[Kyle Henderson]

It is unnecessary to belabor discussions of the NSWGC’s history and design lineage, thanks to the excellent write-up found elsewhere on this website. But, given the dozens of photos and expert commentary (to be supplied by Junior Member, generous host, and accomplished player Michael Taylor) at my disposal, a closer examination of the course seems warranted. I hope everyone enjoys the journey.


At the first hole, most players would be wise to club down a bit and play for the widest portion of fairway short of the principal hazards.


Although the opening tee shot is on the short side, it is played to a blind fairway in full view of the two-story clubhouse and pro shop. Nerves are likely to play a factor for first-time visitors.  A crane in the distance points the way to downtown Sydney.


The landing zone is fully visible from the forward tees, with the fairway rising to a green perched in an elevated saddle.


Aside from its breathtaking scenery, the course at NSWGC is easily distinguished from most other Aussie tracks by its old world, sod-walled pot bunkers.


In typical MacKenzie fashion, the bunkers are hidden when one looks back toward the tee.

[Patrick Kiser]

Don't you have some studying to do or something? 

[Kyle Henderson]

Don't you have some studying to do or something? 

Yes, and you're looking at it.

I might ask you the same thing...

[Bill Brightly]

I love opening holes that give you a great hint about what the rest on the round will entail, and to me, this hole said: " try to put the trouble out of your mind, squeeze your cheeks, and hit a really good golf shot." This course makes that demand SO often. I loved it.

[Michael Taylor]

The opening hole at NSW is quite a tricky short hole that measures 320 yards. The fairway slopes severely to the right, and any balls that land shorter than 190m off the tee, unless in the far left section of the fairway, will end up in the right hand rough down near Kyle's 3rd pic. The best angle into the green is from the left side of the fairway, but the only way to hit your shot there is to take enough club to bring the right hand bunkers into play to carry the sloped section of fairway, or to club down to about a 3 or 4 iron and play way left, bringing the bushes into play on the left. One other thing that makes the tee shot tricky is the fact that the clubhouse (just left of the 1st tee) usually blocks out any sort of wind from the left. It's not uncommon to hit a draw down the middle of the fairway only to see your ball be pushed out to the right from that Westerly you didn't know was there. It is possible to drive the green, and there is a bit of room out to the right of the green (say 20m before you're in the bushes), but my recommended shot is a 3 iron down the middle of the fairway, and just be satisfied with having a PW shot left into the green out of heavy rough on a sideslope from the RHS. Those bunkers aren't really that much in play unless it's downwind, or a long club is pushed slightly right. They are more there to make the DZ a narrower target.

The green has 2 tiers to it, and is usually one of the worst conditioned greens on the course. You can have some tricky puts 1st up on this green, especially if you hit the wrong tier. Also the worst mistake you can make it hitting it into those right hand bunkers on your 2nd. An up and down from there is especially difficult as the green slopes to the left on the right hand side. Your better off the miss short or long. A miss left, even by 2-3 metres is usually a lost ball.

Most visitors are suprised to look at the scorecard only to see they've just played the Index 18 hole at NSWGC.  

Pup

[George Freeman]

Aside from its breathtaking scenery, the course at NSWGC is easily distinguished from most other Aussie tracks by its old world, sod-walled pot bunkers.

Thanks for another awesome tour Kyle!

The spot where this pic is taken doesn't look like too bad of a spot to bail out to.  It appears to be a pretty decent angle from there.  Michael??

[Kyle Henderson]

Thanks for another awesome tour Kyle!

The spot where this pic is taken doesn't look like too bad of a spot to bail out to.  It appears to be a pretty decent angle from there.  Michael??

George,
As Pup notes above, the right-hand couch is a decent spot to shoot for if you wish to minimize the risk from the tee, though the ideal approach shot is played from further left.

[Mark Chaplin]

Hitting the left side for the better line is suicide as there is nothing to stop the ball rolling into the bushes.

[Kevin Pallier]

In typical MacKenzie fashion, the bunkers are hidden when one looks back toward the tee.

Kyle

Those more versed than me know a deeper history on the club but the vast majority of the bunkers aren't Mackenzie's work.

A much maligned opener - there's much better holes to come.

[Michael Taylor]

George,

That pic is taken from a spot you are unlikely to hit. It is right next to 2 large trees that gobble up shots hit down there. If your ball does end up there, the angle isn't TOO bad, but you will be hitting across the right to left slope of the green, and you'll be unable to get any spin to hold that bottom tier.

Mark,

Says the person who hit it in the left bushes.  Left is the better side, but isn't worth the risk that a shot over there brings. Balls hit down the left just seems to not stop, and inevitably run into the scrub.

Kevin/Kyle

I have no idea who is responsible for the bunkering scheme that we play today, but Apperly was the main man responsible for the courses original bunkering back in the 1930's. The original 1st hole was a par 3 of 180 yards played from the current 1st tee, to a green site that was located exactly where the 2nd's green is today!

[Scott Warren]

Of course I enjoy holes that reward only the straightest drivers!

