GCA Boomerang 2011 - thoughts, memories, pictures etc.

[Sven Nilsen]

Videos for Royal Melbourne East and West:

East - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTcikRlk0zY

West - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiRHmorhwjQ

[James Bennett]

More to follow - having a hard time editing out Colin's accent from our round at BD on Friday morning.

Sven

Can you do subtitles Sven?

[Scott Warren]

Videos for Royal Melbourne East and West:

East - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTcikRlk0zY

It gets good from about 30sec onwards. The opening scenes needed better talent!

[Bryan Izatt]

Here is the official annual wind rose from about 20 miles west down the coast.  It should be similar to BD.  The strong winds are from the west.

When I played there a year ago early January there were two days in a row of 4 club winds out of the west.  A 6 or 7 iron on #7 if I recall correctly.  Seems like I got two days of the wind that occurs about 35 to 40 days a year.

[Matthew Mollica]

Great illustration Bryan! Thank you!

Tom D - can you tell the story of the wind strength on the day the 10th fairway at Banbougle was being worked on (drainage installation) pre-seeding? Especially the part about what the guys were wearing.

Thanks.

MM

[Michael Taylor]

It was an incredible event and I am sure everybody appreciates all the effort Scott put into it. I finally was able to put some faces to names, and everybody I met were absolute gentleman (except Kyle, who didn't mention there'd be 6 people sitting in a 5 seat car when I asked him for a lift).

[Brett_Morrissy]

hey Pup - did you get to shoot the 73? did you feel you needed to adopt a different golf game to you usual one - did the links require that, or were you able to just play your normal high quality game?

bm

[Scott Warren]

Pup:

Favourite holes were 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13 and 17.

Least favourite were 8, 11 and 15.

did you feel you needed to adopt a different golf game to you usual one - did the links require that, or were you able to just play your normal high quality game?

bm

An interesting thing me and the two Cinque Ports guys who played with Pup at NSWGC on Sunday were discussing was his impressive ability to control his ballflight into and across the wind. Seriously impressive. Yet within 60yds of the green there was a lot of lob wedge play and reliance on loft and spin.

[Matthew Delahunty]

I'll be posting some photos over the next week or so.  Here's the first instalment

Thursday evening - arrival





Friday morning

Tyler Ince on 7


John Mayhugh on 7


More to come...

[Bill Brightly]

A few photos of the participants:

Brett


Dieter


Mayhugh


Dustin


Mark F.


Scott, the organizer


Me




Anonymous, on the long road to the airport...

[Kevin Pallier]

More photos of the lads in action....

Wayne Freeman (BD to LF)   
   
   
John Mayhugh (BD)   
   
   
Scott "9I" Warren (BD)   
   
   
Mike "8I"Whitaker (BD)   
   
   
Steve "Burgular" De Wilde (BD)   
   
   
Matt Maydo (LF)   
   
   
Tyler "Dunlop" Ince (LF)   
   
   
Derek Culey (BD)   
   
   
Kyle Henderson (BD)   
   
   
   
Thanks also to my other playing partners: Sean "Bacon" Walsh & Glen "Eggs" Batty, Victor "New Shoes" Annamalay, James "Mexican" Bennett, Scott Coan, Dieter Jones    and everyone else I met over the weekend.

[John Mayhugh]

Please, no more photos of my swing.  Every time I look at it I think I should have spent my money on golf camp!

Matthew, nice photos of the wallabies on the putting green, especially the one in mid-hop.

[James Bennett]

hey Pup - did you get to shoot the 73? did you feel you needed to adopt a different golf game to you usual one - did the links require that, or were you able to just play your normal high quality game?

bm

let the picture speak for itself.  lost farm #4, 100 yards or so, and this is the swing!  Pup did play conservatively when he needed to, just not from 50 yards to 150 yards.



James B

[Sean Walsh]

I had a great four days at Barnbougle but none moreso than being called a bandit for 4.5hrs around the Dunes by messrs Pallier and Freeman.

To give some description or understanding of the group playing that morning.  Between the four of us we could:

Take the call for the serious accident on the freeway
Attend and begin the investigation and initial first aid.
Put out the fire
Cut the occupants out of the cars.
Provide lighting for the continuing investigation
conduct life saving surgery (although I think the patient would be less apprehensive if just the Eye was in danger)
Direct the traffic
Charge the culprit
Prosecute the case in court.

Introducing the cast:
Wayne - Eye Surgeon
Kevin - SES Employee.  Volunteer organisation that provides valuable rescue search and other disaster services especially in rural Australia.
Glenn - Fire Brigade
Me - Police and Prosecutions 

[Terry Thornton]

Sean,

an impressive list. I only wish we'd had a geophysicist with us Sunday morning on the 1st tee to explain that sudden dropping of the earth's crust as you played your tee shot

[Kevin Pallier]

I had a great four days at Barnbougle but none moreso than being called a bandit for 4.5hrs around the Dunes by messrs Pallier and Freeman.

