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Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 9:13 am
by Bombers4EVA
What's your favourite golf course?

Mine at the moment is Highercombe Country Golf Club. 10 minutes outside Tea Tree Gully.

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 9:43 am
by mighty_tiger_79
mine is The Vines - because my membership costs me $20pw.......

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 10:13 am
by bennymacca
there used to be an amazing website, called matt and tony's sa golf adventure, where those two lads played every single golf course in SA and rated them etc. unfortunately it looks like they have stopped paying their hosting fees because the website is no more.

anyway, i havent played any of the big courses, but this would be a small list of my favourite courses that i have played.

Mt Osmond - seemed to be the perfect course for a high handicapper like myself. greens were fast, the course wasnt too long, rough not too punishing, but still extremely well designed. pretty much my ideal course and ill be back there to play soon.

Links Lady Bay - easily the best design for a course, but certainly extremely difficult. when the wind is up, it is near on impossible for someone that only hits the fairway half the time at best. i lost a lot of balls that day, hence why i like mt osmond a lot better.

Tanunda - the best designed course in my area, love the bunkering

Gawler - nicely designed course, but very long and the rough is really sandy, which punishes you a lot when you miss.

In terms of the 9 hole courses around, i really like Penfield. the only 9 hole course that has really good greens that i have played. some very interesting holes too, though probably a little short, and the bunkering could be better. but for a 9 hole course it is certainly better than any other around (north lakes, mawson lakes, regency, north haven)

i have played both the vines and highercombe, and both are nice courses, but i wouldnt put them anywhere near my favourites.

The vines is nice, but the layout just seems to be a little boring. not bad by any means, but just lacks any really amazing holes. also found it curious that everyone there seemed to think they were playing at royal adelaide, got that feeling that people thought it was a very exclusive club, even though they have been smashing the scoopon deals etc to try and get people there. classic example was the lady at the pro shop that berated some dude for rocking up in track pants and a t shirt to play. no way he should have been allowed on course, but the way she carried on you would think it cost $200 to play. by contrast, the one time i played at Mt Osmond, people seemed genuinely friendly, even though it looked like a much nicer place.

not casting any dispersions on your mighty_tiger, would be interested in your thoughts though.

played highercombe a few times too, and i really like it, though it is very hilly. the design is interesting and challenging, though sometimes the fringes are pretty average, so its hard to hit a decent wedge even when you hit the fairway sometimes. another thing i dont like is the sloping fairways, which can unnecessarily punish you.

having said that, if it was closer to my house i would probably be a member here, it seems ridiculously cheap, and great value for money. i assume their fees are so cheap because otherwise they would alienate people due to the extreme hilliness of the course, but i quite liked working up a sweat playing.

disclaimer: i am a weekend hack that doesnt even have an official handicap, so there would be plenty of others around that might have a more informed opinion than me, but because i dont have a regular club i try to play lots of different places.

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 1:34 pm
by Bombers4EVA
I haven't played too much golf only over the past 4 months. I played a round when I was at high school at Highercombe and I remembered that it was a challenging course. But also it was a nice spot in the hills. Ive played at Mt Lofty, Stirling and Belair ( Nice course there also) over the year but like I said previously. Ive just started playing once a month at Highercombe as it is close to home and also a good course.

When my mates and I talked about whether to change it up a bit. We decided to stick with the one as we can get to know the holes and improve each time we have a hit. Once we start to get over it, we'll probably look to somewhere else that's nice to have a hit.

1st time we had a hit at Highercombe, I went around in 122. I know I know that's pretty bad. But every game Ive played there since, my score has improved. The last time was on 9/3 and I went around in 98. Im no Tiger Woods but if you can improve from your last score, that has to be good eh??

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:13 pm
by mighty_tiger_79
ive heard mixed reports about Belair, perhaps I need to go and have a look

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:20 pm
by bennymacca
I also really like the Barossa (Nuri) golf club. when you are out there it feels a million miles from anywhere. If you keep it on the short stuff it really is quite an easy course though, just seems to be a little bit short in general, especially the par 5s.

i didnt like belair at all when i went there. it is a course that should be nice, but is quite short. the greens are pretty good but small, and the fringes are inconsistent.

good for a changeup, but my osmond and highercombe and mount lofty are much better hills courses imo.

each to their own though.

man i really want to get out for a round, been a bit sparse lately.

