The Golf Course
The golf course is good to play but lacks a strong “identity” which would give it recognition within the ranks of Melbourne golf courses.
Such identity for a golf course can come from the actual site, landscape, greens, condition or bunkering. For example how often have you seen a picture of a golf course and immediately said “Oh that is XXX golf course, you can tell”.
The site is limiting as it is generally flat and has no dramatic features.
Landscape is not strong however the committee have already acted on this and has instigated tree replacement and theme planning. Great golf courses often have simple landscape but this comes across as a strength rather than a weakness. Simple landscaping is either a single tree species or a restricted number giving the same strong visual impressions.
Greens and condition of turf have been dealt with in following sections however it is important to note here our observations concerning bunkers. The bunkers at KGC are varied in their design and presentation and do not provide the “image” that would lead to identity recognition. We see this as being the primary task ahead of the Club to redevelop the bunkers to a single style that gives the desired image.
The first priority of the Master Plan process was to establish if any land adjacent to the golf course was available to be utilised as part of the process. Club management approached the relevant Authorities to see if land (at rear of green 3 & alongside of (hole 14) was available or could be in the future. The Authorities gave a very clear indication that such land would not be available due to environmental considerations and public use issues.
The focus was then directed inward to review the current layout and maximize any opportunities for improvement, review safety and set goals.
A number of safety issues with respect to the layout were discussed and these are addressed within the Master Plan report.
- The potential for golf balls being hit into adjacent fairways.
- The potential for golf balls moving outside of the course boundary on holes 1, 2 & 3
The playing conditions on the Golf Course do vary with the seasons but in general the following points can be made.
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Greens
Generally the Club is happy with the design of greens. The greens on the golf course are generally flattish which mirrors the local terrain.
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Tees
It is recognized that all tees should be well grassed, level (or directional slopes into the golf course), well positioned and well drained for year round use
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Bunkers
A great deal of discussion was held in respect to the bunkers. There is a great deal of inconsistency in the design of bunkers and this does not give Kooringal GC a clear "image" within the golfing fraternity. The common problem is that bunkers or bunker sand cannot be seen and that shape presentation (design) is so varied.
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Fairways
The fairways are primarily Kikuyu grass and while not the ideal grass for the Melbourne climate can be developed into a quality surface.
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Landscape
It is always a tremendous feat for volunteer labour to undertake construction of a Golf Course and many plantings of new trees were undertaken with the best of intentions.
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Upcoming Events
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MORNING MELODIES
Come and enjoy a great day out with friends !
Membership Raffle
Be in the running to win a Membership Raffle! There are still 3 Golf Membership Raffles to be drawn.
Read more »Membership Application
Are you interested in becoming a Member at Kooringal Golf Club? To make it easy for you, please complete the Application Form here and drop it into the Clubhouse.