When on tour, it is the great holes or even better the great hole sequences that stick in your memory and will bring you back. The Murray River has some great golf courses along it’s banks but it is some of the stretches of holes that can really excite you.
Here are some stretches of 3-4 holes on courses that can define and immortalize a golf course on a tour for you.
Thurgoona Country Club
This Thomson/Wolveridge course in the northern suburbs of Albury is a much undervalued layout but has a delicious sequence of holes from holes 12 and on . The 12th is a 149m par 3 across water to a redan shaped green with a bunker in front. The green is heavily contoured with a swail down the middle.
The 13th is 367m par 4 which exhibits Thomson’s design characteristic of broad fairways but precision iron play to a narrow green. The 14th is twisting par 5 of 472m whilst 15th is a “ball breaker” par 4 of 409m with water waiting on the left for the 2nd shot if you hit a bad hook. It is is the number one on the stroke index.
You try to catch your breath but you are faced with the signature par 3 on the course, the 173m 15th. Across water to a raised green surrounded by bunkers. The green is perched next to the water. How much of that hazard are your taking off?
Corowa Golf Club
The “upper nine” or the first nine at Corowa is where it is at. Measuring 3400m or 3710 yds off the tips it’s a big course where getting the ball soundly off the the tee is essential.
But the Al Howard designed course finishes with one of the best three hole stretches on the Murray. The par 7th of uphill 370m leaves you with a quandry standing on the tee. with fairway bunkers just to the right of the middle of the fairway and trees and a pond to the left. You are only thinking “long and straight”as you tee off. The next shot is to raised green, narrow at the front.
The par 5 8th is probably one of the best par 5’s on the Murray. It is a dogleg right of 525m around a lake with a huge river redgum guarding the left hand edge of the lake. You are either bunting it left around the tree and the lake and leaving a long third shot or if you have length and confidence of doing the 210 m carry across the water for a wedge shot to the green.The green is raised and bunkered.
The 9th is a 329m par 4 to a narrowing fairway with bunkers guarding a passage for a shorter next shot. You are faced with the decision on the tee of a layup or trying to carry the bunkers to leave a wedge shot. An exquisite short hole.
Black Bull Golf Club
All the marketing hype goes to have a signature stretch of holes at Black Bull called “The Bull Ring.” These are a group of strong holes but the memorable holes are the last three holes of this Thomson/Wolveridge design.
The 16th is a par 3 of 158m around a curve in the lake. The green is raised with waste areas on either side . The 17th displays Thomson’s love for giving players options off the tee. At 348m this par 4 has a pot bunker in the middle of the fairway, the tighter line left brings the water into play but an easier shot to the green. The broader right side requires you to carry greenside bunkers for your second shot.
The 18th makes you feel your at Turnberry and Thomson’s beloved links golf courses. A relatively short 478m from the tips it requires a tee shot between bunkers and then missing Lake Mulwala and it’s ghostly dead trees on the left. The green sits in front of the Sebel Yarrawonga which beckons you for a drink after you finish your round. A fine finishing hole.
Cobram Barooga Golf Club (Old Course)
Cobram Barooga’s 36 holes are promoted as the “Melbourne Sandbelt of the Murray”. The Old Course starts off like that but when it crosses the road it is more like Royal Adelaide. Still a fine comparison.
The first few holes starts off in forest and it comes at you quickly. The 2nd hole of 392m par 4 starts with a blind teeshot to a fairway that veers right. A fade is handy here unless you want to hug the trees on the right. You then have an uphill shot to a bunkered green that slopes steeply back to front.
The par 3 3rd is a demanding 192m to a smallish bunkered green. The 4th is an easier hole of a downhill 372m where the trees right and left and need to be avoided.What follows is the exquisite par 3 5th of just 128m, it is still an uphill shot to a contoured green with bunkers. It is arguably the best hole on the course.
Rich River Golf Club (East Course)
The East Course at the 36 hole Rich River has a fine series of finishing holes. It starts with the 15th, a par 4 of 362m. The drive is bordered by water on the left and with bunkers guarding the fairway. The second shot is to tabletop green which is set out into the water. Clearly the best hole on the course.
The 16th is a par 3 of 144m again with water on the left and 17th is an uphill par 4 of 346m where you need to decide how much of the water on the left you are prepared to chop off with your drive. A challenging finishing stretch.
Murray Downs Country Club
Murray Downs Country Club has a number of fine sequence of holes, probably being in line with our opinion that this is the best golf course on the Murray.
The pick of the hole stretches is from 4th to 6th and par on any of these holes is a good score. The par 5 4th of 525m snakes it’s way through an avenue of Mulga to a bunkered green which is protected by water at the front. This is followed by the signature hole of the course, the par 3 of 194m and probably the hardest par 3 on the river. An almost 180m carry across a lake to a redan shaped green. Getting in the green side bunkers is a good result but there is still the option of landing short of the green for the less distance endowed.
The 6th of 385m is an uphill tee shot where you need to be confident to carry cross bunkers that sit in your face. If that is navigated then another uphill shot to bunkered and heavily contoured green.
The rest of the holes on the front nine are easier!
If taking on any of these hole stretches inspires you to put together a Murray River tour with us please contact us through the button below.
