A few Royal Melbourne West photos....

[jonathan_becker]

Many people have unexplained desires in their life and seeing RMW was always one of those for myself.  I've always been drawn to the course and after years of dreaming about the place, I finally made the trip to Australia last month for two weeks and was fortunate enough to play the West three times and two of the rounds were with fellow GCAers.  

If I were to describe each hole, I could go on forever, as all 18 holes on the West have outstanding merits, with the greatest stretch coming from holes 2-7 imo.  A few things to note though....

The scale of the holes and bunkering is huge!  For a course that's set in the neighborhoods of Black Rock, I couldn't believe how big and bold the holes were presented.  Many holes traverse large elevations throughout the property with some fairways being 60-80 yards wide.  The greens are also huge and sweeping and just hitting them is only the start of the process of playing the hole.  It's not overly difficult to get yourself into position to play the correct approach, but being on the correct side of the green to putt is most important.  My first trip around the course I was bitten by the 3 putt bug on a few of the holes.

Furthermore, the recovery areas around the greens are unlike anything I've ever seen (note - have not played in the UK yet).  The false fronts and false backs that feed balls into the nearby swales on many of the holes look like works of art as they bend and move in ways unlike anything I'm familiar with.  I was so taken aback by many of the recoveries I faced, that I wasn't quite sure what kind of shot to play!  I'm more used to a predominant slope on a shaved area in Ohio, but at RMW, many of those slopes might have fed in a single direction, but the ground slightly meandered in the process which created an uneven road (so to speak) to get the ball back onto the putting surface.  Take 3 green for example, the tidal wave front swale was amazing and mind blowing with the recovery options presented.  But then again, the vivid green fescue collars might have taken that thought process up a notch.  Which brings me to my next point.  ...

Visual intimidation through colors!  It took me a while to figure out why I thought the trouble was highlighted on the course and then it dawned on me that the multitude of colors throughout the property were playing with my head.  Especially the fescue collars.  The vivid green collars literally highlighted the movement and danger that the player faces on the recovery.  You get around some of the greens and just a simple, "holy shit", comes out of your mouth!  Taking the color thing further, the browns, tans, greens, faded greens, vivid greens, the burnt out rough areas, the bunker sand, the dune sand dustings, the scrub, the bush, THEY ALL present an unbelievable amount of color and mixed depth perception.  Mix that with the huge holes, huge bunkering, and huge putting surfaces, and you've got yourself one hell of round of golf ahead of you.

I'll shut up for now, as many of you have played this course much more than myself, but those are a few quick things that have stuck with me since my visits.  The following thread showcases these holes and to not over do it, I'll just post one shot of each hole.  So, without further fussing, here are some shots of my three visits to the great Royal Melbourne West course.

Tee shot on 1



Approach into 2



Short of 3 green



Around the bend on 4




5 greensite



again....why not?



6 around the bend and the approach





7 green from the left



8 tee



9 green from 8 fw.  Look at all the colors!



10 green



11



short route into 12



13 greensite



looking back down 14



15 green



16 greensite



approach into 17



18 tee

[Scott Warren]

13 is looking much better with that extra vegetation removed. I had heard about it but not seen it yet.

It allows the bunkers to dominate the eye the way they do on 10 at Kingston Heath.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Lovely pic of the 3rd's swale. Like your point about colors that presentation shows contrast. I wonder if they mow it that way purposely to up the anxiety.

It continues to amaze me how a short 4 with a huge fairway, a big green and no real trouble off the tee or in the direct line of play can play so enticingly and maddeningly...small.

[Ben Jarvis]

Absolutely stunning photos of a special place, Jonathan. One thing struck me about your comments - about the vivid contrast in colours mainly re: the surrounds. I saw this at the President's cup and read with interest the detailed comments of Warwick Loton about this and the change in the type of couch grass used on the fairways - I noted some concern in Warwick's tone. Does that stark contrast between fairway, then approach, then green seem natural to you? I'm sceptical of the whole concept but fully prepared to be told I'm wrong and acknowledge that it's only based on descriptions and pictures / TV. Can anyone comment further on how seamlessly these approach areas blend in to the course both visually and in terms of how the ball reacts? Please don't take this as mindless bashing - just would like a bit more clarity about how people feel about it.

Hi Brian

The fescue green surrounds play really well. The Club continues to strive for firm greens year round. With legend couch fairways providing a relatively soft bounce, the fescue surrounds allows you to bounce the ball short and let it run on. When around the greens, the fescue to so fine and firm, putting is often a great option.

