Echoing Ash's questions, Mike, can you share how the routing came together? Curious to hear your thoughts on using the coast vs the interior, on not returning to the clubhouse after 9, and on where the holes along the coast fall in the routing. Thank you for posting.
The key was to find the best routing and how to create the best flow for the golf course. The shoreline is so spectacular that it is impossible to not have dramatic holes on the ocean as well as away from it. The interior land of holes 7-9 contains some of the finest dunes on the site and there were various ways to utilize that terrain - in fact, there is a 330 yard hole that was just sitting there, the best short par four on the property and one of the best I have ever seen, but it didn't work with the overall best routing, so it doesn't fit and doesn't make the final cut.
The clubhouse location was pretty obvious for its site overlooking Victoria Cove and Cape Wickham Lighthouse, plus it is backed by a major dune and is thus protected from the Roaring Forties. Forcing the routing to return to that point would have vastly deteriorated the routing flow and thus we have the 13-5 split. What is good about that is that we have some mini-loops for those who don't want to play a full 36 holes - 1-5+13=6 hole loop, 14-18=5 hole loop, you could also play down the warm-up fairway or walk to the 8th tee and play 8-13 for a nice 6 hole loop there. The start along the headland gives us a strong beginning visually with lots of change in direction, turning towards the iconic lighthouse as the aiming target on the 4th tee. the routing turns inward on 6-9, returning down to the ocean on the 10th, the 11th practically in the ocean, and the marvelously short 12th with its large green hanging above a natural sandstone cave on the coast. Then the 13th returns inland to the clubhouse, pause for refreshment and overlook at the 18th below on the way to the 14th tee. The 14th and 15th are inland although you look at the expanse of ocean from both of them and the 15th finishes tight to the rocks on the shore. The 16th tee is on the rocks and the green is suspended out on a small peninsula of land. I recognized the specialness of the 17th tee right away and it gives a great vantage point to look at the beginning holes on the headland, the 16th you just completed, and the finishing two holes ahead - a par 3 followed by the beach in play on the home hole.
Hope that helps!