[Adam Lowes]

I promised Scott Warren this thread a long time ago. I am far from a GCA expert, I am talking from a golfers perspective only. I know Matt Day and Matthew Mollica have also played the layout and can add any comments or criticisms required.

Kennedy Bay Links is a great layout set in the coastal dunes 40 mins south of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. It is often ranked in the top few public courses in Australia, and would arguably rate in the best two courses in the state alongside Lake Karrinyup. It is often regarded to have the best set of par 3's in Perth. It has a good mix of par 4's, and the par 5's are solid. The only weakness in my opinion is the lack of a reachable par 5 for moderate hitters in normal conditions. An overview of the course can be seen here:

The course was designed by Ian Baker-Finch, Roger MacKay and Michael Coate and was opened in 2000. Kennedy Bay features 115 small pot bunkers throughout the course. For those who are not aware, Perth is one of the worlds windiest cities with a very predictable afternoon S/SW sea breeze. The course is designed so the back 9 plays 4 holes downwind and 5 holes back into the headwind. Makes for a very challenging finish to your round. However, the course features wide fairways and large greens. It is dry all year round. The fairways are hard and fast and you will find yourself with some very tight lies around the greens. If you look at the above picture, you can see the front 9 starting next to the water reservoir and playing towards the foreground in the photo. The back 9, primarily runs up and down some dunes closer to the ocean.

The course is par 72. The course rating from the tips is the equal highest in all of Australia. The course measures around 6420m/7020 yards from the tips, and around 6000m/6600 yards from the members tees. The photos have all been taken from the tips, so I will talk of the course from this point of view.

1st hole, Sunrise, 400 yards

A nice opener. Plenty of fairway. Bunkers right starting at 250 yards, bunker left at 300 yards. There is water down the right side as per the above photo showing the entire course. Depending on the breeze, it is driver or 3 wood for most (normal) golfers. As with the whole course, the fairways are hard and fast, so in a tail wind, club selection must change accordingly. A moderate hitter can easily manage a 300 yard drive down wind in strong breeze.

The approach from a well positioned drive:

A big first green as well, with 2 pot bunkers front left and drop off on the right hand side. To give you an idea of green sizes, this green is a fairly typical Kennedy Bay green and measures 31 yards wide and 47 yards deep.



2nd hole, Mineswept, 390 yards

Similar length to the first hole, a slight dog leg left. Bunkers placed 260-270 yards from the tee. An ideal drive plays short of these traps.

The approach from a well positioned drive:

A well guarded, slightly elevated green, which can be reached with a low running shot, but ideally is asking the golfer to slightly over club the approach.



3rd hole, Hidden, 178 yards

A large mound protects the front of the green and makes a pin position on the right close to blind. The green slopes front to back and feeds the ball toward the centre of the green. A large greenside bunker left is there for golfers who get too aggressive to a left side pin placement, or those who do not know how to use the contours of this hole. Normally take 1/2 to 1 less club to allow for the extra roll.

This is taken from the right side of the green beyond the mound:

And from back left:


4th hole, Hell, 572 yards

A fairly open fairway that stretches around to the right in the picture. Bunkers are placed on the right side 280-290 yards from the tee. A sand dune runs down the right side of this hole.

After a good drive, a golfer must negotiate the "Hell" bunker. The largest bunker on the course that pays tribute to the original Hell bunker. It is in the direct line for those wanting to go for the green in 2. The front of the green is open and encourages a long approach to run up onto the bottom tier of the 2 tier green.
The second shot from a well struck tee shot (I found the bunker):

A closer look at Hell bunker, the green directly over it. Hell is positioned between 90-110 yards from the green.

There is a generous bail out area left, for those who want to leave a short approach in.


5th hole, Thread the Needle, 461 yards

An aptly named hole. The longest par 4 on the course. Staggered bunkers on both sides of the fairway, starting at 235 yards left, then 260 yards right, then 290 yards left and 315 yards right.

