Year Four: Hole Commentary

The current 8th hole is an excellent mid-length par four and the enhancements proposed to this hole are fairly minor in nature.

The pond in front of the tee will be enlarged at the right side as part of the Hole 9 works so the carry off the tee on this hole is not altered. Additional separation at the front right of the main tee will be provided by an extended mound and new Native Pine tree plantings. Tussocks in the sandy rough in front of the forward tee will also be thinned out to improve play through this area for shorter hitters.

In the right rough just past the first group of Pine trees, it is proposed to create a section of joined fairway with the adjacent 9th hole. Beyond this, in the area where there are four small Pine trees, the rough turf will be removed and undulating sandy rough created, with more Pine trees to be planted. In the long term there will be a strong Pine stand here with sandy understorey, so as to discourage play into this area. Casuarina trees in the right rough will be removed in keeping with the general philosophy of removing invasive Casuarinas from the course. Further down the right side in the approach to the green it is proposed to increase the mounding height sufficient to block out views to the green for any golfers playing in from the 9th fairway by choice or otherwise.

Along the left side boundary with James Melrose Road it is proposed to remove all the deteriorating Tamarisk trees – a weed species – and provide new boundary screening through a combination of new mounding and tree planting of Pines and Native Pines. The left side wetland pond edge will be straightened up as part of the hole works. Leading into the green the screen mounding along the boundary will continue to the left of the green and beyond, thus blocking views of the fence and the road that are currently exposed.

The pair of existing front left greenside bunkers are to be rationalised into one bunker, allowing the front of the green to be widened slightly for improved running shot access into the green, while the putting green contours are to be retained, with the overall green surface level lowered very slightly in the green reconstruction process. At the right the fescue turf in the hollow will be removed and the hollow reshaped slightly and returfed in ‘Santa Ana’ couch. At the left rear the existing poor quality vegetation will be removed and replaced by new mounding with Pine and Native Pine plantings.

A remodeled 8th hole will build on its existing strengths with a judicious level of improvement to create a recognisable and improved hole.

The 9th is a straightaway hole over interesting undulating terrain that unfortunately has not capitalised on its green location being near the pond. This aspect is to be the primary change on this hole.

A new tee path is taken to the southern side of the tees and the creation of an ephemeral wetland south of the tees in existing low ground will assist in creating fill for various moundings on adjacent Hole 8. The start of the fairway will be lowered to create fill to build up the mounding height at the right of the carry sufficient to block out views to the 8th green for any golfers playing in from the 9th fairway.

In the right rough, as with the 8th hole, it is proposed to create a section of joined fairway with the adjacent 8th hole, and before this, in the area where there are four small Pine trees, the rough turf will be removed and undulating sandy rough created, with more Pine trees to be planted. In the long term this will become a strong Pine stand with sandy understorey, so as to discourage play into this area. At the green end of the joined fairway it is proposed to extend the existing small pot bunker into a large ‘hybrid’ style fairway bunker. The closer to this bunker that longer hitters dare go, they will be rewarded with the best line into the newly relocated green. The existing left side fairway bunker is proposed to be filled in and returned to fairway giving golfers a safe play from the tee down the left side that will deliver them a more difficult line into the new green.

Just past the current left side fairway bunker it is proposed to join this fairway up with the start of the adjacent 10th fairway. The major change to this hole will be at the green. The current green setting feels separated from the adjacent pond and only a very poor approach shot would find the water currently. It is proposed to capitalise on the potential to have a green on the front nine directly sited next to water, in the way that the 16th and 18th greens do on the back nine, by moving the 9th green across to the north and slightly forward, with the adjacent pond widened out to the south so that the green sits directly next to the water. The new green will be bunkerless and roughly rectangular in shape, with the best line of approach in from the right side of the fairway, while the green will present slightly angled for approaches from the left side. It is proposed to reinforce the pond banks with timber sleepers laid back on the slope, as indicated on the photograph on the Hole Plan, and while these will not be immediately visible when approaching the green, they will be seen by golfers when they are on the green, and will also be prominent from the Entry Road when arriving at the course.

Left of the green will be a broad fairway-cut ‘bail-out’ and traffic area set below the level of the green, and while presenting a safe haven away from the water, recovery from this area will be difficult. The traffic area leads up to two paths to the 10th tees, and also to the new Pavilion, while sleeper banks will be set below the tees to assist in widening the ‘bail-out’ and traffic area.

The re-imagined 9th hole will present a fitting finale to the front nine, with the new green and expanded pond presenting a spectacular foreground to the new Pavilion at Glenelg.