years before my planned NZ, Aus, Taz golf trip.

[TEPaul]

Would you just look at that last photograph?!?!

What the Hell!!!!

That looks to me like Tasmania's Mother Nature must be some kinda Rees or TomF 1980s and 1990s "containment mounding" fan on steriods!!   


BILL, if you see this thread call me immediately because we gotta talk some really cool alternative concept for that landform than what it at first appears to call for. Off the top of my head I'd say go for a long and massive natural sand waste area along most of the middle of that flat portion and let's talk about some really wild "Kicker" fairway area on both of those slopes on either side with a bit of winding flattish fairway strips on either side of the big massive flat sand waste area in the middle.

I'm talking some really distinct and wild tee shot options and alternate strategies here Bill. Now don't you dare miss a unique opportunity like that natural landform and do something dumb like basically put fairway in the middle.

Have they got any kind of like felcro-type indigenous fairway grass down there in Tasmania Bill? Just imagine the incredible lies one could get if they had to actually play the ball off of fairway area on those banks. One heroic strategic option could be to pull-hook or push-slice the ball off of one bank over to the other side and ricochet the ball right on to the green. That landform offers a totally unique conceptual opportunity in its basic natural form so do not blow this hole, Bill.

Do you guys realize that both Ben and Bill claim they don't even know how to turn on a computer and don't ever want to learn? Under the circumstances that might be considered to be a very good thing! 

 

[Josh Smith]

Bill C. just accepted my friend request on Facebook.

[Tom_Doak]

Tom P:  I hate to object, but a long and natural sand waste area in that latitude would quickly devour the whole northeast corner of Tasmania.  It is Windy there.

Tom H:  I guarantee you, it is not as simple as just mowing out the grass that is already there.  Part of it is putting the puzzle pieces together correctly, and part is the strategizing of the golf holes, but a big part of it in Tasmania is just wrestling with Nature to get the holes built.  Did I mention it was Windy there?

Incidentally, I saw Mike Keiser in Bandon this week on his way back from Tasmania ... he is the only person out there who is comparing the two new courses, and he finds it a point of humor that one is called "Old Macdonald" and the other is "The Lost Farm".

[Jonathan Cummings]

One thing that can be problematic down there is the wind. Finding holes that will work with the wind velocity they can get there has to be tricky. The land is fabulous from what I have heard.

Not true.

This is seaside linksland with the majority of the natural dunes parallelling the nearby shoreline.  The holes will mostly fit inside these dunes which means they too will mostly parallel the shore.  Barnbougle is much like this.

Tom D can correct me but I don't believe a lot of adjustment to the new holes will be attempted due to wind issues.

JC

[Ash Towe]

The new course is going to make Barnbougle a golf destination, especially when it is combined with Mike Clayton's development at Musselroe Bay which I believe is just up the coast.

[ed_getka]

Jonathan,
   I have only been to Barnbougle once and we had some pretty severe weather, but I don't believe for a second that the wind isn't an issue in laying out a golf course on that property.

[Tom_Doak]

Jonathan,

The new property is different ... part of it is a big valley (the Lost Farm itself) without dunes running both sides as tightly as most of the first course has.  So, I think they might have a couple more crosswind holes than we did.

The strip of dunes for the first course was so narrow that it was pretty much impossible to get holes playing north and south.

[Garland Bayley]

It's good to see those guys posed in front of the future skyline green to beat all skyline greens!

[Charlie Goerges]

More like a spaceline green 

[Jonathan Cummings]

Jonathan,

The new property is different ... part of it is a big valley (the Lost Farm itself) without dunes running both sides as tightly as most of the first course has.  So, I think they might have a couple more crosswind holes than we did.

The strip of dunes for the first course was so narrow that it was pretty much impossible to get holes playing north and south.

Okay - thanks for the update.  But to address Ed's comment how much do you think Coore is considering wind in his routing?  I'll bet it's a minor consideration as compared to folding his holes into the natural features of the land regardless of their direction.

JC

[Tom_Doak]

Jonathan:

Actually, I think Bill and Ben think about the wind a lot MORE than most architects, at least in how they set up their holes.  If there is a left-to-right crosswind, they will pretty much always make it a helping crosswind, turning the hole slightly left-to-right and guarding the right front of the green with a bunker while leaving the left front open.

[Jim Nugent]

Tom Doak, is there good land there for more courses? 

[TEPaul]

"Tom P:  I hate to object, but a long and natural sand waste area in that latitude would quickly devour the whole northeast corner of Tasmania.  It is Windy there."


TomD:

Good! If Mother Nature in the northeast corner of Tasmania has a large apetite, I say let her eat! Let's also hope Mother Nature has a pretty good sense of humor too because that's the way I meant it.

[Tom_Doak]

Jim N:

I don't think Richard Sattler owns much more land along the coast.  However, once you go inland a little bit the land heads up onto a plateau, and there is some cool land up there for a heathland-like course (or three).  One of these years I hope to check it out in more detail.

[Scott Warren]

Does anyone have an update on how this is progressing?

I'm back in Aus at the end of 2010 and I'm hoping it will be open so I can check out Barny Dunes and The Lost Farm together.

[Mike_Clayton]

Scott,

It will be well open by the time you are home - and it looks fantastic.
It will be a brilliant place to spend a few days hanging out and playing golf.

[George Pazin]

Thanks for the good news, Mike.

[Eric Smith]

see it here http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithrhebb/sets/72157612084642543/?page=3

[Scott Warren]

Scott,

It will be well open by the time you are home - and it looks fantastic.
It will be a brilliant place to spend a few days hanging out and playing golf.

Awesome news, Mike. Thanks.

[Michael Dugger]

Those images from Keith Rhebb look incredible.

I'm salivating.....

[Ian Andrew]

I'll be out there in mid-November.
I'll take some photos when I walk the course.

Bill had mentioned this spring that he thought they would be finishing up around November.
I'm not sure what the schedule is like now - but we were going to try and get together if the timing was right.

[Rob Rigg]

Unbelievable photos - can't wait to see some more after the course opens up.

The question is - How can one get a hallpass from the boss to check this place out?!?!?

Looks like they will have two all world courses - starting to sound a little Bandon'ish.

[Warwick Loton]

Lost Farm update.

We were down there recently, and spotted Bill Coore on site (on 19th October). At that stage the final fairway was about to be seeded. We were told that the established turf - some has been down 6 months - was in the process of being mowed for the first time. Essentially the golf course is complete, and just has to grow-in.

The scheduled opening date is 1 September 2010. The reason for the delay is that they intend to construct buildings and other infrastraucture before the official opening.

From what we could see the actual course looks fabulous, and features some monumentally large bunkers cut into the sides of big dunes. Interestingly, the course includes some cross-wind holes. (When we later asked a staff member about this, he explained that 6 or 7 holes will play cross-wind.) Barnbougle Dunes' holes play pretty close to upwind or down-wind (in relation to the prevailing winds) and so this would be a significant point of differentiation between the two courses.

[Emil Weber]

Thanks for the update! Did you just go there and walk the property? How did you get there,  by swimming through the estuary ?

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