Sean

To be fair - you and Glen played much better than your teen handicaps suggested and we indeed had a lot of fun. I did take note that you began playing "normally" once the match was well and truly over

[Michael Taylor]

hey Pup - did you get to shoot the 73? did you feel you needed to adopt a different golf game to you usual one - did the links require that, or were you able to just play your normal high quality game?

bm

Brett,

I usually play on a windy course and I don't really know what my 'usual' game is. Put it this way, I certainly had to play a wide variety of shots on both courses. I was in heaven down there, because I have good imagination with the short game, and BD/LF (less than BD) really brought out the thinking man in me. I mean, it was so much fun playing away from the hole on a 15 yard chip and having it roll back down somewhere near the hole. Not many courses can you do that, at least to that extent.

James,

Was that the one that lipped out? 

Scott,

I didn't really see much of 6, hitting poor drives both times (almost got it on 3 in the arvo round!), so can you explain to me what makes it one of your favorites?

Can you expand on why you didn't like 8, 11 and 15? I thought 15 was an incredible golf hole, 8 a very solid long par 4 with a nice greensite, and 11 to be a really fun hole.

[Scott Warren]

Michael:

Scott,

I didn't really see much of 6, hitting poor drives both times (almost got it on 3 in the arvo round!), so can you explain to me what makes it one of your favorites?

The pyramid dune on the RHS of the drive is a great feature and the bunkerless green is brilliant, the drive especially needing to challenge that dune if the pin is left.

Can you expand on why you didn't like 8, 11 and 15? I thought 15 was an incredible golf hole, 8 a very solid long par 4 with a nice greensite, and 11 to be a really fun hole.

"Least favourite" is a relative term, but I think 8 has some similar issues to 10 at St Andrews Beach in the green complex not really suiting the shot most golfers have to play to it.

11 I found the drive awkward, but not in a really endearing way. Not a massive gripe, but enough that if pressed to choose "least favourite" holes that I'd include it.

Both those holes are obviously shortened by the prevailing wind, which I didn't get to experience in a really significant way, so further plays are definitely in order (the sooner, the better!).

15 - and I know David Elvins disagrees with me - I just can't see any temptation to hit driver with the restricted area you have to place it. Especially compared to the other short fours on the course, I think the green and hazard placement make it a hole I can only see myself wanting to approach with a wedge from 80-100 metres.

To be clear, I'm not saying they are weak holes, just that I'd place them a level below the other 15.

[Kyle Henderson]

Scott,

FWIW,

On 15 at BD, I hit driver both rounds, fading it with the wind. The first left me a 30-45 yards pitch (7-footer for birdie!), the second kicked right and ended up aginst the right side dune in the rough, 40 yards out. From there, 12 feet behind the hole and a Lewinsky for par. A big miss with driver will be costly, but there is room and ample reward for aggression.

A man of your talents can hit driver there.

Michael:

Scott,

I didn't really see much of 6, hitting poor drives both times (almost got it on 3 in the arvo round!), so can you explain to me what makes it one of your favorites?

The pyramid dune on the RHS of the drive is a great feature and the bunkerless green is brilliant, the drive especially needing to challenge that dune if the pin is left.

Can you expand on why you didn't like 8, 11 and 15? I thought 15 was an incredible golf hole, 8 a very solid long par 4 with a nice greensite, and 11 to be a really fun hole.

"Least favourite" is a relative term, but I think 8 has some similar issues to 10 at St Andrews Beach in the green complex not really suiting the shot most golfers have to play to it.

11 I found the drive awkward, but not in a really endearing way. Not a massive gripe, but enough that if pressed to choose "least favourite" holes that I'd include it.

Both those holes are obviously shortened by the prevailing wind, which I didn't get to experience in a really significant way, so further plays are definitely in order (the sooner, the better!).

15 - and I know David Elvins disagrees with me - I just can't see any temptation to hit driver with the restricted area you have to place it. Especially compared to the other short fours on the course, I think the green and hazard placement make it a hole I can only see myself wanting to approach with a wedge from 80-100 metres.

To be clear, I'm not saying they are weak holes, just that I'd place them a level below the other 15.

[Jason Topp]

Here is a thread I started after I played Barnbougle Dunes twice in one day 5-6 years ago.  Most of my post is highly complimentary but I did include the following criticisms, including concern about the 8th.  I would be interested in whether those that have recently seen the course agree or disagree with my impressions.


http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,21189.0.html


"I would definitely recommend that anyone travelling to Australia make the effort to play Barnbougle.  Despite this few[sic], I have a few humble criticisms:

     I thought the par fives were the weakest part of the course.  The first is a wide open hole with a bunker about 100 yards short and from the preferred right side for an approach.  A straightforward and appropriate opening hole, particularly because I do not recall seeing a practice range. 

    The eleventh is the best of the bunch with a mid-fairway bunker protecting the tee shot and a great sharp slope protecting the left edge of the green. 