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 3:01 pm
by Bombers4EVA
I get that same urge every month. Thats why we organise for every 2nd weekend of every month. In Sept my friend has invited me for a round at Grange with his work. Im pretty excited about that one.

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 4:00 pm
by bennymacca
Bombers4EVA wrote:I get that same urge every month. Thats why we organise for every 2nd weekend of every month. In Sept my friend has invited me for a round at Grange with his work. Im pretty excited about that one.


ask @dissident about when he went to grange. lord knows he told me about every 4 seconds for weeks.

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 4:26 pm
by Bombers4EVA
bennymacca wrote:
Bombers4EVA wrote:I get that same urge every month. Thats why we organise for every 2nd weekend of every month. In Sept my friend has invited me for a round at Grange with his work. Im pretty excited about that one.


ask @dissident about when he went to grange. lord knows he told me about every 4 seconds for weeks.


ive heard massive raps about Grange. Im going to soak every hole for what its worth. Dont care if I take 10 shots each hole. Probably going to be the best course I will ever play on.

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 9:54 am
by mighty_tiger_79
I had the pleasure of playing grange east course with Sorry Dude. Apart from the sh1t weather it was a great experience. The best course id been on prior wouldve been Mt Lofty.

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 9:55 am
by heater31
You gents need to play Kooyonga. End of discussion!

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 10:00 am
by bennymacca
heater31 wrote:You gents need to play Kooyonga. End of discussion!


no worries moneybags :D

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 10:18 am
by heater31
bennymacca wrote:
heater31 wrote:You gents need to play Kooyonga. End of discussion!


no worries moneybags :D


@onsong


Got a Handicapp? Half price green fees for their open days of which they normally hold 2 times per year.

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 11:10 am
by bennymacca
heater31 wrote:
Got a Handicapp?


nope unfortunately :(

reckon i might sign up for one of those once a fortnight on a sunday type clubs. though i have told myself that for the last few years and still havent.

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 11:56 am
by Jase
I used to be a member at TTG (while I was playing junior pennants there, so about 20 years ago) and had the privilege of playing at some of the best Metro and close surrounding courses ...

I rank these in this order...

1. Kooyonga
2. Grange East
3. Glenelg
4. TTG
5. Renmark CC
6. Flagstaff Hill
7. Riverside (or whatever it's called now)
8. Mt Lofty
9. Mt Osmond
10. Marino (or what ever it's called now, if it's even still there)
11. Highercombe (used to be a member there as well)

Also these were a couple of good "Country Courses"

12. The Blue Lake GC (I think that's what it's called in Mt Gambier)
13. Halls Gap GC (9 hole course, with Kangaroos everywhere and amazing scenery) (also not in SA but a good little course)

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 1:21 pm
by mighty_tiger_79
flagstaff hill was nice, and from memory I think Blackwood was alright as well.

marino is still going at the bottom of the quarry!

i played Victor Harbor once and the first tee block is far more enjoyable and pleasant than the one at Mt lofty

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 1:57 pm
by Bombers4EVA
mighty_tiger_79 wrote:flagstaff hill was nice, and from memory I think Blackwood was alright as well.

marino is still going at the bottom of the quarry!

i played Victor Harbor once and the first tee block is far more enjoyable and pleasant than the one at Mt lofty


Need your hiking gear for the 1st hole at Mt Lofty. Highercombe's 1st hole is a bit the same but you have a downhill before the trek back up. Blus the buggy's always help.

On another note. Has any of you guys ever seen at Mt Lofty or Highercombe a drinks / food kart?

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 2:09 pm
by mighty_tiger_79
been a long time since i played at mt lofty and my memories are just of that first hole!

the rest is just a blur :D

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 11:42 pm
by LaughingKookaburra
Renmark CC when the Murray is up is a beauty.... My fav in SA.

Re: Best Golf Courses in South Australia

PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2014 8:49 am
by Ron Burgundy
LaughingKookaburra wrote:Renmark CC when the Murray is up is a beauty.... My fav in SA.


My local course.
Been a lot of work on the course in the last 2 years.

All of the Riverland courses are decent, the area should really be promoting Golf weekends up here.

http://renmarkgolf.com/golf-and-country-club/golf-gallery.html