Barnbougle Lost Farm (Review and Photo Tour)

[Benjamin Litman]

Discussing Barnbougle without mentioning the journey to get there is foolish--and that was especially true in our case. After our harrowing 45-minute flight from Melbourne barely landed (after one missed approach and several very bumpy moments) two days earlier in Hobart, we made our way north to Barnbougle. The local radio stations cautioned everyone to avoid travel on the roads unless absolutely necessary, calling the weather the worst in Tasmanian history and citing windblown rooftops and the Prime Minister's canceled flight as proof. But we trekked on, even stopping at the famous Australasian Golf Museum in Bothwell. Amazingly, the curator--a delightful old woman in her 80s--had come in that day; she was very grateful for our arrival, as she was starting to question whether anyone would show. What a treat that museum, housed in an old schoolhouse, was.

Australasian Golf Museum (Bothwell, Tasmania)


We tried to find the nearby Ratho Golf Course, Australia's oldest, but the weather was so bad we wouldn't have been able to see anything anyway. So we proceeded back to the route to Barnbougle, passing fallen tree limbs and tree trunks along the way. On arrival, I was shocked--given the storm that had just soaked Tasmania over the last three days--to see the sprinklers on throughout the course. I would later learn that the superintendents did so deliberately to ensure, to the best of their ability, that the sand from the bunkers would remain in them. As you'll see from the pictures, that didn't always work (indeed, several of the greens--especially the 4th and 17th at Lost Farm--were covered in sand half an inch thick). But despite it all, we were treated as royalty when we arrived--we were, after all, the only guests on the property that night. They kept both the restaurant (delicious) and the spa (heavenly, despite--or perhaps because of--the rain and wind off the Bass Strait (which separates Tasmania from mainland Australia) that buffeted and even leaked through the bottom of the windows) open for us. We stayed at Lost Farm, which is an excellent facility for golfers, replete with comfortable rooms, the spa and restaurant, and free laundry. (I can't speak to the multicolored cabins at Dunes, but they certainly look more charming, if less practical.)

Much to our delight, and surprise, we awoke the next morning to find that the storm had moved on, leaving beautiful clear skies--even if also some water-filled bunkers--behind. The first tee at Lost Farm, where we were scheduled to play our morning round, was all ours. After some helpful routing directions from the pros in the pro shop, we made our way onto golfing heaven. I must say that the windblown sand we encountered on several fairways (especially the 8th) and greens (the 4th, a great short par-3 hard along Bass Strait, was unputtable and, like the 17th, filled with workers trying to clear the sand) actually enhanced the experience, making the land seem even wilder than it was. Like the Dunes, Lost Farm starts with two relatively non-descript, even underwhelming, holes (a par-5 followed by a par-4 on both courses); I'd give the edge to Dunes on 1 and to Lost Farm on 2. Also like on Dunes, Lost Farm begins in earnest on 3, a classic short par-4 with a well-positioned center-fairway bunker and a small perched green. The stretch from 3 through 5 is the best on the course--with 3 being the best short par-3, 4 being the best par-3 (played directly next to Bass Strait), and 5 being the best long par-4 (a Road Hole-type tee shot around a huge dune in front of the tee). Six and 7 are solid, if unspectacular holes, while 8 is a very good par-5 with a tee shot not all that dissimilar, except for the righthand dune being smaller and farther from the tee, from the renowned one on 5. The stretch from 9-12 is probably the dullest on the course, but there are still great shots, if not great holes, in there--especially the tee shot on 11. Thirteen through 15 is another world-class stretch (of four, not three holes, as the first of the "extra" par-3 holes on the 20-hole course comes after 13). Thirteen is a par-4 that plays through a huge natural dune-framed valley, 13A is a difficult short par-3 to an elevated green with falloffs aplenty, 14 is the course's best hole, a par-4 that doglegs gently right along the edge of a huge dune and ends with a long, narrow green perched into the dunes fronting Bass Strait, and 15 is a brilliantly routed par-3 with a green sunken into a valley beneath a massive dune on the left on which the spa and restaurant rest (many architects, given the location of the tee by Bass Strait, would have tried to place the green also along the water, but Coore had already done that at the 4th). Sixteen is another solid long slightly dogleg-right par-4, 17 is a difficult uphill par-3, and 18 is a great par-4 finishing hole, playing straight inside the Bass Strait dune line back toward the clubhouse and offering beautiful views of a stunning property. But when you walk off the green and back toward the clubhouse, you're confronted with yet another "A" hole (18A, the course's 20th and final hole), a bet-settling gently uphill par-3 with a big green and grand bunkering. The course's routing, through massive dunes, along flatter farmland, and back, is superb (from what I've read, the routing at Friar's Head is similarly brilliant), and the overall feel and look of the property--the whitish and thick marram grasses (think Muirfield) are everywhere and provide a wonderful visual depth to all of the holes--makes up for those few holes that aren't world class. Coore's Lost Farm is a great "second" course to Doak's masterpiece at the Dunes, one that, in a reverse of what would come at Streamsong, is wider and more playable for the high handicapper than its more famous, and more highly ranked, neighbor. (In a further similar reversal, the Dunes has the better individual holes than Lost Farm, which can claim only two truly world-class holes (5 and 14).) One difference between the two courses to note in my photographs is that the fairways at Lost Farm, despite being right next door, are on much flatter terrain than those at the Dunes, which have truly glorious natural ripples and undulations throughout (the greens and green surrounds on Lost Farm are also much flatter, and less interesting, than those at the Dunes).

Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 1 (fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 2 (tee, with 17 green off in the distance on the right)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 2 (fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 2 (fairway, looking backward toward tee)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 3 (fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 3 (green, looking backward up the fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 4 (view from green right out over the Bass Strait)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 5 (view from between 3 green and 4 tee) [N.B.: The huge dune on the right plays a big role off the tee, obscuring the right side of the fairway, a la the hotel on the 17th tee at The Old Course, as some have said.]


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 5 (fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 6 (tee)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 6 (right greenside bunker, filled with rainwater deposited by the night before's storm)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 7 (tee)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 7 (fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 8 (left fairway bunker)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 8 (fairway, looking backward over the sand strewn across it by the wind that accompanied the night before's epic storm)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 9 (fairway, looking backward)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 9 (fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 10 (dune framing the right of the fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 11 (fork in the tee box)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 11 (back-left tee) [N.B.: The landing area is over, or to the right of, the bunker in the face of the hill.]


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 11 (green)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 12 (fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 13 (looking backward over the perfectly dune-framed fairway from the tee on 13A)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 13A (back-left tee) [N.B.: No wonder Sattler decided to keep the 20-hole routing; the two "extra" holes, both par-3s, are spectacular, this one in particular.]


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 13A (front-right tee)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 14 (tee bench, with the green on 13A in the background)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 14 (tee)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 14 (fairway, looking left up at the guestrooms)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 14 (green, looking backward up the fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 15 (tee) [N.B.: The brilliance of this hole is the choice of green side; most architects likely would have been tempted to put the green hard along Bass Strait, but Coore had already done that on 4, and the valley formed by the humongous dune on the left allows for better green surrounds to play off of.]


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 15 (view from tee right out over Bass Strait)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 16 (view from the tee left over the only lake on the property)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 16 (fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 18 (view to the right of the tee, looking out over the course)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 18 (tee)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 18 (fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 18 (fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 18 (green, looking backward up the fairway)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 18A (tee)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 18A (green)


Barnbougle Lost Farm, Lost Tree

[Thomas Dai]

Barnbougle Lost Farm, Hole 14 (green, looking backward up the fairway)

Thank you for sharing. What a 'wow' location. Nice that you included the photo and comments on the Bothwell museum. Would that be a tin cladded roof?