Following this, a challenging approach awaits to a slightly elevated green that is heavily bunkered right. These bunkers should be avoided at all costs. There is plenty of room right, as the 5th green joins the 7th green to form the only double green on the course.

This aerial photo shows the double green at the end of 5 and gives a good look at the contours surrounding #5 and #7.


Walking away from this hole with a par is an excellent achievement for any golfer.

6th hole, Lookout, 215 yards

Possibly the toughest par 3 I have played. The wind can often be blowing in your face, making this a very tough challenge from the tips, especially if hole #5 has just shown you who's boss.

Elevated green, deep bunkers right. A low running shot is possible, and is the smartest shot when the wind is up. The contours of the land left of the green just above the traps will kick the ball onto the green, making a high cut off the left bunkers another good option into this 2 tier green.


7th hole, Temptation, 313 yards

An excellent short par 4 and a favourite of many members. With the normal prevailing breeze, this hole plays downwind, and for long hitters is reachable with a strong drive. Carry the LH fairway bunker 220 yards from the tee and the ball often runs right up to the green.

However, as you can see from the aerial photo above (in description of the 5th), the green is not very deep and is elevated which makes an up and down for birdie for the long hitters far from a certainty. Being short of the green here often takes a wedge out of your hands and forces the golfer to take putter.

This photo is looking from the LHS approximately 220y from the tee.

A safer option of driving down the RHS and leaving a pitch in opens up and green and gives the golfer the added forgiveness of the 5th green if the pitch is slightly too long, seen here. There are bunkers right approximately 265 yards from the tee, be sure to lay up in front of these.

RHS of the green


8th hole, Roger's Best, 545 yards

If the wind remains in your back, this hole has an option of playing aggressively and getting home in 2. Bunkers on the LHS approximately 270 yards from the tee and a large landing area to the right of these. Those playing aggressively need to run the drive down the right side, but anything too far right runs into all sorts of trouble with the vegetation.

A well positioned drive:

A conservative drive gives the golfer the option of a lay up, as a second set of bunkers bottleneck in the fairway approximately 130 yards from the green. There is a large landing area over these bunkers that opens up the green for a small pitch shot and a very solid birdie opportunity.
Lay up territory on the second shot:

Or the landing area closer to the green:

For the aggressive golfer, a line to the green is over the grass trees on the right of the hole shown in the photos above. However, this side of the green is heavily bunkered, so one much choose wisely. A very large green awaits. This hole is far from easy, but is indexed as the 2nd easiest on the course. It gives the golfer options, and with a few well executed shots is one of the best places on the front 9 to pick up a shot.
The greenside area on the right:


Hole 9, Coate Hanger, 448 yards.

Recently voted "the hardest hole in Western Australia" and I will not disagree. Tough driving hole, tough approach into a large but tough green. Hard to see the bunkers from the tee, but they are there!!

A diagonal stretch of bunkers makes a drive of 250-260 yards towards the bunkers the smartest option off the tee. There is a paddock to the right, but this option leaves a very long approach. A closer look at the bunkering:


The ideal lay up area:


From here, a well positioned drive, the golfer is left with around 180 yards to the green, but often has the wind in ones face. Bunkers right and scrub left. This shot is a real knee knocker into a 3 club breeze! A low running shot is a good option.

Just short of the green:

And looking back on the green.... and the front 9.


I will continue the tour with the back 9 sometime soon......

[Rob Rigg]

This looks like a fun but challenging course to play - like the F&F conditions and the room to play the ground game on a bunch of holes. Thanks for sharing.

[Matt Day]

good stuff Adam

my only criticism is the fairway bunkering on nine, its pretty penal on a long par 4 with the second playing into the wind and drivers not an option

[Adam Lowes]

Matt, tend to agree. From the tips driver is an option. You are a freak hitter so that must be taken into account.

I think they could lose the final 1-2 bunkers and improve the hole. That being said, it is a different style of bunkering (diagonal orientation) to anywhere else on the course and I like that fact. If it was only one or two bunkers it would be like most other holes. It is not out of character with the rest of the course, but it is different. I like that.

