Lonsdale Golf Club

A clever land play by Lonsdale Golf Club enabled a complete redevelopment of their golf course and club.

Inspired by CB McDonald and his colleagues Seth Raynor and Charles Banks on land described as similar to thag of the National Golf Links in Long Island, OCM Golf completed the work in December 2020, the result being the most fun golfing experience I have had (this includes extensive play on Melbourne’s Premier sandbelt and all 4 great Tasmanian courses).

The designers have deliberately built holes inspired by the templates, and have even named them as such (see attached scorecard).

It is a visually stunning result. While some would argue as gimmicky, I loved the visually different squared off greens.

As a course it is not overly long, but trouble beckons without accuracy off the tee. Greens are hard and, given their nature, are heavily sloped, and require correct positioning.

It was hard not to like the stunning visual appeal of the 16th. A short par four with a thick wooden OOB paddock fence bordering the left back edge of the green.

But I could name them all really. #1 I played incorrectly playing it safe off the tee. A long drive up the left would have some chance of hitting the Alp and falling toward the rectangular green which slopes diabolically into the bottom right.

The punch bowl #11 is also delightful, the first truly rectangular green I have ever seen (we started on #10). An uphill tee shot is demanded, with a downhill approach over two mounds.

#13 the Thumbprint is a lovely par three at a high point of the course that lets you look off onto the coastline and also at other golfers on other holes. While some parts of Lonsdale Links make you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, at other times such as these the golfer would get to see the activity on other parts of the course. A nice touch.

I loved the little flag tee markers and the little touches around the course (such as pin placement signs) that made the experience better.

Lovely clubhouse, and practice facility (square chipping and practice green too). And the driving range doubles as a par 3 course too!

Splendid