[Mike_Clayton]

Scott,

The few times I have played the 16th it has been in a big wind ( the same day we hit 4 irons to the 4th and 3 irons to the 2nd) and the green is barely reachable.
It takes a good drive to carry the bunker - and clearly there is a big advantage driving as far left as possible so you can see the green with the approach.
When the hole plays into the prevailing wind it would seen a quite flat green would be perfectly sensible.
I thought it was a tremendous hole - really interesting to play and there is so much fairway to the left.

Patrick,

The hole is not a breather hole into a big wind - quite the opposite really.

Did anyone look at playing the 3rd off the 17th tee?
Into the wind it looked crazy hard - but on a still day it looks like it would be really fun.
Also playing up to the 4th green from the 6th tee look like it would be an amazing hole. It just needs a calm day and a not so busy field.

[Matthew Delahunty]

Did anyone look at playing the 3rd off the 17th tee?
Into the wind it looked crazy hard - but on a still day it looks like it would be really fun.
Also playing up to the 4th green from the 6th tee look like it would be an amazing hole. It just needs a calm day and a not so busy field.

And 17th green from the 2nd tee

[Kevin Pallier]

I left the green wondering why on earth would they build such a completely flat green - it had to be on purpose.  It did make my wedge shot very difficult to gauge as the relative "nothingness" of the greensite made it difficult to determine how deep the green was.  Perhaps this was the intent??

Scott

Again - l think the hole could have been improved with a greensite closer to or in the dunes.

[Kyle Henderson]

The “17th” 18th hole is an uphill par 3 of 167 meters playing toward the sea. The prevailing wind is in from the left.


Bunkers and a steep false front are set to punish under-clubbed or weakly struck strokes. The third hole is seen to the left.


The view from the right reveals how heavily the green is canted towards the tee box. Over-clubbed shots may bore straight through a head wind and be lost in the bush.


While teeing off on #3, players can peek up the hill for a rough impression of the day’s “17th” hole location.

[Bill Brightly]

If I have the story correct, this is the hole that Mike Keiser thought was too hard for most players, so he prompted Bill Coore to find another hole, which turned out to be 13 (A) the previous short par 3.

I thought this is an excellent par 3 for A players, but bad misses are double bogies or worse. To my eye, the best bet is to play for the small piece of fairway short right of the green and let the ball feed to the green, especially with the front pin location that we had. In the 4 club wind day, I hit a tired push right that the wind just laughed at, and I failed to clear the large dune on the right. For those who are following my travails, lost ball #7, only one titleist left in the bag... This is one dune that I think they need to cut down the grass/heatheron the back side of the dune because SO MANY golfers are going to end up there, even crappy 3 handicaps like me.

On the day without wind I overcooked a planned draw and was in the scrub left of the green, another double. To me, this is a hole where you either hit the green (or a bunker) or you are dead, so Keiser may have a point.

[Kevin Pallier]

I didn't mind the 17th - plenty of room short and whilst it could probably do with a bit of grass clearing right and left it's good to see an uphill P3.

[Patrick Kiser]

I didn't mind the 17th - plenty of room short and whilst it could probably do with a bit of grass clearing right and left it's good to see an uphill P3.

I'm a big fan of uphill par 3s myself.  Unfortunately, this one kicked my teeth in on both occasions and I did not get a chance to examine it more closely.  It certainly frames nicely off the tee.

I think the timeliness of this par 3 is good as well.  I find this par 3 does a good job as a connecting hole while allowing for another change in direction for the upcoming 18th.

A few more pics:

[Kyle Henderson]

The 19th hole, known as “18,” plays downhill, with the wind, and along the shoreline for 420 meters. The Lost Farm restaurant is atop the tallest dune with the soon-to-be-opened pro shop off to the right. A well-stuck drive here should secure the match for anyone with a steady game.


While it will certainly exact some penalty, this right-side fairway bunker offers better lies than the veritable jungle on the opposite side of the fairway.


Another bunker reaches into the line of charm from the left just where one might wish to play a recovery shot after a botched drive.


Looking back from behind, one can distinguish the pronounced left-to-right slope of the fairway and green surrounds (with respect to the direction of play).

