Tee Time
Saturday November 9, 1996
The only thing better than game of gold is a whole holiday on the fairway. MICHAEL COWLEY looks at where the grass is greener and how to get there.
THERE was a time when a "golf holiday" meant dad smuggling his clubs into the boot of the Falcon before heading up the coast with mum and the kids. With a bit of luck, he might sneak off for nine holes at some primitive course with a fibro clubhouse while mum kept the littlies out of the rip.
That was then. Now, golf is hot. With the corporate world, among women, the young - and for family holidays. The emerald courses scattered up and down the coast are worldstandard, as are the resorts they boast.
Now, too, there are customised golf holidays from agents that specialise in them, such as Melbourne's Premium Sports Tours. Golf holidays have boomed in the past 12 months, according to Premium's Graham Piercy. He has also been surprised by the increasing number of women getting into golf, but is less surprised by the surge in interest among the young and in the corporate world.
"What better way of doing business than three or four hours out of the office playing golf? And younger people see a guy like basketballer Michael Jordan getting out at every available opportunity to play golf. Well then, it must be cool!"
Australian golfers are also increasingly ready to chase that little white ball overseas. But, says Piercy, "you can't just walk up to a course like Pebble Beach in the US, pay your $US200 ($A254) for a round and hit off. All that has to be organised in advance."
The flight component of Premium Sports Tours' domestic packages is with Ansett. "Premium handles our golf packages - the ones for golfers who don't care about theme parks or breakfasts; they just want to play golf every day," Ansett's Jane Corbett-Jones says.
"But we also have plenty of resort packages to places like Laguna Quays, Sanctuary Cove, Burswood, Port Douglas, and the Hyatt Coolum, where golf can play a major part in your holiday. It's hard to know whether people are buying them specifically for golf because we don't promote them as golfing packages. But I wouldn't be surprised.
"There's been a real surge in golf; you only have to look around to see all these young people out there playing it."
Qantas also is active in offering holidays on Australian fairways. The airline's Queensland Golf Holidays feature some of the north's best resorts, such as Laguna Quays and the Hyatt Regency Coolum. Qantas also has attractive packages to the Capricorn International Resort, Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast and the opulent Sheraton Mirage, Port Douglas.
Another company courting the golfer is Queensland's Golf Jetaways, which has three packages for the enthusiast. The Gold Coast package offers the Hope Island, Palm Meadows, Paradise Springs or Robina Woods resort layouts. The Sunshine Coast deals offer the Hyatt Regency Coolum, Novotel Twin Waters and Noosa Valley Country Club courses, or you can enjoy five days of tuition from Charlie Earp, the man who moulded Greg Norman.
And, of course, you can always devise your own golf holiday. To help you on your way, here's a quick rundown of Australia's leading golf resorts.
FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND
Mirage Country Club, Port Douglas: 6,261m. A championship course at a luxurious destination, a round at Mirage is not cheap - $115 for hotel guests. But it's worth it to play the course which was the original home of the Skins tournament in Australia. The six par threes, six fours, and six fives make up two distinctive nines. The opening nine holes are known as the Reef Nine, bordered by the Coral Sea; the inward nine is the Mountain Nine with the backdrop of the Atherton Tablelands. The par 3 13th may not present too many difficulties, even for the high handicapper, but it is perhaps the most picturesque hole on the layout, built on an island in a lagoon and surrounded by palms. The Sheraton Mirage Resort provides outstanding accommodation, with everything a holidaymaker could possibly require away from the course. Phone (070) 995488.
Paradise Palms, Cairns: 6,592m. Not home to any major tournaments these days, but Paradise Palms could proudly host a big event.
With wide, open, lush fairways and challenging greens, the course offers a true test to all markers. It will cost about $100 for a round, but 18 holes at Paradise Palms is worth the investment. Consisting of four par threes, 10 fours and four fives at the foot of the McAllister Range, the course provides a picture-perfect venue.
The 7th, a long par three guarded not only by a creek to the left, but a lake to right, makes for an interesting shot from the elevated tee. Water and length also play a part on the menacing, yet spectacular par five 10th, a monster at 560m. Call (070) 591166.
NORTH QUEENSLAND
Turtle Point, Laguna Quays, The Whitsundays: 6,366m. The home of the 1994 and 1995 Skins tournaments is a personal favourite. Although Laguna Quays, with its numerous facilities, is not merely for the golfer, the Turtle Point layout is its spectacular centrepiece. Each hole at Turtle Point, located at Repulse Bay on the Whitsunday Coast, is secluded. Four different tee settings cater for all standards of golfer. The course designer, David Graham, declared the par three 13th his signature hole. From the tee in the heart of a rainforest to the green with an ocean backdrop, the 13th is one of those holes you play over and over in your memory. Although only 189m from the back tees, with the breeze howling off the ocean it requires a lusty blow. Three other holes worthy of mention are the attractive 11th, another par three, which is all carry across a lake, and the par four 6th, and par five 14th, the two fairways bordered on the left by the ocean. At $55 (including motorised cart), a round at Turtle Point represents value, while on-site accommodation is superb. Call (079) 477777.