Visually, there is a clear definition between fairway and green surrounds, but the fescue tends to blend in well with the greens.

[Carl Nichols]

Many people have unexplained desires in their life and seeing RMW was always one of those for myself. 

Funny--I have similar feelings about RMW.  From all of the pictures I've seen, I imagine it would be #1 on my list of courses I'd want to have as my home club.

[jonathan_becker]

Mark B,

During my second play, after playing #3, there wasn't a group behind me so I went back to 100 yards and hit a SW in,and  bumped a wedge, a hybrid, and an 8 iron through the swale just to see how different each would react.  Good fun.

Sheehy,

I hear what you're saying about the colors on tv and I thought the same thing.  Having said that though, I found the color contrasts fascinating in person and I loved everything about it.  Yes, there is a definite seam between the fairways and the collars but I don't care.  Like Ben said, the fescue promotes the bounce.

Carl,

Go play it!

[Bart Bradley]

Jonathan:

As you know, playing Royal Melbourne for someone who cares about architecture (or even one who just cares about golf) is like a visit to heaven.  It is truly a course that was built from the greens backward.  It is wonderfully simple and yet, remarkably complex. 

Melbourne is among a small group of places I have traveled that truly moved my spirit.  I know that, allowing good health, I will return to Melbourne many more times in my life.

For those who have been there, it is great to see the pictures and remember.  For those who haven't, I hope you someday get the chance.  And when the chance arises.... GO.

Bart

[jonathan_becker]

Jonathan:

As you know, playing Royal Melbourne for someone who cares about architecture (or even one who just cares about golf) is like a visit to heaven.  It is truly a course that was built from the greens backward.  It is wonderfully simple and yet, remarkably complex. 

Melbourne is among a small group of places I have traveled that truly moved my spirit.  I know that, allowing good health, I will return to Melbourne many more times in my life.

For those who have been there, it is great to see the pictures and remember.  For those who haven't, I hope you someday get the chance.  And when the chance arises.... GO.

Bart

Dr Bart,

Nice post and I agree with you about the course and the city.  I'll be back for sure at some point. 

As for the others that are contemplating heading down to Australia....welll, I hate flying, and the 15 hours down and the 14 hours back  to and from Los Angeles weren't all that bad.  Don't let that stop any of you from going.


As for the holes themselves at RMW....is there a better stretch of consecutive par 5,3,4 in the world than holes #4, 5, and 6 ?  I don't think any course can top that stretch!

[C. Sturges]

Great pictures Jonathan,  one of my favorite places!  When I played the greens where black and rolled as true as any greens I have ever played.  I can not waite to play there again.  The East course was a blast also, even though it is not as good as the West.
chris

[Josh Tarble]

Jonathan,
Thank you for this.  What an incredible course.  It just looks fantastic.  Did you play anything else while you were down there?

The constant battle I face is deciding how much time to spend playing courses and seeing the cities.  Melbourne is a city we (my wife and I) have on our target list but nearly all the courses in the sand belt are must plays.  What was your golf/tourist mix and would you do it any differently the next time?

[jonathan_becker]

Chris S,

When we played Sleepy Hollow a couple years back, RMW was what we mainly talked about and I finally went and did it!

Josh,

I played

Victoria
Woodlands
St A's Beach
RMW/RME
Kingston Heath
Barnbougle
Lost Farm
Peninsula North
New South Wales GC

6 nights in Melbourne, 2 in Tasmania, and 4 nights in Sydney.  Played almost 15 rounds and also got to see plenty of the sights in both Melbourne and Sydney.  I'd do the same trip all over again!

[C. Sturges]

Jonathan,
We will have to get out and play this summer.  I still have not played down in your area, or much farther south.
chris

[Stephen Britton]

Love it how the grasses around the bunkers have been left to grow out, especially on the bunker tongues or walk-ins.... I always felt we over manicured the turf around the bunkers 10 years ago...

[BHoover]

Jonathan,

Thanks for the pictures. They look awesome. The colors are spectacular and the variety of grasses and different cuts are incredible. Was the turf firm? How did it compare to other courses you've played here in the US with respect to playing firm and fast?

The feature that I like the most, and one which I would like to see employed here in the US, is the proximity of the bunkers to the green surface and the lack of rough between the green cut and the edges of the bunkers. Is this feature used anywhere in the US, except for Augusta National?

