Barnbougle Lost Farm and its 20 holes, as we all know, was done by Bill Coore and sits just east of the original Barnbougle Dunes course with both courses being divided by the inlet that cuts back by #15 tee at BD.
Variety is a great word at the Barnbougle complex because you’ve got these two world-class golf courses and they couldn’t be more different. BD essentially has an out-and-back routing for both nines, meanwhile, LF’s routing goes along the coast, inland, back along the coast again, then slightly inland for the remaining couple holes. Many of the holes at LF run perpendicular to the coast which adds to the variety in trying to club the wind. Both have great greens with a lot of variety, but they seemed to feel very different on each course, which is a great thing. BD, the “dunes” part in the name is very true, but the dunes are actually much bigger at LF. Furthermore, BD has the marram grasses everywhere and LF has the same grass, but it also features a gorse-like junk that is literally impenetrable in a few spots. Maybe someone else can name the exact wording. You’ll see in the photos, but on holes like #13, the stuff frames the hole like stadium seating. I thought it was a cool look.
This Australia trip was my first golf trip outside of the USA, and after playing so many world-class courses in a matter of less than two weeks, LF is a course I really want to play again. It’s not that I can’t decipher what I saw during my trip, but after only playing 29 holes at LF then having to sprint to the airport in Launceston, I keep thinking about the routing on the last 10 holes. I’m not going to say it’s odd, but I just can’t really make up my mind about the flatter hole stretch in holes 10, 11, 12, and 16. Are they a good use of the flatter part of the site, or are they connector holes to the rest of the round? Also, the 20 hole layout might have confused my internal clock about the routing in that by the time I reached the 15th green by the restaurant/clubhouse, I felt like the round should have been over. I’ve played other courses like Canterbury and The Valley Club where you go back to the clubhouse late in the round, then out for a couple more holes, but I didn’t feel finished at those places like I did at LF. Maybe fatigue played a part, too. Who can say?
Having said all that though, I thought the front was awesome, and the interest starts right at the first tee. Being aggressive and challenging the left fw bunkering gives the player an opportunity for a clean look at hitting the green in two, while playing safely out to the right the player must consider covering the right greenside bunker in an attempt to hit the green. I thought that the knob in front of #3 green reminded me a bit of the knob in front of #5 green at Friar’s Head. It’s funny how one bump can dictate so much in regards to trying to drive a green. The par 3 4th open up to the huge water views and the interesting 5th takes the players drive over an absolutely huge dune on the right. Taking the drive over the dune serves as a kickboard to extra distance, meanwhile, too far right and you’re in the inlet that separates the two courses. #7 is relatively flat in parts with it’s 100 yard wide fw, but that bump/ridge in the middle of the fw really added at lot of interest. Being right is safe but you might have a blocked view, but going left gives the player a clear look. On the back, like previously stated, I really enjoyed the 13th with it’s stadium framing junk around the hole, the driveable 14th going back towards the ocean gives a bail-out left, but the green sits high above the bailout for a tough second, and the 15th is a beautiful par 3 where the tee shot sits up on a seaside dune and plays down towards the green near the restaurant. 18 was a good closing hole that hugged the beach dunes that gives the player one last test before coming up on the little betting hole in 18A.
I’ll put up a couple shots of each hole now and I think that LF is a really good course with huge fws and huge expansive greens, it’s worthy of a world top 100 designation, it’s completely different that BD, but I need another look at it to make up my mind about the flatter holes in 10, 11, 12, and 16. Right now, I’ll give BD the nod as the better of the two courses.
To everyone, feel free to correct me or comment as you please, but without further ado, enjoy these photos of the stunningly beautiful Barnbougle Lost Farm!
Opening tee shot
Left of green
Big FW bunker in on 2
Huge green from the right
The drivable 3rd
Looking back with that knob in front
The beautiful 4th tee
Zoomed from the morning round
The inlet back by 4 green
5 tee over the dune
Looking back….5 also featured a huge green with a lot of variety
Short of the par 3 6th
Looking back towards the huge green en route to the 7th tee
The knob/rise in the 7th fw
7 green
Over the rise on the par 5 8th
Greensite
9th back towards the clubhouse
Split fw
Par 5 10th tee that bends left
Looking back
11 tee – go over the bunkers
Greensite
Par 5 12th tee
Third shot
13 tee – the stadium type hole
Approach
Looking back
Looking back from up by 13A
Par 3 13A tee
The shitter and rain shelter
14 tee – Boom!
A miss left of the green
Walk to 15
Par 3 15th
Green
Pretty cool shots over by the beach
16 tee
Greensite
Par 3 17th tee up the hill
Greensite
18 tee
Approach
18A – short par 3
Looking back
