Barnbougle Dunes

[Doak Fan]

These are a handful of pictures of Barnbougle as it looked in mid-December.  They are hoping to play some golf on the back nine this fall (March or April) and then shut it down for a September opening.


No. 4, short par 4 approx. 305 yards, into the wind.  230 to make carry on right over bunker.


No. 5, long par 3 approx. 220 yards, downwind.



No. 13, medium long par 3 approx. 205 yards downwind.  Sitwell Park green.


No. 17, medium to long par 4 back into wind.  Distance from tee shown about 440 yards, no one will want to play it from there.  380 yards from normal tee by mouth of river, into the wind plays a mile.


No. 7, short par 3 approx. 130 yards.  "The Little Devil."  Green a bit less than 3000 sq ft.



No. 9, medium par 4 approx. 430 yards downwind, photo from landing area.

[Brian_Ewen]

Daok Fan
Thanks for posting these .

Truly Fantastic.

Brian

[Matthew Mollica]

Speaking on behalf of the entire golfing population of Australia, I cannot wait until Barnbougle opens for play. It looks glorious.

Matthew

[Mark_Huxford]

Wow, very impressive Greg, Tom, Mike.

I wonder what the chances are of Julian Robertson playing Barnbougle and getting a taste for this kind of golf. I would love to see a links course as the next "pearl" in the string over here. You guys to design it of course!

Thanks for these Doak Fan.

[spud]

Nice try, trying to pass off Cypress Point as Barnbougle Dunes!!  

[spooky]

Nice try, trying to pass off Cypress Point as Barnbougle Dunes!!  

Yeah it has that kind of feel to it; a cross between Ballybunion and Cypress Point.  

Thanks for posting those pics Tom (oh I mean Doak fan) they are simply stunning!!  I have already set that pic of #17 as my computers wallpaper.   I stood on that tee a couple of months ago (wen't down for a visit) and to this day I can't get it out of my head.  The view in front and behind that tee has to be seen to be believed..  

These pics don't really do the course justice, but man have they got my juices flowing again...  Bring on the Bougle...

[Jeff_Mingay]

Outstanding variety in the par 3s illustrated here, eh. Amazing. From the tiny 7th to the Sitwell Park 13th... very cool. That green at the 13th looks facsinating.

[A_Clay_Man]

Could some of the Aussies describe the logistics they will face inorder to golf Barndougle?

[Jimmy Muratt]

#4 looks like an outstanding short par 4.  The huge bunker on the right that requires a 230+ yard carry into the wind definitely will present the risk/reward option that makes short par 4's intriguing.  I'd be interested to hear Tom's comments on the greensite and what he has planned.

#7 just looks amazing.  It's so good to see more and more quality short par 3's being built these days (especially by Doak, Coore & Crenshaw, Hanse, DeVries).  Look at the picture and imagine a pin tucked behind the front left bunker!  Now that's a tempting flag to go at with a wedge but any miss hit and you will definintely pay!  Just what makes a great short par 3, playable by all but you can make a 5 as easily as a 2.  

[Paul_Turner]

Lovely jubbly!

The Sitwell Park green should be something special.  How close is it copied/inspired from the original?  As wild as the Eden greens?  Dunes look to be the perfect size for golf-not too big.

[Robert "Cliff" Stanfield]

#17 pic resembles the view from a golf hole at Royal Aberdeen from the tips....you get a similar view of the coastline...I will have to dig the picture up and get someone to post it.

[Matthew Mollica]

Could some of the Aussies describe the logistics they will face inorder to golf Barndougle?

Adam,

Travel to Barny Dunes will be quite simple. It will be a plane ride from the respective state capitals, down to Tasmania (I'm in Melbourne, so the flight will be around 40 mins). The flight from Sydney would be around 90 mins. From Devonport (nearest town to Barny Dunes with an airport), it will be around a 40min drive to the course.

From what I understand, there is sufficient local accomodation nearby, or one may drive back to Devonport. There are Bed and Breakfast accomodation houses, as well as a local hotel, and nearby attractions, such as wineries and beautiful natural reserves along the Tamar River nearby.

All the fellow golfers I've emailed and spoken to re: Barny Dunes, are really fired up to play it. The problem we face is that we won't be able to get there as much as we'd like!!! Personally speaking, while I'm a member of a great club here in town, I can't justify a regular flight interstate to play golf, no mater how good the course is.

That's probably why most of my mates and I didn't take the plunge with the prospectus some time back. We will probably make a handful of hit and run visits per year, in which we stay for a three day weekend, and play as much as we can.

Matthew

[Matthew Delahunty]

Adam,

I guess people are going to work this out as they go because it'll be something new to travel to a remote part of Tassie for golf, but I'm sure there'll soon be some infrastructure to cater for a new tourist market.

For most people the best option will be a flight into Launceston. Qantas, Virgin and the regional carriers have direct flights there from Melbourne (about 40 mins travel time) and Sydney (about 1hr20min). Not sure about the size of the plane. People coming from other capital cities will either have to get connecting flights or fly direct to Hobart.

From Launceston it's a about an hour's drive north-east to Barnbougle.

I imagine the more popular option for a lot of Melburnians will be the overnight ferry to Devonport which is followed by a 90 minute drive. As you can take your car on the ferry I would think this is more convenient to a lot of Melbourne people.

The website has the details re travel. All you overseas travellers should read this too as there won't be any direct flights from NY to Barnbougle:

http://www.barnbougledunes.com/getting.asp

[Matthew Delahunty]

MatthewM got his post in while I was typing.