Including some B&W photos is a nice touch, the one of 14th green I've copied herein really shows up the contours.

atb

[Alan Ritchie]

great tour and photos. I would also agree pretty much entirely on your review. we had a good discussion on the merits of the opening 2 holes on both courses too. after a few plays I began to notice the subtleties of the second at lost farm, particularly to a left pin.A drive down the narrower left side ( that probably very few take) Leads to a chip that avoids the ridge at the front of the green. It's a tough call between the two first holes, I may just prefer the 1st at LF as you can see everything going on from the tee.

I would also agree about your comments on the middle section at lost farm which is certainly the weakest of the two courses and gives the edge to BD.  Overall, it's just an amazing place however!

[Mark Pavy]

Nice review.

BD's site is better than LF's.
Both 2nd holes offer a way to get to the 3rd from the 1st.
Does the mound on LF's 7th have a similar story to Cruden Bay's 17th?
BD has 6 holes where you can't see your tee shot finish (3,5,9,11,14,18). LF has 2 (5 and 11).

[David_Elvins]

Both 2nd holes offer a way to get to the 3rd from the 1st.

I reckon you have missed out on two great green complexes if this is all you observed.  99.9% of courses in the world (inc some top 100 courses) wouldn't have one green as good as these two.  



Benjamin,

Nice review. Interesting to see the storm 'damage'.  A great example of how/why the architecture of the course changes over time.  

[Benjamin Litman]

Thanks, all, for the kind words.

Thomas: At least with people, I generally prefer taking pictures in black-and-white, but I agree that golf courses--in the right light--also look magical without color, so I might start taking more (I never convert color pictures to black-and-white after the fact). If you like the contours in that picture of LF 14, check out my recent Dunes review/photo tour, as the contours are more prominent on that course, in my opinion.

Alan: I agree that LF 2 is a good hole, but I actually prefer the approach from the right, over the ridge, to a wider target. As for the first holes, I prefer BD 1 precisely because the tee shot is semi-blind--neither hole is great, so the slight drama on the opening tee shot at BD 1 gives it the edge for me.

Mark: Interesting observation re: LF 7 and Cruden Bay 17. For me at least, the center-fairway mound on LF 7 didn't come into play as much as the one at Cruden Bay 17, which, if I recall, is longer. As for backstories, I can't help you there, sorry.

David: I agree that the green complexes at both LF 2 and BD 2 are the best features of those holes. My point was that the holes are, relative to the others on their respective courses, non-descript and underwhelming.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Holy smokes Benjamin,
You have created such a tremendous buzz in my mind with these outstanding tours.
My anticipation of the trip was already at intense high, after each of these tours the days cannot get here soon enough.
My wife has been touring your photographs as well and even as a non player you have intensified her desire to see these courses, because her interest in architecture is almost up there with mine.
Thanks from both of us mate .

[Mark Pavy]

Both 2nd holes offer a way to get to the 3rd from the 1st.

I reckon you have missed out on two great green complexes if this is all you observed.  99.9% of courses in the world (inc some top 100 courses) wouldn't have one green as good as these two.  
 

David, your opinion on the quality on the green complexes does not change the routing.

[David_Elvins]

David, your opinion on the quality on the green complexes does not change the routing.

Huh?   

[James Bennett]

I must be missing something.
I regard the second hole at BD highly.
The low scale bunker left works perfectly with the real hazard - the knob that comes in from the right, creating a blind shot for the lazy tee shot.
Then with a green that utilises the spur off the next green to create a challenge.

Simple use of the few features available.  Excellent hole.

As for the second hole at LF - the green is a superior example of what can be achieved on flat land, as does the fairway bunker position, with lines of play varying depending on wind and pin position.
There are touches of The Old Course in this hole.

really nice pictures Benjamin - thank-you.

James B

[Benjamin Litman]

Michael: You and your wife are very, very welcome. I'm very glad to hear you're enjoying the tours and getting excited for your trip--which is when, by the way? For many years, I relied on the reviews and photo tours on this site to plan and get excited for my own trips, so when I finally joined as a member, I promised myself I would both pay it back and pay it forward, as it were.

