It’s the final golf course of our trip and one that I have been waiting for since arriving at Sydney airport and watching the wonderful video of the Highland Links course in the waiting lounge. We disembark our Zodiac and board the coach which takes us to the golf course.
Our golf clubs are ready to go and I make my way to the first tee and to be blatantly honest my heart sinks, don’t get me wrong it’s a perfectly designed opening hole, but there is no definition between the fairway and the rough. I smash my drive and head up to where my ball lies and no it wasn’t an illusion the fairways are not in good shape and when I reach the greens I find they are not in any better shape with bare patches in places.
Standing on the elevated tee of the 2nd hole, the fairway slopes left to right and heads downhill, it’s a wonderfully designed golf hole making the most of the wonderful terrain the course is set in, but again the maintenance of the course lets it down. The first of the two par 3’s on the front nine arrives at the third hole and it’s another perfectly designed golf hole played from an elevated tee with some stunning views. The second of the two par 3’s arrives at the 5th and again is played from an elevated tee to a green that has some fantastic complexes and you certainly need to be in the right area or you could easily four or five putt here.
Stanley Thompson the designer of this course has designed one stunning hole after another, with the course offering lots of elevated tees, sweeping downhill doglegged fairways, wonderful par threes all played from elevated tees and to be honest there really isn’t a weak hole on the golf course.
I am now sitting in the clubhouse battling with myself as to what I should write in this review, there are a lot of dedicated people around me who work here, but I would also hate for you to spend your well-earned money only to turn up and find the course in its current condition.
What I will say is that the course is a stunning design and truly deserves all the accolades it has received over the years and Stanley Thompson has done a magnificent job with a fantastic piece of terrain. Unfortunately, Mr Thompson will be turning in his grave to see the course in its current condition, the greens and the fairways need attention; hopefully for everyone involved all these problems are rectified soon.
Top The beautiful Par 3, 3rd hole. Above, 10th, 17th greens and looking back down the 18th
Above and Below: Par 3, 5th green and 15th green with ocean backdrop