    The fourteenth was a pretty wide open hole.  There were a series of bunkers guarding the right side of the fairway at an angle similar to those crossing the fairway at Bethpage Black.  The problem with the bunkers was that I saw almost no advantage to aggressiveness with the bunkers.  The green was accessible from the left side of the wide fairway and there was no distance advantage to going right.

    One other feature of the course I felt did not work well was the split fairway 8th.  The hole features a more narrow (and higher) left side and a wider right side and is 446 meters downwind from the back tee and 417 meters from the next set up.  I tried both fairways and could see little or no reward in going left.  The second shot seemed at a worse angle and needed to carry a significant amount of broken ground to get to the green."

[David_Elvins]

15 - and I know David Elvins disagrees with me - I just can't see any temptation to hit driver with the restricted area you have to place it. Especially compared to the other short fours on the course, I think the green and hazard placement make it a hole I can only see myself wanting to approach with a wedge from 80-100 metres.

To be clear, I'm not saying they are weak holes, just that I'd place them a level below the other 15.

I don't think it is just me you are up against but the entire golfing populace.

The hole is 320m long playing into the prevailing wind.  To have a wedge in you would need to drive the ball 240m inot the wind.  Which is a bit unrealistic.  Even if the wind is still and you want to have an 80 yard wedge in, why wouldn't you want to hit in from the right hand side where you can see the green and are hitting up the length of it with the green angled towards you.  



The key to the hole is the hfairway to the right of the bunker that is hidden from the tee.  The player who plays for it (with 3wood or driver) as a big advantage over anyone who bails out left and hits blindly towards the green at an awkward angle.  

[Kyle Henderson]

Interesting comments. I whole-heartedly agree with your thoughts regarding the split fairway at #8. Hopefully, you can elaborate on the hole-by-hole thread, when it gets there.

I'm surprised you're such a big fan of the 11th. I didn't see it as the best long hole.

As you say, all of the par 5s are good, just maybe not as great as some of the shorter holes on the course.

Here is a thread I started after I played Barnbougle Dunes twice in one day 5-6 years ago.  Most of my post is highly complimentary but I did include the following criticisms, including concern about the 8th.  I would be interested in whether those that have recently seen the course agree or disagree with my impressions.


http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,21189.0.html


"I would definitely recommend that anyone travelling to Australia make the effort to play Barnbougle.  Despite this few[sic], I have a few humble criticisms:

     I thought the par fives were the weakest part of the course.  The first is a wide open hole with a bunker about 100 yards short and from the preferred right side for an approach.  A straightforward and appropriate opening hole, particularly because I do not recall seeing a practice range. 

    The eleventh is the best of the bunch with a mid-fairway bunker protecting the tee shot and a great sharp slope protecting the left edge of the green. 

    The fourteenth was a pretty wide open hole.  There were a series of bunkers guarding the right side of the fairway at an angle similar to those crossing the fairway at Bethpage Black.  The problem with the bunkers was that I saw almost no advantage to aggressiveness with the bunkers.  The green was accessible from the left side of the wide fairway and there was no distance advantage to going right.

    One other feature of the course I felt did not work well was the split fairway 8th.  The hole features a more narrow (and higher) left side and a wider right side and is 446 meters downwind from the back tee and 417 meters from the next set up.  I tried both fairways and could see little or no reward in going left.  The second shot seemed at a worse angle and needed to carry a significant amount of broken ground to get to the green."

[Brett_Morrissy]

With you Dave on 15, Scott it is again a fantastic hole in an amazing setting, if you are trusting your swing, the BEST line is down the right, there is much more room than is apparent off the tee and even from down of the left side of the FW. your reward is obviously a shorter shot, but also a level hitting surface FW vs green, playing down the length of the green and often, for me anyway, the prevailing feels more friendly from the upper right FW. Again, first time or limited play golfers to BD-if the pin is at the very, very back where it was on Fri(?) - and there is a prevailing never, ever take enough club to get it back to that pin, becuase it plays much more uphill than is first apparent and the green strongly slopes from back to front.

add to all this a miss left and you are very challenged. would have to be a very good shot from FW centre bunker to got near a flag, usually bogie.

I am not a fan of the drive on 11, but I think that is refelctive of my swing and I find it really difficult to commit to hit it hard at the left FW trap, becuase it is certain bogie from there. But the green is a lot of fun.

[Brett_Morrissy]

Eight - I feel my understanding of this hole has improved this year, with a little extra length on my drives, I can now see how a perfect shot just left of the centre ridge will reward a ball down thru the slot and add an extra 25-40m to your drive, and then hitting the green in two becomes viable and then the entire hole looks and feels different. I have always thought it would have made the best P5 on the course with a tee back up of the frontal dune near 7 green, shave out a heap of the marram near the existing tees...

[Jason Topp]

I am fascinated by this picture.  If this is an optical illusion can anyone explain how such an illusion could be created?