Anyone want to take a stab at a re-rank?
I can only fit in 20 rounds on this trip.
Yeah that is my point - the Old eats the Moonah for breakfast. I think all the points regarding the Gunna are absolutely fair. very excited to see what OCM do with LI, it’s severely underrated as it is and has huge potential.
Isn’t OCM also doing the Huntingdale upgrade that was announced recently?
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Love Gunnamatta - I find it highly playable and is able to test all skill levels. The short par 4 #2… amazing. The fact that the previous routing was named the ocean course yet had no striking views of the ocean. Is it #13-14 that has the great par 3 and short par 4? Man I just keep realising how much I like that course.
To the people thinking the old/moonah are better: I think as ranking evolve people are moving away from difficult = good golf (more your fans of the Old course) and more towards playability/good test for both scratch golfers and 20 handicappers. That is what makes RM - West the best in Oz.
What is clear is that the National has 3 (or really 4) great complimentary courses.
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Now that’s provocative!
I would, without exaggeration, on a ten-round split of the two, go 9-1 in favour of Moonah.
10 rounds on the entire facility, 5-4-1 Gunna-Moonah-Old.
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20 rounds in Australia, considering the greenfees, assuming visitor and not member’s guest:
1&2. NSWGC x 2 (it & RMW are Aussie golf’s unique contributions to the game)
3&4. RM West x 2 (yes, worth two laps even at AU$750/round)
5. RM East
6. Kingston Heath
7. Metropolitan or Victoria, not both (after RMW, RME & KH you’ve seen the best demonstrations of sandbelt golf and now you’re just seeing a bigger sample - I would lean to Victoria and stay there, which is an awesome experience)
8. Woodlands (the small greens & doglegs set it apart from the rest of the sandbelt)
9. Frankston (it’s no-frills Aussie golf in a nutshell)
10. Healesville (the funkiest of OCCM & at a yardage that will reset your mindset of what shorter courses can be)
11&12. National Gunnamatta (1 x blue tees, 1 x blacks and pins changed between rounds)
13. National Moonah (need to see a good exmple of Norman/Harrison design and for me Moonah is as good as or better than Ellerston)
14. St Andrews Beach
15. Port Fairy (the best of second-tier Scottish golf, crossed with Aussie conditions and the clubhouse vibe is an eye opener for foreigners on a golf trip)
16. Barny Dunes
17. Lost Farm
18. Cape Wickham
19. Royal Adelaide
20. Royal Queensland
In practice you’d likely not visit each of Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide for one course each on a golf-intensive trip, but for me these are the 20 courses you want to have played to really have thoroughly sampled golf in Australia, and if you’re generally touristing and also playing golf, all are worth going to.
Sydney is to general tourism what Melbourne is to golf, and vice versa. Regardless of the purpose of your trip, you need to see Sydney.
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The Moonah is great don’t get me wrong
But 12 and 13 are ordinary at best, probably two worst holes on the property.
The Old is special
Playing it feels like an occasion
And occasion that will likely punch you in the face
But an occasion all the same
@RossG yes I believe so. Considering their work at PK next door I’m excited to see what they at least come up with
@mighteagle08 think you’re referring to 16/17
But agree wholeheartedly. It’s an absolute blast to play.
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Wrong (said the brash Yank…)
If you’ve ever been to Houston texas, you’ve been to Sydney, just with a shittier bayfront. Spend a day at Bondi, sure, then climb the bloody Harbour Bridge, drink a Veeb on steps of the Opera house…
…and then get the fuck outta town and down to Melbourne.
I’d gladly walk on foot from Perth to Broome before I return to Sydney.
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Sheesh… Comparing Sydney to Houston is aggressive!
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“Tell me you’re a moron without telling me you’re a moron.”
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Some people don’t like to hear
that which they hold dear
has less value than a beer.
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Aggressive, daring, bold, brash, deranged and singularly opinionated, all yes… uninformed it is not. I spent over a hundred days in Melbourne and another twelve and a half in Sydney.
A week on the gold coast and another ten days in Perth, after a previous four days in Adelaide. I was able to relax for a little more than a week in Broome before returning to Melbourne.
This was two trips — September of 2018 and again in December & January of 2017-2018. I saw two finals and the first day of the ashes, all at the MCG.
And I saw footy in every other AFL city except Brisbane.
I will always love my time at the SCG. But traversing that city — to and from the western suburbs — has a tortured familiarity I learned as the youngest son of a family born of Houston, Texas.
The suburban sprawl and monotony of it all — despite the delight of the people, for the most part — still evokes its Texan sister, a city of people I dearly love, amongst a metropolis I truly find disgusting.
Melbourne on the other hand is sheer cosmopolitan joy.
Healesville is a bit of a pain in the arse to get on though. I tried to use my parent’s RACV membership (they’d been members for 50 odd years) to get access and was told that was fine but I’d have to pay AUD550 for a 5 day pass. Stuff that.
In terms of planning a trip with 20 rounds I’d go (in rough geographical order):
1.&2. NSW
3&4 RM west
5. Kingston Heath
6. Victoria or Yarra Yarra or Metro (I’d go for Vic)
7. RM east
8. &9. Barnbougle Dunes
10. Barnbougle Lost Farm
11. Cape Wickham
12. Ocean Course
13. National Gunnamatta
14. National Moonah
15. St Andrew’s Beach
16. The Dunes
17. Barwon Heads
18. Port Fairy
19. Royal Adelaide
20. Glenelg
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There is no reason for a tourist to go to the western suburbs of Sydney.
That’s like shitcanning NYC because of Staten Island.
Thanks for all of the great recommendations.
Hamilton Island?
For a holiday, for sure. For golf, absolutely not.
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Isnt the course of that name worth playing?
I’ve never been to America so I have no opinion on the comparison - but as someone who has lived in Melbourne for over 40 years, I feel its better than Sydney, but I really dont mind going there for a couple of day as a tourist, not sure i could live there unless i had James Packers money. Forget Bondi - head to Manly, head up the northern beaches, and dont pass on some of the great restaurants there - and if your up for a late night, head to Frankies for loud music and great pizza.
Course was being built the last time i was there (thats a while ago now) - an old mate played the Aus Club Pro tournament there - said its cart only, you cant walk even for a pretty big tournament. Photo’s looked awesome.
To add to the conversation - private (need invite, apply online, know someone) vs Public access:
1.&2. NSW - Private
3&4 RM west - Private
5. Kingston Heath - Private
6. Victoria or Yarra Yarra or Metro (I’d go for Vic) - Private - but can do stay and play at Vic (im doing that in 5 weeks 
)
7. RM east - Private
8. &9. Barnbougle Dunes - Public
10. Barnbougle Lost Farm - Public
11. Cape Wickham - Public
12. Ocean Course - Ocean Dunes? Public
13. National Gunnamatta - Private
14. National Moonah - Private
15. St Andrew’s Beach - Public
16. The Dunes - Public
17. Barwon Heads - Private, but offers limited public access and stay and play
18. Port Fairy - public
19. Royal Adelaide - Assume Private
20. Glenelg - dont know, again assume Private