[Matt Day]

Matt, tend to agree. From the tips driver is an option. You are a freak hitter so that must be taken into account.

I think they could lose the final 1-2 bunkers and improve the hole. That being said, it is a different style of bunkering (diagonal orientation) to anywhere else on the course and I like that fact. If it was only one or two bunkers it would be like most other holes. It is not out of character with the rest of the course, but it is different. I like that.

freak hitter is a bit too generous 

I don't mind the diagonal nature and agree that losing a couple would be a big improvement.

Probably my only other gripe is the loaction of the irrigation lake on 1, that doesn't fit.

Otherwise its a very, very good golf course that requires a game plan to do well

[Adam Lowes]

Yep, the irrigation lake does not fit. It is not in play apart from a huge slice on the first. Quite a few golfers I have played with that have never seen the course do not know it is there until they are 100m down the fairway. I simply encourage them to head towards the left side of the fairway. So all in all, it is OK.

OK, maybe not a freak, how's crazy long?

[Mark Chaplin]

Kennedy Bay is an excellent course and very strategic. By far the best value golf I have ever played I recall in 2006 paying about A$50 for a round, cart and decent hire clubs. All the time the promised wrap around housing fails to appear KB is a WA must play.

[Adam Lowes]

The current/revised proposition for housing is along the roadside as you enter the course (near the irrigation reservoir) near holes #1 and #2 and down the coast near #10. If you look at the aerial photo, thankfully, not too much of the course will be impacted.

Of course, it will also depend on the other 9 holes being built that are now in the pipeline......

Value for money is second to none in WA if not Australia. And thankfully, since reopening (it was caught up in the failure of St Andrews Beach), Kennedy Bay is thriving. Conditioning is improving month by month.

[Adam Lowes]

The back 9 tour.

Regarded by most as the superior 9 holes. Less earth was moved in the construction of this 9. Set primarily up and down 2 dunes, apparently the routing and construction for this 9 happened a lot easier than the front 9.

I love this 9. However, like I mentioned earlier, a stern test heading home into the breeze. Those in need of picking up some points to make up for previous mistakes are unlikely to do so on the stretch home from #14-#18.

Hole 10, Sentinel, 428 yards

By this point of the round, unless you teed off at sunrise, you are more than likely to have the "Fremantle Doctor" sea breeze in your back, making the drive down this wide par 4 a pleasurable one. Bunkers guard the LHS of the fairway 275 yards from the tee. A generous area right of these bunkers allows long hitters to take advantage of the wind and get an excellent look at a pitch for a birdie opportunity. I have often seen players typically capable of 270-280 yard drives get to within 50 yards of this green with the help of the sea breeze.

The approach shot for a normal golfer is from an area near the bunkers. Only a solitary greenside trap awaits on the left, and a large slightly elevated green is well guarded by run off areas all around. Again, in strong winds, a running approach is quite a good idea.



Hole 11, Split Decision, 445 yards

Another long par 4, but again, wind assisted. The name for this hole comes from the "split" fairway. A long ridge in the fairway runs on the diagonal. A well struck ball at the ridge or just left of the ridge will run left and offer a good look at the green and the flag. The bail out area right off the tee is extremely wide, but offers a blind approach over 2 deep greenside pot bunkers.

The ridge:

A well hit tee shot comes to rest short of the bunkers from the tips. These bunkers are 300-310 yards from the tee.

The green, best approached from the left.