For the overseas travellers who want to consider the ferry option as part of your itinerary the ferry is the Spirt of Tasmania (ww.spiritoftasmania.com.au). It runs nightly from Melbourne and basically works out cheaper than a plane flight and accomodation, and is the better option if you're driving about (if the hire car companies allow travel to Tassie). A ferry also now runs from Sydney but the trip is about 24 hours.

[A_Clay_Man]

Thanks for the feel.

Sounds very reasonable. But, since you shielas and blokes are so friggin lucky, first Mackenzie now Doak, you really should consider a start-up airline with direct flights to BD.   It will not fail you horseshoe riding beauties.

Again, thank you both, for your timely reply,

NWF

[Erich Jr.]

Hopefully Greg Ramsey will chime in on this thread.  Greg if you read this I was wondering if your course logo has stayed the same or if you made any revisions?  I don't want to diss the current logo is just looks like some crappy munis not the incredible course that you have there.  I truly hope you reconsider and do something that is timeless and classic.  

Just look at the logos of Cypress Point, Royal Melbourne, Pine Valley, Bandon, etc. etc.  for inspiration.  YOu have on your hands one of the modern day greats that will definately stand the test of time.  

[Mike_Clayton]

The guy who is avoiding all the publicity and much credit is the landowner,Richard Sattler.

'I don't know anything about golf,I don't play it and I don't even particurally like it !' is his often used line these days and it always gets a laugh but it is partly true.
I think he is actually starting to like it a bit.

The project would never have happened if Richard had not started paying the bills. He has been truly fantastic and someone passionate about doing something significant in Tasmania.

The course is the best built down here since Royal Melbourne and if there was a list of the best 36 holes in Australia the reality is at least 27 of them would be at either Royal Melbourne or Barnbougle.

Hopefully it is successful enough to sustain itself but it will need the support of many people.
The course promises that effort will be well worth it.

[RJ_Daley]

Crikey, she's a little beauty!  

But now we have to have a contest to see what favorite enduring nick name is going to be attributed to Barnbougle Dunes.  BD is taken by Bandon Dunes.  Barny Dunes is nice, but IMHO - I like "the Bougle".  Any other nominations?

[Jimmy Muratt]

"BBD" seems appropriate.  Sticks with our "tradition" of using acronyms.

[spooky]

Crikey, she's a little beauty!  

But now we have to have a contest to see what favorite enduring nick name is going to be attributed to Barnbougle Dunes.  BD is taken by Bandon Dunes.  Barny Dunes is nice, but IMHO - I like "the Bougle".  Any other nominations?

I came up with "the bougle" that's mine, that's mine..

[tonyt]

As each month passes, and another update comes along, I foam at the mouth more and more. Between my mini golfing trip buddies (6 trips a year for 36-54 holes in two days) and I, we are using up napkins at an alarming rate.

HUGE call Mike on the 27 holes bit, but every huge call that has come out of the bougle so far has seemed quite achievable. I guess that's the licence to comment you get when you guys get a site like this one.

Adam,

As for access, even flying into Launceston (further than Devonport, but recommended for the great wineries along the way) from Melbourne, we anticipate leaving Sunday morning after breakfast, dropping in on a winery or two both on the way to Bridport (nearest town to BBD) and back and being home for Monday dinner, and we'd still easily play a round both days. If you aren't going to do it every year like us lucky Aussies though, then stay an extra day or two so that you play 54 holes and see more wineries etc  

[Norbert P]

Wow, these are some great teasers.  All photos are terrific.  That approach to 9th green is glorious and presume it will be an exciting and anxious moment for any golfer.  

 Tom or Mike, do you think you might put a bench in the fairway here with one of them coin operated binoculars?

 I hope this question is not off limits but what is Mike Keiser's role and goal in Barnbougle Dunes and its peripheral developments?  

Respectfully, Slag Barndoon

[Dan Kelly]

"BBD" seems appropriate.  Sticks with our "tradition" of using acronyms.

BBD puts me in mind of undapants. I vote for BarnyD.

Tom Doak --

That "Little [Tasmanian] Devil" puts me in mind of No. 17 at SH (Sand Hills, not Shinnecock Hills).

How do they compare?

How do the winds compare?

[Tom_Doak]

The Little Devil plays straight into the prevailing wind which is generally a strong one.  [It's been blowing a gale down there the last five days.]  I think it might be harder than 17 at Sand Hills because the bunkers on the left are really deep, and it falls away to all sides.  The dunes in the background are really about thirty yards behind the green; off the back of the green it's like 15 at Kingston Heath.  Basically, you can play to miss it short and right and try to chip for a three, or you can go for the green and hit a very good shot.

The ninth is the only hole depicted where we moved any real dirt.  Greg had wanted to put the pro shop right where the green is; I said we HAD to have the green there, and managed to find enough room between it and the tenth tee to squeeze in a small shop and a deck to have a beer.  But you could only see part of the beach from the fairway; we cut the dune on the left back quite a ways to open up the view of the beach and the bay.

Mike Keiser is a minor investor in the project and a key advisor to Richard Sattler.  (Among his contributions, he told Richard a year ago he'd be in good hands if he left the work to me.)  Mike has expressed interest in being more involved if they do a second 18 holes across the way on the rest of Richard's dunesland.

Keep on Greg over the logo ... there are some better candidates out there.  But quit looking for shortcuts on the name.  Barnbougle needs to be rolling off everyone's tongue for it to flourish.

[A_Clay_Man]

that's nothing, i've always thought it wa barndougle. Shows how dislexic i am.