[Bill Brightly]

How did this hole play? I tried it three times and hit all three drives into the fescue on the right. For the life of me, I could just not force myself to hit it left where I knew (the last two times) that there was plenty of fairway. The last time I did stay in the cut down portion of the fescue, so kudos to LF for realizing that they needed to soften the course in places. And in the 4-club wind day, I hit a shot DEEP right, lost ball #8, out of ammo , made the long walk back to the clubhouse, too annoyed to beg for a ball a beaten man!

[Patrick Kiser]

Good finishing hole.  Decent drive, but it's the approach and green surrounds that do it for me.

I appreciated all that recovery area to the right and I'll guess it comes in really handy on a windy day off the ocean.  The ridge at the green that cuts somewhat across from left to right feels like a hazard in itself when approaching from the right.  Less false front in feeling.

I did not attempt the shot, but it looks like a fun one to come in with a knockdown from left to right onto the green.  The shoulder to the green from the left looks rather receptive.  Did anyone try that out?

[Brett_Morrissy]

It took me 3 rounds at this hole before I could commit to hitting it far enough left of the green on approach. I would like to submit that a golfer can hit hit it twice as far left than it appears from the fairway. I.e. Well left of the green.

I believe I probably landed my long club a green width wide of the green, which duly fed down to a rear middle pin and I felt like the nut was cracked - one of my preferred green complexes on the course. Pity about the long uphill walk ahead.

[Kevin Pallier]

The last time I did stay in the cut down portion of the fescue, so kudos to LF for realizing that they needed to soften the course in places.

Bill

I concur - I thought it was a good move on their behalf. I liked the finishing hole - plenty of interest on the drive and an elongated green to boot.

[Kyle Henderson]

The last time I did stay in the cut down portion of the fescue, so kudos to LF for realizing that they needed to soften the course in places.

Bill

I concur - I thought it was a good move on their behalf. I liked the finishing hole - plenty of interest on the drive and an elongated green to boot.

Kevin,
It is good, but it is not the final finishing hole. 

Brett,
Thank you for that illuminating post. Sadly, I never managed to put myself in position for any sort of conventional approach shot on this hole...

[Patrick Kiser]

Here's a pic that shows just how much to the left of the green is open as pointed out.

[Brett_Morrissy]

sorry to have missed the chances to post on some of these last few holes - they are an enjoyable bunch close to the beach.

I really enjoy the closing stretch from 13 thru to 18 - my only real issue and thing I wanted to comment on was 13A, I think this was a error by the owners/designers, although a nice par 3, there is already a short par 3 at #4, and it only serves to interrupt what would have otherwise been a really interesting routing of holes. (I have no issue with the actual number of holes being more than 18)

...after the long 12th, and then a wide tee shot to narrowing fairway and green site of 13, as you climb this ridge line, I then felt like I had been pulled up to break the round, pulled aside to let a fast group thru - they may as well built a half way station here (Old Mac), to stop and have a cold beer and a hot pie, etc - you then get to 'resume' your round with the fantastic 14th, and on thru 15, 16, 17 & 18 - I think that it may one day become the LF turf nursery, or a green site for third course.
it is a novelty in the worst sense of the word as it does not count and the general consensus of the groups i have played with was that it should not count toward the score in our comp or match.

Witness Kyle's need to place in brackets the actual hole that he is reviewing – this is just plain confusing.

So for me, 13 thru 18 (sans 13A) offers a great variety of tee shots and lengths, although a draw seems the most beneficial tee shot on all but 14, with placement an important goal, a reasonably strong change of directions to make the most of the coastal conditions - each of these tee shots is then followed by interesting 2nd shots to again good sized green complexes although lightly bunkered, with both 16 & 18 being bunker-less (3.5 on the back nine)– an interesting and to me perhaps unusual close to a routing.

Kyle, I know it is not the finish – but it is the finish it should have.

Overall a magnificent addition to Australia’s golfing landscape – lucky are we.

[Kyle Henderson]

Spanning the main path down from the “Lost Farm Village,” the last offering (18A) is a par 3 of just 119 meters.


A left-to-right slope dominates this hole in its entirety, with bunkers protecting the high/left side and short grass along the front and right to pull shots away from the putting surface. Winds will usually be from behind/right and a birdie or better may be needed to settle close matches.


