advice for a trip to Melbourne

[Mark_F]

thanks mark, though as a pasty ginger Scotsman I don't leave my house without the factor 30 for fear of spontaneous combustion.

Very funny Alan.    In that case, you might want to go for SPF 50+. Melbourne's sun is really very dangerous at this time of the year.

[Josh Stevens]

snakes in the scrub and crocodiles in the ponds.

Always play with someone fatter, slower and tastier looking.

[Don Jordan]

I coughed up $160 as an interstate visitor to play Victoria GC a couple of weeks ago and it was well worth it. The guys in the shop were very welcoming. Played Metro as well and the greens had just been done they should be in good condition by now.

[Colin Macqueen]

Alan,

Though not a "pasty ginger Scotsman" I am a Scot ….so one out of three ain't bad!

When I played St. Andrews Beach at the end of December the wind was rising up to 25-35mph for the whole round.   This gave me the illusion that the sun was at bay.  Not so …… As was attested to by my better half upon return to suburban Melbourne who described me as a " broiled eejit "!!

As Mark F. suggested to walk both Moonah and St. Andrews Beach on the one day will leave you well and truly jiggered. I would take the cart at Moonah.

The centre-placed bunkers at St.AB will get you thinking and please conquer Index Number 1 (Hole #13 from memory) which has scuttled my game on each of the three occasions I have played!!

These course tips may well be helpful (http://www.standrewsbeachgolf.com.au/course_tips.html) but Doak is Doak is Doak!!

Enjoy it as I think it is the most wondrous of golf courses.

Cheers Colin

[Matthew Rose]

I paid about $175 AUD to play Commonwealth 10-12 years ago, which I thought was reasonable. AUD was a little weaker then, maybe 65 cents on the US dollar.

I wrote letters to all of the seven "major" sandbelt clubs and they and Metro were the only two that replied. Metro wanted about $300 which was a little too much to justify spending for a 25 year-old about to go on his honeymoon. I should have done it anyway in retrospect.

Metro is generally a superior course to Commonwealth but I feel like I at least got a good sandbelt experience. I also got to see Victoria and Huntingdale later as a tournament viewer.

[Alan Ritchie]

so 1 course down, 2 to go. first impressions are that the moonah course is a consistently very good one. the conditioning was excellent and green complexes were impressive. I was paired with a member fortunately as there were a few holes where the lines weren't that clear off the tee and slopes on the green e.g 17.

personal highlights were birdies on 1 and 16. personal lowlights were 2 short missed putts for birdie on 9 and 12, with a chip from the bottom of the hill on 11 so fat it didn't even make the bunkers...

all in all very enjoyable. I do think the 17th green is a bit severe, very difficult to get close to a the front pin despite what looked like perfect iron shots. I'd agree with a doak 7 though almost an 8.

next stop St. Andrews beach

[RJ_Daley]

Alan, I never did figure out if our Aussie friends just love to put us on and scare us, but they say StAB is the one with the most critters with no shoulders and sharp poisonous fangs!  I note that none of the Renaissance or Clayton-Ogilvy guys were reported to have been bitten and died during construction.  so there is that.... 

Good luck, wish we were there...

[Mark_F]

Alan, I never did figure out if our Aussie friends just love to put us on and scare us, but they say StAB is the one with the most critters with no shoulders and sharp poisonous fangs! 

That's just people describing the former directors, Dick.

[Alan Ritchie]

No critters seen today!  just a lot of trekking up and down the dunes.. I thought I could manage walking those 36 holes but really wish I had a cart for round 2.. knackered

[James Bennett]

Good luck with your recovery tonight - don't drink alcohol tonight if you can help it.  Do that Wednesday, you only have the tennis to sit through then (although hydration is important if you are not in the shade at Melbourne Park).

[RJ_Daley]

With all that drama, not surprising they aren't considered Fingal's favorite sons.

And Alan, listen to James.  He is the man!   

[Alan Ritchie]

too late! on the 4th glass of wine and the back still hurts. I'll need to suck it up tomorrow!

[Alan Ritchie]

just at the airport after a great couple of days. played metropolitan today and it was outstanding. the greenside bunkering was definitely the highlight, amazing to look at cut right into the surface. conditioning was perfect and certainly a few world class holes. an easy 8 and probably squeezes moonah out as my favourite course on the trip. thanks for the hospitality guys.

St. Andrews beach I would put in third though my experience was definitely hindered by not taking the advice of a cart. over 30 degrees on the second walk of the day just got too much even for my relatively youthful age.  I was surprised at those greens, many a lot smaller and flatter than I was expecting. I loved the second, though I wasn't a huge fan of the par 3s and I didn't have a clue on what was going on at the first.. what do others make of that opener?

[Mark_F]

I was surprised at those greens, many a lot smaller and flatter than I was expecting

That's an interesting and surprising viewpoint Alan, since many people would consider them to have too much movement for their size.

and I didn't have a clue on what was going on at the first.. what do others make of that opener?

It's an excellent hole that is somewhat disorienting on the first play but contains a lot of subtlety.  It's just a pity that the vegetation along the right in particular is so horrible.

[Colin Macqueen]

Alan,
The wizened (me) and the venerable (Mark F.) did try to counsel exuberant youth (you) in regards to a motorised cart!!!

The first hole as described by Mark is "disorienting" but to my mind very "Doakish". I have found that in three plays I have yet to par it but two sixes and a seven is where I stand just now.   I have been too timorous a beastie in the past and, as it is the opening hole, I don't want to screw up immediately so have been decidedly wishy-washy and wimpy!

In future now that I can "envisage" the green much better I will play my second shot much closer to the bunkers guarding the unseen flag .. as I would have to hit two crackers to even be in the bunker never mind on the green. Off a  handicap of 12 the way the wind blows down there generally ensures this outcome. Then I will have a quick look at the flag placement, return to my ball, and pop my third shot over this gnarly, hilly bunker onto the green in the hope of a par or God willing a birdie!!  How's that for a strategy!? I will let you know when success is achieved!

How did you fare on this opener …. the score is not so important as a blow by blow description of how you covered yourself in glory or failed ingloriously!

It is a wonderful opening hole which to my mind would reward the "tiger" who has inner belief and courage to get off to a bright start but yet allows the "rabbit" a very fair chance to garner a par and feel quite chuffed.

Cheers Colin

[Alan Ritchie]

Colin the account is as follows. Downwind, about 1 club. hit a pure drive a few yards past the bunker down the middle. then walked the roughly 215 yards before finally realising where I was meant to go, even with stroke safer in hand I didn't believe the green was right behind those bunkers. thought 'who dares wins!' so hit  a 5 iron that carried them with about a yard to spare and ended up 5 yards off to the right of the green.

should have chipped but hit a poor putt to about 10 feet and missed the birdie putt. Disappointing but not as much as slicing my drive into the right bunker on 2!

[Alan Ritchie]

mark,  I certainly thought the greens on 1,2,5,8,13 and 16 were relatively flat, though I admit the heat stroke was probably setting in towards the end. lots of contours around them but the internal ones from what I remember were pretty subtle.