Hole 12, Finchy's Folly, 363 yards

A really, really great short par 4 and one of my personal favourites. A hole that improves with multiple visits. The fairway runs over two distinct tiers. The bottom tier is the safer tee shot, but offers a limited/blind approach to a  shallow east-west oriented green hidden behind trees. The top tier, though seemingly small from the tee box, is actually very wide and offers a full view of the green. On a windy day this hole can offer long hitters the temptation of going for the green in one, and while staying on the green with a running drive is unlikely, several collection areas around the green offer a good chance for a up and down for birdie. This holes rates #18 on the index.
Tee:

Bottom tier of the fairway, the green site is primarily over the bunker in front:

The top tier:

The green:


Hole 13, Naked Truth, 558 yards

The finest tee box on the course sits elevated above the beautiful hole below with views of the ocean to your left. Again, an extremely wide fairway offers aggressive golfers a line down the RHS of the bunker that sits in the centre of the fairway 260 yards from the tee. A large bail out area awaits left for those wanting more room to land their ball.

With a breeze helping, this par 5 can be reached in two, even for the average golfer. A single fairway bunkers narrows the fairway approximately 110 yards from the green. The green sits slightly elevated, but is reachable with a long running ball.
The landing area left:

For those wanting to leave a pitch in to the green:

And the green:


Hole 14, Homeward Bound, 189 yards

As the name suggests, you are now homeward bound. Heading back to the clubhouse and heading back into the sea breeze. The hole features a diagonal green. Pin positions like the one shown in the photo are quite accessible, but pins placed towards the back of the green are quite challenging, suiting a fade off the tee. But, the wind can just as easily knock a faded tee shot to the ground well short. A great par 3, and as you can see from the photos, a favourite hang out spot for "the locals"



Hole 15, Judgement, 420 yards

Another favourite of mine, this hole is a real cracker. A landing area at least 60-70 yards wide presents the golfer with 2 choices. Go left to a safe but difficult approach or head right of the fairway trap and benefit from the contour of the fairway pushing your ball into the perfect corridor to approach this long but narrow (18 yard) green.

Into the wind, there is never a better opportunity for the golfer to show of his low running shot at Kennedy Bay. A solitary greenside trap rarely comes into play, and the sand dune running down the right hand side of the approach feeds the ball into the green. I have seen even the best of golfers hit a fairway wood or hybrid almost along the ground to take advantage of this greenside, set in its own small natural ampitheatre.

Looking back:


Hole 16, Wee tap, 150 yards

Arguably one of the great par 3's in Western Australia. A short par 3 that can play anything from a PW to a 3 wood depending on the weather. A shallow elevated green with a lot of room surrounding it makes this a delight for the short game. Hit the green and a great chance of a birdie awaits. Miss the green and par is an excellent score.

I am annoyed at myself for not getting a photo from the tee box, I was too busy hitting a provisional! This is taken on the walk in from about 80-90 yards:


And the greenside area:


Hole 17, The Doctor, 547 yards

Getting its name from the "Fremantle Doctor" mentioned previously, by this point of the day the wind is no doubt blowing. Another elevated tee box presents the golfer with a demanding tee shot but an extremely wide landing area. Bunkers are positioned around 260-270 yards from the tee, but demand the best of strikes to get anywhere close at this time of the day.

Some fairway bunkering positioned 130-150 yards from the green are deceptively placed for the golfer attempting to head towards the green in two. A generous landing area left is available for golfers wanting to play a shorter 3rd shot into this exposed 2 tier green. A birdie here is an excellent achievement, but a par is very attainable for the patient and strategic golfer.
The second:

Bail out area:

Green:


Hole 18, Sunset, 432 yards

For me, the hardest hole on the course when the wind is blowing into your face. The fairway bunkers on the LHS are 280 yards from the tee and act as a good target. Again, unless a bit hitter, but this time of the day they are out of reach.

A fantastic approach and green complex await to finish an enjoyable but testing round of golf. A lot of room in front of the green or to the right side are available as a bail out for the golfer who cannot reach in 2 shots. Landing short of the green offers an excellent chance for an up and down for a par to finish the day.
The approach:

The area in front of the green and the right side opening up:

And the green:


And there we have it. One of the best designed courses you are going to find in and around Perth. Hope you enjoy the tour and please fire away with any questions.

[Mark_F]

Adam,

Thanks for the comprehensive tour.

KB looks to be a most interesting course.  Parts of it appear a little over shaped, but I hope to see it some time this year.

