Australia - not a once in a lifetime trip: now including a look at RM East

[John Mayhugh]

Thanks for the photos, looks to be a fun course. The 4th and 6th look amazingly alike!

I need an editor.  Or at least for the preview function to work.

[Eric Smith]

The course does look amazing. The bunkering, or more specifically, the lips of them, look almost as though they're sketched in with heavy charcoal around the lines or have been photoshopped in by the likes of Ian or Tommy. In that I mean they just look so different than most anything else I've seen. It's not so much a clean line as it is a heavy crispness to them? Anyway, I like the look of them and would love to go someday to see how they play!

[James Bennett]

Eric

that 'charcoal' line is partly shadow that extends fractionally down into the bunker, in that part of the face with some organic material from the bunker lip.  Then the sand starts, with the grey fines washed out onto the floor, giving the whiter face (not silica white, just a whitish grey).  The bunker floor is darker in apeearance, especially if it has rained, with more of the greyer fines.

James B

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

John Thank you for the pictures and a glimpse into the life of a GCA superstar.

[John Mayhugh]

John Thank you for the pictures and a glimpse into the life of a GCA superstar.

Haha.  I'm thrilled that I've been able to see some of the courses I have and for the friends made along the way.

Hope to have you as a foursomes partner again one of these days.  We'll get them next time!

James,
Thanks for that explanation.

[Eric Smith]

Eric

that 'charcoal' line is partly shadow that extends fractionally down into the bunker, in that part of the face with some organic material from the bunker lip.  Then the sand starts, with the grey fines washed out onto the floor, giving the whiter face (not silica white, just a whitish grey).  The bunker floor is darker in apeearance, especially if it has rained, with more of the greyer fines.

James B

Thanks for the explanation, James.

[Kevin Pallier]

Am not convinced with your statement about "spare holes" ?

Kevin,
I agree with John. In the 4 years between my trip to Australia in 2007 and my trip earlier this year every course that I revisited with the exception of Barnbougle and SAB had been changed.  Now a lot of the changes I saw and heard being discussed for the future are for the better but that is mostly because a lot of the new work is fixing what was messed up about earlier changes in the golf courses.

Just thinking of the trip earlier this year - there were holes out of commission at Kingston Heath, Metropolitan, and NSW and there was working going on at RM both West and East and work recently completed at Yarra Yarra. Also Victoria had been changed since I was originally there in 2007 and when I was at Commonwealth previously they had just finished controversial work. On my only play at Royal Adelaide in 2007 there was one hole out of play.

Having said all that, I still think a Sandbelt golf trip, especially when combined with a trip to Tasmania is the best golf trip someone from the USA can take.

David

I disagree. The only Sandbelt course that I know that has a 19th hole is KH. RME / RMW don't count. None of the others I can recall have them - other than a temp. 19th hole of sorts at Metropolitan. It was used while the course underwent a small redesign due to boundary issues.

Commonwealth had legend couch installed but Victoria is probably the Sandbelt club that has probably had the most work done to it in the last few years with some work by Mike Clayton ?

[Scott Warren]

KP,

Isn't there a temp hole in the trees by the driveway at Yarra Yarra?

Metro has its after the 5th -- being used in March while 13 was re-built. It's there, so I can't see how it wouldn't count.

Re: RME, I seem to recall hearing of a little par three by the RHS of 18. Did I imagine that?

[Kevin Pallier]

Scott

Metro used to have a small one downhill to the left of 1 ? I don't recall seeing one at RME when I was last there ?

[Ben Jarvis]

Re: RME, I seem to recall hearing of a little par three by the RHS of 18. Did I imagine that?

Scott, you're right. The "spare" hole at RM is right of 18 East, with the tee box not too far from the clubhouse.