James/David/Mark: I think we're speaking past each other a bit here. No doubt the 2nd holes on both BD and LF have merits; all I, and I think Mark, was saying is that those holes are, relative to the others on their respective courses, non-descript and underwhelming.

James: You're very welcome, and I certainly agree with your TOC point re: LF's 2nd, which, again, I preferred to BD's 2nd. Because I was in the left fairway bunker on BD's 2nd, I probably didn't appreciate the right-hand knob that you've highlighted--thanks for bringing that to my attention.

[Mark Pavy]

Hey Benjamin, I agree there's a couple of guys talking past each other. My comment regarding both 2nd holes was in reference to the routing decisions made by both sets of designers. Whilst both sites are on great golf course land, at a certain point during the design process some decisions would have to be made in regard to the routing for the greater good of the design. To make the routing work, there will always be some sort of compromise. I'm more interested in the placement of the compromise relative to the hole routing. I don't think it would be uncommon for a designer to make the compromise earlier rather than later in the routing. I could be wrong, maybe MC/TD and CC stood on the respective locations of the 2nd tees and said,"wow, what a great hole this would be!", given the rest of the site, I doubt it.

I think both courses are great and congratulate both sets of designers.

I do have one nagging question regarding BD.....8?

[Benjamin Litman]

Well put, Mark, although, with respect to LF, I think the land used for the second hole is more exciting than the land used for the first, so perhaps the routing-compromise issue was more with respect to 1 than with 2--or, generally, how to work out toward the dunes/3 tee from the clubhouse.

What exactly is your nagging question regarding BD 8?

[Mark Pavy]

It would pertain to the thought process of the split fairway, the length of rough on the slope separating the fairways and the 4.5 par.

[Benjamin Litman]

All fair questions (although I don't mind a challenging long par-4 every now and then); hopefully Tom will provide some insight.

[David_Elvins]

Hey Benjamin, I agree there's a couple of guys talking past each other. My comment regarding both 2nd holes was in reference to the routing decisions made by both sets of designers. Whilst both sites are on great golf course land, at a certain point during the design process some decisions would have to be made in regard to the routing for the greater good of the design. To make the routing work, there will always be some sort of compromise. I'm more interested in the placement of the compromise relative to the hole routing. I don't think it would be uncommon for a designer to make the compromise earlier rather than later in the routing. I could be wrong, maybe MC/TD and CC stood on the respective locations of the 2nd tees and said,"wow, what a great hole this would be!", given the rest of the site, I doubt it.

I think both courses are great and congratulate both sets of designers.

I do have one nagging question regarding BD.....8?

Mark,

I think if you are going to assume what golf course architects are thinking it is helpful to have some idea how they think.  There were earlier iterations of the lost farm routing that had no holes where 1 and 2 are and more holes on the dramatic land to the east of the clubhouse.  Qt some stage Coore chose to take holes off the dramatic land to the east of the clubhouse and build holes on flatter land to the west of the clubhouse.  Maybe this was preplanning for a third course, I dont know, but seeking out flat land to build holes on is a consistent theme in almost all Coore's courses.  To assume that building holes on flat land is a neccessary evil to get to the good land misses the point of how Coore builds golf courses. 

The fact is you cant build the second green on an undulating piece of land, if you think that a golf course should have greens like that, you have to find flat land to build them on.

[Mark Pavy]

David,

Perhaps you could provide reference to Bill Coore stating he seeks out flat land to build golf holes, or is this just your assumption?

Funny how you don't list the 2nd at BD as a great hole, despite 99.9% of courses not having one green as good as this great green complex.

[James Bennett]

Benjamin

regarding the second at BD, my experience on the first round was the same as yours - hit it in the left hand bunker and felt it was an average hole.  On my second play, I was well right, through a poor hot, and discovered how narrow the hole plays.

That flat ground bunkering on the left of the fairway opposite the runway is not great aesthetically (bunkers cut in flat land are generally uninspiring) but it does create the tension for the tee-shot and brings the knoll into play for shots allowed to drift to the right.

