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......