This hole is all about knowing your shape and trusting it.

If you know the landforms and use them, the fairway plays wider than it is, but that can be hard forst swing of the day unless you are comfortable with the hole.

The green is tough with 50-70m for your second, and it's crucial to be near pin-high. The green putts tough if you're well short or well past the pin.

[Michael Taylor]

A look down the fairway.



100m out.



Short right of the green. Not where you want to go..

[Mark Chaplin]

Michael - twice! Second time was a touch unlucky though.

[Anthony Butler]

I am moving house in about a week. I will try to dig out my 50th and 75th anniversary books to see if I can add some historical context to this tour (with pics if the scanner on the HP still works) I would concur with the comments that playing to the left of center seems to be a sucker's game, because you can never be sure of the bounce from the fairway. Can't count the number of times I have hit the aforementioned 3/4 iron from the tee and the ball has either taken a huge forward bounce or kicked left into the tee-tree scrub.

That said, I have always noted that after a professional event held at NSWGC, the amount of divot marks you'll find in the left center of the fairway.

I guess its better to be lucky than good and even better to be both.

[Michael Whitaker]

Is NSWGC the only top level course is OZ with revetted bunkers? On my tour it was the only course I saw that could be transported to the UK and fit perfectly. It truly has the feel of an Open Championship rota course.

[Michael Whitaker]

Michael - twice! Second time was a touch unlucky though.

Don't feel bad, Mark. I topped my one opening tee shot into the scrubs in front of the tee! What an embarrassment!!!

[Mark Chaplin]

The first one was pulled but even the starter thought the second was fine, needless to say it wasn't!

[Anthony Butler]

Kevin/Kyle

I have no idea who is responsible for the bunkering scheme that we play today, but Apperly was the main man responsible for the courses original bunkering back in the 1930's. The original 1st hole was a par 3 of 180 yards played from the current 1st tee, to a green site that was located exactly where the 2nd's green is today!

The revetting idea may have started with Jack Newton's company or perhaps Thompson Wolveridge who also did some consulting on the course in the 80s. Around the time Greg Norman became a member (1993-4) his design company-principally Bob Harrison-became the consulting architect, but the idea of revetting to keep the sand in the bunkers had already been considered. Ultimately Norman's company oversaw the revetting of all the bunkers, and the recontouring of a couple of greens (3,7...) and the redesign of 18. The work was performed mostly by Gary Dempsey's team though.

At the time they revetted the bunkers it was still a hotly debated topic and Norman practically walked out of a Member's night where he offered to answer any questions on the subject matter. Perhaps that was one of the things that lead to the deterioration of his relationship with Bob Harrison, because Shark apparently left feeling a little 'ambushed'.

From the communications I have received from the club, Greg Norman Design remains the consulting architect on the greens resurfacing, although I thought that Norman's Australian office closed down when he let Harrison go.  

[Terry Thornton]

The style of bunkering has changed dramatically since I joined in mid 80's though with few exceptions the 'general' locations have not.

I think Jack Newton's tenure as consulting architect was most responsible for the current setup of No.1

The LHS is much more inviting (visually) following removal of a monoculture of ti-tree replaced with native bush.

The area that Mr Whittaker speaks of approx 60 metres in fronmt of the tee has been lowered within the last 10 years or so to open up more sighting of the fairway. (raised ground became known as Noel's knoll after a much loved member who agitated for it's removal)

[Michael Whitaker]

Terry - Are you home? When are we going to hear about your tour of Scotland?

[Terry Thornton]

Michael,

still in Scotland, leave on July 1, then go to Italy etc and get back to Oz July 21.

Thank you for the bottle that awaited my arrival at Dornoch, you're very naughty but ever so nice

[Kyle Henderson]

The 2nd hole is played a touch downhill with a mid-iron, unless a strong headwind is gusting, to a modestly-portioned green that falls away a bit on each side (most predominantly on the right !!!).


Vegetation partially obscures the target area from players under 15-feet tall.


Closer inspection reveals a pair of bunkers to the left and a disconcerting lack of definition behind.


The port-side bunkers are not overly penal…


…whereas the steep falloff to the right of the green yields very taxing recovery efforts.

[Scott Warren]

Kyle, how many people hit a mid to short iron 170-180m?!

Also, I think your last pic is the 9th green, not the 2nd (a mistake Brian Phillips also made in his pic tour of the front nine ).

[Michael Whitaker]

Kyle, how many people hit a mid to short iron 170-180m?!

Scott - I was going to make the same comment... a mid to short iron!!!! I remember the hole playing around 200 yards.  I used a hybrid.

[Mike_Clayton]

Into the wind its a 3 iron at least.
The original green was a simple affair that was down on the ground.-It was roundish and balls would bounce and feed toward the target. At least that is my memory of it. It was probably changed 25 years ago.
For a hole so early in the round it was quite difficult because it was long.

Now it is up in the air, rejects anything marginal and they played the tees up by 25 yards at the 2009 Australian Open because of the real threat of the field jamming up if the 1st was downwind and drivable.
It has never been a favourite of mine.

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