Best Public Links Golf Course in Mainland Australia: Port Fairy Golf Links
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- Опубліковано 24 вер 2024
- If you are searching for great public links golf courses in Australia, Port Fairy Golf Links - a bit over three hours' drive west of Melbourne - is a must-play!
Port Fairy’s ocean views and rugged natural terrain made it an obvious place to build a golf course and keen golfers have been aware of its status as a regional golf treasure for decades.
But much of the improvement to the course has happened this century.
In 2000, Port Fairy brought in Mike Clayton Golf Design to implement a long-term master plan.
Clayton’s work since has been brilliant and today, the revered golf course architect along with Mike DeVries continue to make enhancements to the course.
The start to the round at Port Fairy is unassuming but that changes when you scale the hill to the third tee.
The rest of the front nine meanders along dunes and the flatter low section of the course.
Once you play the short 11th at the layout’s most westerly point, Port Fairy comes alive.
The 13th is an interesting short par-4 with a fairway sloping heavily from right to the left - a genuine birdie chance in calm conditions, a cross wind or headwind make it a hole you just want to survive.
Survival is a word also synonymous with the 14th.
The removal of ti-tree along the out of bounds section to the right have made the vistas incredible.
It’s long by Port Fairy’s standards but blazing away off the tee is tricky because the fairway gets narrower the further you go. Long hitters can be bold and reach the downslope, leaving a clear view of the green. But today, mother nature left us with a very long and blind approach.
The par-4 16th marks the end of this fascinating stretch - you’ve got the beach to the right and a fairway trap to the left to avoid, before the hole bends in the direction of neighbouring farmland.
The last two holes at Port Fairy may lack the flair and strategy of those that immediately precede them but there’s still plenty to ponder.
17 is a straight away par-4 with out of bounds all the way down the right.
The par-5 five finisher is very wide off the tee with out of bounds on both sides of the fairway.
Much closer to the green there’s a burn you need to negotiate before you cross the small bridge and make your way to the green.
Mike Clayton says Port Fairy offers one of the best value for money rounds of golf in the world and we tend to agree.
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Great to see you back Henry ❤️
Another ripper video. I never would have thought to put Port Fairy on my list of courses to play across Australia, but now it is clearly a must-play. How good do 14 and 15 look? Reminiscent of 5 and 6 at NSW golf club, in some ways. For those who can't get on NSW or can't afford the price tag, this would seem like the public-access baby brother. One thing that looks different are the greens and green complexes, however. Lots of undulation at NSW comparatively.
Would love to hear or see a video on a Great Ocean Road golf itinerary? Where are the pit stops and how many good golf rounds are conceivable over a week long trip (6-7 days). I would include a round just outside of both Melbourne and Adelaide.
Thanks Graeme. Yes PF is definitely a great (cheaper) alternative to a private track like NSW GC. In terms of a Great Ocean Road golf trip, Port Fairy would be the overwhelming highlight. If you were factoring 2-3 nights of accommodation leaving from Melbourne, I would suggest playing The Sands Torquay (very good), Anglesea, 9 holes at Peterborough (see one of our older videos of Peterborough) and then finally Port Fairy. If you have the time, Warrnambool is a nice course too which has some interesting holes.
@@underthecard I'd also suggest Apollo Bay, and maybe even pop inland for a dark horse - Camperdown.
Plenty of fun little inland courses in Western Vic - Timboon, East Framlingham, Grampians GC, Halls Gap to name a few.
@@underthecard timboon 🙌 Victoria's "Augusta"
Great video as always crew; I remember a time when Port Fairy was the "hidden gem" - but it seems the cats getting out of the bag and everyone's at least aware of it these days!
Thank you very much 🙏🏼 The term ‘hidden gem’ - while perhaps overused - was certainly applicable to Port Fairy back in the 2000s but, as you point out, doesn’t apply anymore given the improvements to the course and increased recognition. US-based GOLF Magazine has just named Port Fairy as the 93rd best course in Asia-Pacific which is yet another feature in its cap! golf.com/travel/top-100-best-golf-courses-asia-pacific-by-country/?amp=1
2 dags .. lol