What is the reason the course is thriving now, as compared to before?

[Adam Lowes]

Adam,

Thanks for the comprehensive tour.

KB looks to be a most interesting course.  Parts of it appear a little over shaped, but I hope to see it some time this year.

What is the reason the course is thriving now, as compared to before?

Mark, I think it comes down to a variety of reasons.

Firstly, for years, Kennedy Bay management were not taking care of the course. They would often neglect to pay debtors, such as suppliers for fertilisers etc. This gave the superintendent very little to work with, as they developed a very bad reputation for doing this. The condition of the course suffered accordingly.

Secondly, the green fees crept up a little high for the area. Kennedy Bay is in close proximity to other golf courses, all of which were much cheaper. Although they were inferior, given our limited population, most golfers enjoying a social hit would opt for cheaper golf. Also, the lack of a proper club house deterred golfers who looked forward to a few drinks after the round.

Now, with new management and highly competitive green fees, the course has much money to invest in the course. They have improved the "club house", though they have not yet built the proposed club house. They have repaired damaged ties with suppliers and conditioning has greatly improved. They have made some drastic improvements through the clearing of vegetation in some areas which makes the course less penal. As you can see, it is challenging enough as it currently plays.

[Emil Weber]

delicious... the back 9 looks even better!

[Matthew Mollica]

Great review Adam. Well done.
You really do the place justice with the pictures too.

From the first time I visited, I've thought Kennedy Bay is a really good course.
Under-rated too, given the distance between it and the Eastern capital cities.

Great consistency to the strategy, aesthetic and construction of the course.
The bunkering is often stern but there's lots of space around the traps.

Not a lot of dramatic movement to the site, but lots of micro-movement.
Sometimes a little clumsily mimicked, but by and large it's well done.
The layout works with prevailing winds so nicely too.

I agree that the bend and bunkering in the fairway on 9 could be better.

Emil, the back 9 is great. The stretch from 11 onwards is really something.

MM

[Josh Stevens]

The course actually looks better from the ground than from the air - from above it does look a tad contrived with all of those curvy edges - due to the colour contrast of lush green fairway and darker scrub.   But on foot is realy rather nice.

The trouble however is that while a nice track, it is just too hard for the average punter.  Because of the dry mediteranean climate, these sandy dunes are rather delicate and so i think the developers were limited in their ability to push the fairways out and had in fact to preserve the natural scrub.  As a result, the fairways are narrow, the rough is brutal and this is one of the windiest places on earth - so a tough day out for the daily fee player, probably a 5-6 ball round.  Couple that with its location a bit too far from Perth for punters to want to commute on a regular basis, and it never made any money and subsequently went broke.

The big plus is that it was never built as a housing development, the course is one contiguous block, and that makes it much nicer compared to the other courses in the area - but it really is only for single figure players or at least those who play straight.

[Adam Lowes]

Thanks Matthew, it is a course that I truly enjoy playing and have been meaning to create this review for sometime. For various reasons, I am no longer a member there, and have only been making the trip down for a game every month or so. However, when I get to play Kennedy Bay it is always a breath of fresh air. A solid design and a great mix of holes. Even when it gets the better of me, it keeps me coming back for more. A true sign of a great course in my opinion.

Josh, I agree about the look from above. Mainly the fairway edge. But it is something you do not notice on the ground, as you say. Regarding the comment re: difficulty. I do not think the main source of difficulty stems from the fairway width or the wind. In my opinion, the difficulty is the testing of one's course management. I have seen 18-24 markers score well around Kennedy Bay. I actually think the fairways offer ample width in the right areas. However, after a great tee shot, it also asks you to hit a well thought out second shot and third shot and so on. Very few holes stop the golfer from finding a bail out area and trying for the up and down. I certainly learnt a few new skills playing this course week in, week out.

That being said, if you are having a really bad day at the office, you are not going to score well. But that is the same with a lot of courses.