Capricorn International, Yeppoon. 6,642m and 6,247m. The 36-hole complex at Capricorn offers both the old and new 18-hole layouts. The showpiece of the newer Karl Littendesigned venue is the inward nine, highlighted by the 14th, a 200m par three in which a water carry to the green into a headwind makes a tough test for even the low-marker. The "old" course plays somewhat easier than the new, but still provides a challenge with a variety of water hazards and bunkers spread around the layout. Like many resorts in Queensland, Capricorn offers several activities other than golf, and accommodation ranges from hotel rooms and suites to self-contained apartments. Phone (079) 395111.
SUNSHINE COAST
Hyatt Regency Coolum, Coolum Beach: 6,326m. If you are one of those golfers who trembles every time he or she sees water, Coolum is not for you. On all but six of the holes, water comes into play. The pick of the holes is the 18th, considered by many professionals one of the best closing holes in Australia.
Golf being thirsty work, there are telephones at both the 9th and 18th tees so you can call ahead and place drink orders at the bar.
You must be a guest at the Hyatt Regency to use this magnificent layout, but several packages are available, giving not only use of the course but of all the other facilities at the resort. Call (07) 54461234.
Novotel Twin Waters, Mudjimba Beach: 6,188m. Near the Hyatt is the challenging Twin Waters. Designed by Peter Thomson and Mike Wolveridge, the layout is a typically tough links course, with bunkers and wide, contoured fairways. Golfers who dare miss the fairway are punished with water, bush or long grass. The pick of the holes is the 8th, where both water and deep pot bunkers come into play far too frequently for the hacker. Affordable on-site accommodation and a variety of activities make Twin Waters popular with holidaymakers. Call (074) 488012.
GOLD COAST
The Pines and The Palms, Hyatt Regency, Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast: 6,694m and 5,678m. At Sanctuary Cove there are two magnificent layouts. The Pines, available exclusively for hotel guests, is not only the longest resort course in Queensland, but with an Australian Golf Union rating of 77, it is the toughest. Apart from its length, six man-made lakes and corridors of pines help raise the difficulty of this Arnold Palmer-designed layout. The 10th, a 435m par four rated the hardest hole of the course, and the 13th, a magical water-carry par three, are just two special holes on The Pines.
Because of its magnificent neighbour, The Palms does not get the attention it deserves. Water and sand are a feature of the layout, with 10 lakes and masses of bunkers which all have a habit of catching balls. The 7th with its green surrounded by water, and the 16th, a water-carry par three, are among the pick of the holes. The award-winning Hyatt resort offers all the creature comforts, from its 247 luxury rooms to its own retail shopping village. Phone (075) 776005.
Royal Pines, Gold Coast: 6,570m and 6,392m. Royal Pines was originally 27 holes, but earlier this year another nine were added to make two complete courses, East and West. Both layouts are championship quality, the East rated 76 by the AGU, the West 75. The East course may be flat, but that is the only kind point. The water and large traps see the words "in trouble" frequently used by players. On the West course, where the nine holes were added, the pick are the 9th, a par five where you're forced to fly water on two occasions, and the par three 2nd, in which both water and sand play hazard. The Resort, with its five-star Prince Hotel, offers guests a wide variety of activities and no fewer than seven eateries. Call (075) 978787.
The Links, Hope Island, Gold Coast: 6,457m. The Links, based on the famous links courses in Ireland and Great Britain, is highlighted by its 128 pot bunkers, serpentine and undulating fairways, waterways and lakes and contoured greens. The Links took almost three years and $30 million to build - plus $18 million for the clubhouse - but the time and money has proved worthwhile. The Links is no beginners' course; it's tough and testing, and a real challenge not only to your ability but your patience. The 17th is spectacular, and walking off the green with a par will provide you with a conversation starter whenever you are with other golfers. From the back tees it's 230m - all water carry. Hotel and on-course villa-style accommodation is available, along with a range of other comforts. Phone (075) 308988.
NSW
Ocean Shores Country Club, Ocean Shores: 6,371m. Water is a worry on 12 of the 18 holes at Ocean Shores, located just 25 kilometres north of Byron Bay, yet it makes the layout as attractive as it is testing. Ocean Shores' unusual make-up consists of six par threes, six fours and six fives. Call (066) 801008.