Conveniently, the 1st tee is just behind the green… and after all, it would be a shame not to play more than 20 holes-a-day after making the long trek to Tasmania.

[Brett_Morrissy]

Kyle,
a pretty little shelf type green, it was suggested to me that a good way to make the walk up the hill less tiresome was to perhaps put a golf hole up it. good fun to putt on.

[Scott Warren]

Brett M:

it is a novelty in the worst sense of the word as it does not count and the general consensus of the groups i have played with was that it should not count toward the score in our comp or match.

There was an amusing exchange in our group in the AM as we walked from 13 to 13a.

Player 1: So what do you reckon, will we include the two spare holes in our match?
Player 2: I don't think we should, but I should probably point out that if we decide not to, you just lost 6&5 at the last hole.
Player 1: In that case, I think we should definitely include them!

[Brett_Morrissy]

nice - well those two holes are good for something, I hope you were able to pull that man with THAT golf swing back from the depths to halve the match???

[Scott Warren]

The match in question was a very hungover D. Knight vs a spritely and well-slept S. Warren. I won't say who was on which side of the result!

[Kevin Pallier]

Kevin,
It is good, but it is not the final finishing hole. 

True Kyle but it should be 

18a is probably the worst P3 I've seen from Coore - it's just a hole. I reckon it will be a chipping or putting green in due course.

Thanks for your photo tours of BD & LF - great pics - and hopefully those on GCA can see that they are well worth the trip to get too.

[Sven Nilsen]

13a and 18a are not part of the "course."  Here is why.

a.  13a and 18a are designated as such, not as 14 and 20.
b.  They are both slightly out of character with the rest of course, 13a breaking up the flow of the back 9 and 18a just feeling off.
c.  4 is a better short par 3 than either.
d.  18 is a great match play closing hole.  18a is not.
e.  18a doesn't even show up in this video tour, I'm not even sure if it actually exists:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSoKGZdSo-c

[Matthew Mollica]

I find criticism of 13a and 18a a little puzzling.

13a is a good hole to my way of thinking. If some thought of it as a distraction, well, they can just walk from 13 to 14 and leave it alone! Be it a match, or a social round. Most visitors will be playing social rounds so the thought of an extra hole isn't too incongruous. It will also serve an important role in the event one of the other holes is out of play with a green being re-laid etc.

18a is simply a way to pass the time walking back to the clubhouse, and should be viewed as nothing more. I'm not sure Mr. Coore expected it to be anything more than that.

MM

[Brett_Morrissy]

Matt
I have stated my issues with 13a in particular, and agree it is a good hole. Making justifications for it because of the spare hole argument seems a little light on, seeing they have 18a as well, which would be better suited for this purpose being at the end of the round? I love the place, and find it difficult to ever pass up a golf hole, in my first 7 or 8 rounds, I think we skipped 13a  twice - that is crazy, but that is the reality of the hole and its position in the round. The other course has not needed a spare hole, but of course a spare can have merit, especially on this type of course that must maintain best possible conditions for paying customers, if TD recommended changes that were interruptive he may face a challenge to get approval...

Do you think it adds to the routing?   Do you think you would miss it if it wasn't there?

Do you think it is a better course with it or without it?

[Kevin Pallier]

I find criticism of 13a and 18a a little puzzling.

13a is a good hole to my way of thinking. If some thought of it as a distraction, well, they can just walk from 13 to 14 and leave it alone! Be it a match, or a social round. Most visitors will be playing social rounds so the thought of an extra hole isn't too incongruous. It will also serve an important role in the event one of the other holes is out of play with a green being re-laid etc.

MM

The only issue I have with 13a is the access to the left of the 13th green. They should just block that route off and make one go around the back right. A longer walk maybe but it would flow better in my mind at least from a routing POV.

18a is simply a way to pass the time walking back to the clubhouse, and should be viewed as nothing more. I'm not sure Mr. Coore expected it to be anything more than that.

Then why build it in the first place ?

If it's not going to add any particular value other than that and is a drop down in significant quality from the rest of the holes then that alone begs the Q as to it's need. SAB has a bit of a walk uphill from the 18th green back to the clubhouse and Doak didn't see the need to put another hole in there ?

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