I also love the practice of keeping the bunker faces devoid of sand. My understanding is that the bunker faces are packed soil with a thin coating of sand, which ensures that the ball will be played from the base of the bunker. Too often, IMO, courses here in the US push too much sand up bunker faces. It may look good, but it results in plugged lies and damages the bunker edge as sand builds up over time.

I'm looking forward to more of your photos!

[jonathan_becker]

Hoover,

I don't know why I like all the colors out there, but I do.  As for how firm and fast?  Everything was dry and played fast enough.  On the East course with the smaller corridors, I struck the ball fairly well, but too many times my ball ran through the dogleg and into the bush or OB.  Anticipating the release is definitely something we don't see much of in Ohio.  As for a course to compare, that's tough because most places in our area tend to play soft most of the year.  So I'll say Bandon!  Balls in Melbourne would run and run, but at RM, it was the only place I played where you could hear the approach shots THUD when they hit the greens....even from 150+ yards you could hear it.  A well struck shot held the putting surfaces and if you caught it a little thin and you wouldn't hold the green.

As for your second question, off the top of my head, I can't think of any courses in the States that have bunker edges going straight up against putting surfaces like they do in Melbourne.  IIRC, I was told that most places in the world can't have bunking like the Sandbelt because they have a superior combination of weather, temps, and sand/soil mixtures that help keep everything in place.

[Sven Nilsen]

Jonathan:

I thought the most extreme bunker edges were those that cut into the putting surface on the 7th on RMW.  You almost expected the area around those edges to cave away if you lingered too long.

I find it interesting that people are discussing seams at RMW.  Its the most "seamless" golf course I've played.  Everything fits perfectly, even with some flaws that might doom a lesser course to inane criticism.

Sven

[jonathan_becker]

Jonathan:

I thought the most extreme bunker edges were those that cut into the putting surface on the 7th on RMW.  You almost expected the area around those edges to cave away if you lingered too long.

Funny because I thought the same thing a few times on 7 and on a couple other holes.  You do feel like the ground shouldn't support your weight when you get near the green/bunker edges but obviously that's not the case.

[Bill Brightly]

Jonathan,

Thanks for posting some great photos! As someone who mainly plays parkland courses in the US, I used to read GCA threads talking about "width,"  "angles" and "proper line of attack,"  never really understanding what people were talking about, until I got about halfway through my first nine at RM. Then the light bulb went off and I said "Now I get it!"

[James Bennett]

I also love the practice of keeping the bunker faces devoid of sand. My understanding is that the bunker faces are packed soil with a thin coating of sand, which ensures that the ball will be played from the base of the bunker. Too often, IMO, courses here in the US push too much sand up bunker faces. It may look good, but it results in plugged lies and damages the bunker edge as sand builds up over time.

Brian

Royal Melbourne is built on a massive dune of sand.  I think the sand goes down a couple of hundred feet in some places.  So, the greens and bunkers and fairways are all built on similar material.

The sands have that wonderful combination of compaction and playability and drainage Iit is easy to drain when you have that much depth of sand).

The sands have a mixture of whitish, angular particles and greyer fines.  In the bunkers, the greyer fines tend to wash out onto the floor, leaving a sparkling whiter face to the eye and a greyer floor, containing more fines.  The face packs hard because of the natural particle size and angles, just as the greens pack hard.  Hence the ability to walk on the edges of the greens with sharp, deep bunker lips adjacent.

I do not think you could replicate the Royal melbourne style if you were importing sands for green and bunker construction, unless you had a ridiculous budget.  Even if you did, maintaining such a style would be difficult as it would be hard to procure consistent sands in 10, 20, 30 years time.

the secret is definitely in the dirt at Royal Melbourne.

James B

[Mark Chaplin]

When I was at RM for a week a couple of years ago the fescue surrounds were new and frankly awful. A ball pitching in the surrounds stopped dead yet two yards further and landing on the firm greens it was tough to stop the ball. I'm pleased they've now settled in and the course is playing as it should do. Two or three GCA'ers are very fortunate to have RM as a membership.

[James Bennett]

Two or three GCA'ers are very fortunate to have RM as a membership.

or as a reciprocal club.....

[Mark Chaplin]

James - very true!!

[John Mayhugh]

As for the holes themselves at RMW....is there a better stretch of consecutive par 5,3,4 in the world than holes #4, 5, and 6 ?  I don't think any course can top that stretch!

6-8 at Pebble?  Maybe I'm just a sucker for the views.

Great set of photos from a really special place.  As Bill Brightly suggested, a perfect course to communicate architectural principles.  Can't wait to go back.