Horizons, Salamander Bay: 6,187m. Accuracy is the key to playing Horizons, where water-lined fairways and almost 100 bunkers are features of the layout. The bushland and waterways make for a scenic journey around Horizons and accommodation is available on-course. Call (049) 820502.
Cypress Lakes, Pokolbin: 6,359m. In the heart of the Hunter Valley wine country, Cypress Lakes boasts a magnificent and picturesque layout with breathtaking views from most parts of the course. The 8th is a stunning hole and, at 573m, ranks as Australia's longest par five. Masses of bunkers and water hazards litter the layout. A five-star resort (the largest golf resort in NSW) has recently opened there. Phone (049) 987371.
Bonville Country Club, Bonville: 6,285m. Just 10 minutes south of Coffs Harbour, Bonville's layout is modelled on the legendary Augusta National course. Just four years old but already gaining a reputation as one of the best resort courses in the land, Bonville, with its natural waterways and tree-lined fairways, is a challenging delight. On-course accommodation is available. Call (066) 534002.
ACT
Gold Creek Country Club, Harcourt Hill, ACT. 6,508m. Just seven months old, Gold Creek is set to mature into one of the finer courses in Australia. Rated 75 by the AGU, the layout provides a true test of golfing prowess with its valleys and the occasional threat of water. No on-site accommodation, but Gold Creek is located just 10 kilometres from Canberra's city centre. Call (06) 2419888.
VICTORIA
Cape Schanck Resort, Cape Schanck. 5,629m. Located on the southern Mornington Peninsula, Cape Schanck, although not as long as many resort courses, is just as challenging. Bunkers and mounds dot the rolling fairways on this layout, which reminds me of the great courses of Ireland. Because of its location, views are spectacular. On-site accommodation in villas or the hotel is available. Phone (059) 508000.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The Vines Resort, Ellenbrook: 6,529m. The Vines is considered one of Australia's finest championship courses and plays host each year to the Heineken Classic.
The 27-hole Vines layout will be expanded to 36 holes when work is completed on the last nine - and a five-star hotel - early next year. Lakes and bushland highlight the course; don't be surprised to find wildlife accompanying you.
Considering its stature, The Vines is quite affordable at $40 a round. On-site apartments are available. Call (09) 2973000.
Joondalup Country Club, Connolly: Joondalup comprises three distinctive nines - The Lake, The Quarry and The Dune - each a touch over 3,100m.
Each has special qualities, ranging from waterways to undulating links-like fairways. Worth mention is The Quarry's 3rd, a majestic par three to an island green.
Accommodation is available at the Resort Hotel and playing at Joondalup is quite affordable. Call (09) 4008800.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
McCracken Country Club, Victor Harbour: 6,018m. Located 80 kilometres south of Adelaide in the beach resort area of Victor Harbour is the McCracken Country Club.
The course has blossomed into one of South Australia's best after a facelift two years ago.
Water comes into play on more than half of the 18-hole layout, and large, well-placed bunkers make for a testing round.
Accommodation is not available on-site, but is plentiful nearby, at a range of reasonable rates, in Victor Harbour. Phone (085) 525303.
*Additional material sourced from The Huntsman Golf Guide.
PLANNING a golfing holiday? Apart from packing the clubs and spikes, toss in The Huntsman Golf Guide to Australia's Top Resort and Green Fee Courses - 1996-97. The 62-page book gives golfers a State-by-State account of 50 Australian resort courses, listing features, history, location and contact numbers for each.
The guide also lists green fee costs, tee times, course length, rental equipment, availability of lessons, practice and locker room facilities, and other facilities provided by the resorts.
Apart from providing readers with invaluable information on each resort, The Huntsman Golf Guide also offers them a preferential fees package which can save as much as $380 in green fees. The Huntsman Preferential Rate makes playing at some of the best layouts in Australia even more affordable.
The Huntsman Golf Guide is published by Overdrive and is available at leading bookshops at $19.95.
TOP DEALS
* Qantas Australian Holidays has golf packages available until December 19 at five Queensland resorts, including return economy air fare, accommodation for three nights or more, breakfast, and golf (in some cases unlimited). Prices start from $614. Details: Qantas Australian Holidays on 131415.
* Golf Jetaways special offers include six nights at the Gold Coast International, playing five rounds of golf at $1,450 (land content) twin-share. Packages are available through Noosa Traveland on 1800 067170.
* Premium Sports Tours has numerous golfing packages in Australia and abroad. The pick of the local holidays is a three-night package at Hyatt Sanctuary Cove including one round on each of the courses and one round at Hope Island for $389 (land only) twinshare. Overseas, there is a six-night package to the 1997 US Masters in April for $6,935. Call (039) 8948400.
* Ansett and the Hyatt Regency Coolum have a three-night package which includes a daily round of golf and a half-hour lesson each day. Details: Ansett on 131344.
© 1996
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