[Matthew Delahunty]

I played at Barnbougle Dunes in late February and thought I'd share some photos.

3rd



4th


5th


6th (standing on the tee reminds me a little of the 5th at Cruden Bay)


7th


8th


13th


14th



15th

This photo has already had its own thread



16th


17th



Local Spectator

[Scott Warren]

Great pics Matthew. I can't wait to get there when I return home from the UK. I'm kicking myself I didn't make time to get down there before I left.

The picture of the sixth namechecks Cruden Bay - it also bears a striking resemblance to a hole at Portstewart I have been picture stalking lately (the 2nd, I think).

[PCCraig]

Oh my Lord those look awesome.

I am already planning a trip there and to Austrailia in three years when my fiance is done with her MBA.

Quick question, how did you get there? I have seen that the best way to get there is by a 4-seat private plane that lands nearby from Melbourne?

[Scott Warren]

You can fly to Launceston, which is about an hour's drive to Bridport - where Barnbougle Dunes is located - on either of Australia's two low cost airlines, Virgin Blue and Jetstar.

If you already had a car, Tasmania is a short ferry ride from Victoria (Melbourne).

[Kirk Gill]

That 7th hole has some magic about it. Seems like it has a different appearance and aspect in every picture I see of it......

What a magnificent course on what looks to be a truly marvelous site.....

Thanks for the pictures.....

[Ash Towe]

Matthew,
Thanks for the pics. 
Did you see the second course development whilst you were there and if so any comments.

[Sean Leary]

Can you find balls in the long grass there?

[C. Sturges]

Great Pics!  They get me excited about going late next fall!  Is there anywhere else to play?
Chris

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

can golf really get much better than that?
great pictures

[Scott Warren]

Great Pics!  They get me excited about going late next fall!  Is there anywhere else to play?
Chris

The only other two courses in Tasmania that are remotely worth playing are Royal Hobart and Tasmania GC, both are in Hobart in the far south of the state, 6 hours away by car. Melbourne and its surrounds hold 90% of the golfing gems in Australia - and as a born and bred boy from Sydney you have no idea how much it pains me to say that!

[Matthew Delahunty]

Pat,
You can either fly into Launceston on a commercial flight and drive 90 minutes to Bridport, or the other option is to take a chartered flight in a light plane from Melbourne (Moorabbin Airport) which lands at the airstrip alongside the second and third holes. From all reports the landing can sometimes be a bit hairy.


Ash,
I didn't see the second course but someone in the bar was commenting that 10 holes have already been constructed. Matt Mollica has some photos of the land on which it will sit.


Chris,
No courses of any note nearby, until the new course opens next door. I assume that will be in about 12 months. However, you'll probably come via Melbourne so there'll plenty of opportunities for great golf there.

I'd also highly recommend 4 or 5 days of sightseeing. Tasmania has some beautiful natural scenery which should not be missed.

Sean,
The Marram grass on the dunes is thick and clumpy. Your odds of finding your ball are low, and if you do you'll probably be taking an unplayable.

[Sean Leary]

Thanks Matthew.

Is that a weakness of the course? Prairie Dunes has the same issue and it is far an away the biggest weakness of that course, imo.

[Jason Topp]

Thanks Matthew.

Is that a weakness of the course? Prairie Dunes has the same issue and it is far an away the biggest weakness of that course, imo.

Sean - it may be but the course is pretty wide (it may have been widened since opening)

[Anthony Gray]

  Matthew,

  A friend of Cruden Bay is a friend of mine.

  Any poisonous snakes or vipers at Barnbougle?

  Anthony

[Jason Topp]

I'd also highly recommend 4 or 5 days of sightseeing. Tasmania has some beautiful natural scenery which should not be missed.

I strongly echo this recommendation.  My family spent four days there.  It felt like the edge of the world

[Ash Towe]

Hi Matthew,
Thanks for the reply and information.

[Sean Leary]

Thanks Matthew.

Is that a weakness of the course? Prairie Dunes has the same issue and it is far an away the biggest weakness of that course, imo.

Sean - it may be but the course is pretty wide (it may have been widened since opening)

Hey Jason,

I understand but wind can make a wide course skinnier....PD is pretty wide as well until you tee off into a 25 mph crosswind. Is it as wide as Ballyneal? (Don't know if you have been there or not)

[Matthew Delahunty]

Sean,

In general the fairways are very wide and I understand some are now wider than when it opened. Having said that, average golfers should count on losing a ball or two in a round unless they are consistently straight. If the wind really gets up that risk significantly increases.

I didn't feel this detracted from the course. It is not a long course and affords lots of opportunity for good scoring so the penalty for misssing the fairway is harsh but fair. I don't think the penalty here is any worse than other links courses I've played, like TOC or Dornoch where the penalty for missing the fairway may be a ball lost in the gorse, or Machrihanish where a ball missing the fairway is usually a ball lost.

I would rather the course retain its natural grasses than replace them for the sake of playability.

[Dieter Jones]

There are 3 types of snakes in tassie. Unfortunately two are in the top 10 most poisonous in the world

I have only seen one at Barnbougle (a tiger snake) in about 30 rounds. It did keep me out of the Marram grass for the rest of that trip. Forget about bothering to look in the thick Marram grass '- you wont find your ball. The fairways are very generous so no it doesnt spoil the course. Only one of my mates has really struggled there in still conditions but he was hitting it sideways!!

No other courses worth making a trip for in the state. If you are in hobart and keen for a game then Royal Hobart and Tasmania are the best but you would be better of going to victoria. I've just spent a week playing the sandbelt in victoria. Truly world class option there. It's 3.5 hours drive from Barnbougle to hobart by the way. And the "short" ferry ride from Melbourne is about 9 hours 

If any of you do make it to Hobart then drop me a line and i will organise a game at my club (Royal Hobart). There are about 2 other people at the club who seem interested in course architecture so I would enjoy the conversation.

[Mike_Clayton]

Dieter,

Surely even the most disinterested club has more than two members who have any curiosily about the architecture.

[Neil_Crafter]

Dieter and Mike
My experience is when it comes to time to discuss course changes for a masterplan process at a club then nearly every member is vitally interested and has an opinion that they believe is valid.

[Dieter Jones]

There would be more Mike - no doubt.

I've probably only played with about 80 of the members at my club and chatted to another 30 or 40 off course. My comment would perhaps better be phrased 'I have thus far only found 2 other members who share my love of course architecture and enjoy talking about it during or after a round'.

My comment was more that I would enjoy having someone to analyse the good and bad parts of the course and compare it to others played etc as we go along.

[Dieter Jones]

Dieter and Mike
My experience is when it comes to time to discuss course changes for a masterplan process at a club then nearly every member is vitally interested and has an opinion that they believe is valid.

Neil, I'm sure that a review of the masterplan would get just about everyone expressing an opinion on what should be done or not. But would they really be discussing GCA in the sense that it is discussed on this forum?

[Sean Walsh]

Dieter,

I played Royal Hobart about 5 years ago now (before I took too much interest in Golf Architecture), I enjoyed the course.  The only hole that sticks in the memory is a short 4 with a well contoured green (somewhere around the middle of the round I think). 

Also just think your opportunities to play good courses could be much worse, you could live in NSW 

[Dieter Jones]

NSW and Tasmania both have one good course so we will call it even 

I lived in sydney for 12 years so I hear your pain.

Lets all move to Victoria.

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