What makes Australia’s Sandbelt so good for golf?
Australia’s Sandbelt is one of the most famous corridors of golf in the world, this slice of Victoria is not only home to the best courses in the country, but some of the world’s finest. Australian golf writer Paul Prendergast explains what makes it so unique.
Many respected judges generally concur that there are four cities that boast a proliferation of great golf architecture: London, New York, Philadelphia and Melbourne. The latter of these cities, and the only one in the southern hemisphere, is famed for the collection of superb layouts across a tract of land known as the Sandbelt, each with their origins dating back to the 20th century golden age of course architecture.
Comprised of a number of courses across a 35km stretch from north to south – the most prominent being Metropolitan, Huntingdale, Commonwealth, Yarra Yarra, Kingston Heath, Victoria, Royal Melbourne (East and West courses), Woodlands and Peninsula Kingswood (North and South courses) – each share many commonalities in terms of bunkering, indigenous vegetation, firm, fast greens and design.
Each also have their unique differences, with Royal Melbourne and Peninsula Kingswood’s courses featuring expansive, undulating terrain compared to the smaller, relatively flat but thoroughly enchanting site at Kingston Heath.
The Sandbelt is home to an outlandish number of wonderful par-threes and short fours with each club easily able to rattle off at least a handful of holes that, if transplanted elsewhere, could be the best holes of their kind in that area. And not to be outdone by their more well-known neighbours, outstanding layouts like Spring Valley, Sandy Links and Southern are among others in the region that boast world class golf courses and would be memorable additions to any pilgrimage to this part of the world.
Royal Melbourne
The hand of MacKenzie
Many of these layouts, and much of what’s considered the best in Australian golf to be frank, can be traced back to the iconic month-long visit to these shores by Dr Alister MacKenzie in 1926. Royal Melbourne had secured MacKenzie’s services to design the West Course – which opened in 1931 – in addition to consulting to many surrounding and interstate clubs with course design recommendations.
Kingston Heath’s hole routing was already in place, for example, but had held off on the construction of their bunkers to await MacKenzie’s input. MacKenzie’s only design recommendation beyond his bunkering plan was to suggest reversing the hole that would become the iconic and much-photographed par-three 15th.
During his visit, nearly 20 golf clubs across Australia and New Zealand engaged his services with Royal Melbourne’s blessing, as they had an agreement to split the proceeds which helped fund the work on the West Course.
Kingston Heath
MacKenzie’s influence however, cannot simply be measured by the quality of the holes he designed but also the passing of knowledge to those who would embrace the strategic course architecture principles he espoused, long after his ship had literally sailed. MacKenzie only saw one hole completed on the West with the remaining construction left to aforementioned converts in head greenkeeper, Mick Morcom and Alex Russell, who also designed the East Course a few years later.
Dramatic greens and bold bunkers
Many visitors will rejoice that the prospect of finding a watery grave on a Sandbelt golf course will be rare, as most of the courses have no such penalty areas, save for a few meandering creeks that often go unnoticed. The natural sandy roughs, heathland vegetation, well-positioned bunkering and short grass surrounds can provide penalty enough, and especially so when the wind blows in from nearby Port Phillip Bay.
The sandy loam base on which each course is constructed is a greyish blend that lends itself to compact soils and firm turf, while the climate in Melbourne is perfect for bent grass strains. This combination of quality turf and compacted earth provide the perfect canvas for the dramatically contoured greens and bold bunkering style that the Sandbelt is famed for.
Kingston Heath
A unique golfing test
This amalgam of factors present visitors to the Sandbelt with a challenge many find difficult to adapt to initially: extremely firm greens and surrounds. As is the case with links golf, the prevailing design ethos presents players with space and the option to run or fly the ball into most green complexes. However, adjusting to the amount of bounce and taking the correct angle into a green from what are often generously wide fairways, are key to shooting lower scores in these parts.
Few places in the world demand that you leave yourself below the hole than on the Melbourne Sandbelt. It’s often a wise course of action to play away from certain flags than leave yourself precariously positioned, ‘hoping’ the hole will get in the way of a downhill slider.
Tiger Woods, Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club
The green at the par-four 6th hole at Royal Melbourne’s West Course is arguably the greatest example of the need for such discipline, especially when the hole is cut in the left, or at the front near the shaved apron. Veteran tournament watchers will often gather behind this green during major events not only to see a great hole being tackled by great players, but to witness what damage the contour, short grass and firm turf can inflict if they are slightly awry.
For all the attributes of these fine courses, what makes the Sandbelt clubs special is how warmly they welcome international visitors (by prior arrangement), with the Australian hospitality only adding to the experience of playing golf in such a special place.
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