[Josh Stevens]

Just a pity they didnt build it in Perth.  Last time i was there i was driving up the coast road toward Scarborough, and looking at all that dune country west of the road in City Beach and Wembley Downs. Goodness me if only some founding father had the foresight to set some of that aside for a golf course it could have been amazing.  Otherwise Perth is a little light on for good golf, which is a pity given that it is all sand.  Karrinyup is nice, but not much else to get too excited about.

[Adam Lowes]

Sad but true. We have good value for money golf and quite a few "good" tracks for our population, but nothing truly great. The land you speak of is amazing. And to think we have so much of that coastline!

I believe there is talk of a coastal course towards Yanchep, but who knows if it is merely a rumour, and it is just as far north of Perth as Kennedy Bay is south.

The Cut at Port Bouvard is also a real letdown in my opinion. I will not open that can of worms in here, as I have already had this discussion with Matt Day, and I know Matthew Mollica is a big fan of The Cut, but that was possibly the best land made available for a golf course in recent times, and the course is quite bad and seriously overrated.

[RJ_Daley]

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Thanks for the interesting travel tour of a good looking golf course.  It looks wide enough to be fair, and kept up enough to be quality golf.  The absents of many other players in the photos is puzzling given the good value and beautiful surroundings.  I'd sure as heck love to take that walk! 

[Cristian]

Thanks for the Tour; a great looking course.

I notice the colour difference between fairway and greens. Is this due to irrigation differences or is it a different grass type all together? I would think fescue would have a hard time in Perth climate circumstances. Do you know which grass types are used for Fairway and greens?

Thanks again for the interesting pics!

[Scott Warren]

Thanks for coming through with the pics, Adlo

Very high on my To Play list for when I get home, not only because I can rely on you and The Canuck for a good night out before or after with a reliably satisfactory soundtrack!

[Mike_Clayton]

There is some amazing land for golf in Perth.If it had been a bigger city and Mackenzie had gone there instead of Melbourne they could have had some of the best golf in the world.

[Matt Day]

Thanks for the Tour; a great looking course.

I notice the colour difference between fairway and greens. Is this due to irrigation differences or is it a different grass type all together? I would think fescue would have a hard time in Perth climate circumstances. Do you know which grass types are used for Fairway and greens?

Thanks again for the interesting pics!

Christian
The fairways are couch (bermuda) and I'm pretty sure the rough us as well.

Greens are bent, probably Pencross

[Matt Day]

Sad but true. We have good value for money golf and quite a few "good" tracks for our population, but nothing truly great. The land you speak of is amazing. And to think we have so much of that coastline!

I believe there is talk of a coastal course towards Yanchep, but who knows if it is merely a rumour, and it is just as far north of Perth as Kennedy Bay is south.

The Cut at Port Bouvard is also a real letdown in my opinion. I will not open that can of worms in here, as I have already had this discussion with Matt Day, and I know Matthew Mollica is a big fan of The Cut, but that was possibly the best land made available for a golf course in recent times, and the course is quite bad and seriously overrated.

Adam
there's been talk of a course near Yanchep/Alkimos for a long time. Pete Dye (?) was reputed to be involved 15 plus years ago, their was even a stack of railway sleepers stockpiled at Carabooda Turf Farm for it

[Adam Lowes]

RJ: Yes, mid week the course is very quiet. The course is surrounded by very blue-collar/working class suburbs, weekends are therefore when the course fills up.

Scott: What are your thoughts? I know you had questions about over bunkering. Comparing Kennedy Bay to a heap of courses in your blog, there certainly appears to be a heap more bunkers at Kennedy. However, like Matty M said, there isn't as much movement in the land as there is in British links courses. British courses seem able to use this movement to create a challenge for the golfer. Look forward to having a golf trip with you when you make it over.

[Josh Stevens]

KB is a touch like Birkdale in that you have largely linear dune systems with the fairways down in the valleys.  So they are a bit flat, rather than the crumpled look.  Head a couple of hours south however to the old Albany course, opened in about 1899, for really wild rumpled fairways.

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