The choice of greensite at the second is quite inspired, although the actual green is less memorable, probably due to the memorable nature of so many other greens there.

James B

[David_Elvins]

David,

Perhaps you could provide reference to Bill Coore stating he seeks out flat land to build golf holes, or is this just your assumption?

No assumption, he has done it at every course of his that I have played, and a few others as well.  He chose flat land at Lost Farm, Bandon Trails, Friars Head, Hidden Creek, and Streamsong.

Here's what Coore has to say about the 2nd at Lost Farm.

"There are some quirky holes out there. There are some holes you won't see pretty much anywhere else. Look at the second hole, the green is 70 yards wide but that is what we found there. All we did was add a couple of bunkers to the fairway and we had a pretty nice hole. That's all we did. " 

Sounds like he is excited about it and thinks it is a unique interesting hole.  Doesn't seem like it was simply ''offering a way to get to the 3rd tee from the first green".

Funny how you don't list the 2nd at BD as a great hole, despite 99.9% of courses not having one green as good as this great green complex.

In my mind there is a large middle ground between 'great hole' and 'offering away to get to the 3rd tee from the first green".

[James Bennett]

The architecture of the flat holes at Barnbougle LF is a treat - whether it be 1, 2, 12, 13 or 16. No elevation change, sometimes there are adjacent features, but all holes are full of interest despite what may be perceived as uninspiring land.

James B

[George Pazin]

David,

Perhaps you could provide reference to Bill Coore stating he seeks out flat land to build golf holes, or is this just your assumption?

No assumption, he has done it at every course of his that I have played, and a few others as well.  He chose flat land at Lost Farm, Bandon Trails, Friars Head, Hidden Creek, and Streamsong.

Here's what Coore has to say about the 2nd at Lost Farm.

"There are some quirky holes out there. There are some holes you won't see pretty much anywhere else. Look at the second hole, the green is 70 yards wide but that is what we found there. All we did was add a couple of bunkers to the fairway and we had a pretty nice hole. That's all we did. " 

Sounds like he is excited about it and thinks it is a unique interesting hole.  Doesn't seem like it was simply ''offering a way to get to the 3rd tee from the first green".

Funny how you don't list the 2nd at BD as a great hole, despite 99.9% of courses not having one green as good as this great green complex.

In my mind there is a large middle ground between 'great hole' and 'offering away to get to the 3rd tee from the first green".

This is a beautiful post, well done, David.

In many ways, it encapsulates the difference between the idea of building a great course and building 18 great holes.

Well done, indeed.

[Mark Pavy]

This is a beautiful post, well done, David.

In many ways, it encapsulates the difference between the idea of building a great course and building 18 great holes.

Well done, indeed.

The irony is that David is discussing the individual merits of the hole, where my point is in regard to the routing of the course.

[George Pazin]

Sorry, Mark, the irony is that you don't understand his point.

Or Bill Coore's, for that matter.

[Mark_F]

"There are some quirky holes out there. There are some holes you won't see pretty much anywhere else. Look at the second hole, the green is 70 yards wide but that is what we found there. All we did was add a couple of bunkers to the fairway and we had a pretty nice hole. That's all we did. " 

Sounds like he is excited about it and thinks it is a unique interesting hole.  Doesn't seem like it was simply ''offering a way to get to the 3rd tee from the first green".

Actually, it sounds like he thinks he has a pretty nice hole. 

Is it worth going all the way to Tasmania to play pretty nice flat holes?

[Mark Pavy]

Sorry, Mark, the irony is that you don't understand his point.

Or Bill Coore's, for that matter.

Really George? You also wish to speculate on what I observed? Or do you wish to discuss the similarity in the routing and intended golfer experience between not only the 2 mentioned holes but in fact the similarities between the starting holes on both courses?

Both courses open with gentle par 5's, easy openers, both 2nd holes, in context to the other holes on the course, would be considered underwhelming, both courses then role out a great stretch of holes.

Have you played the courses? Do you see the similarities in the way the courses unfold to the golfer?