For the first time since 1991, the Australian Open will be played at Royal Melbourne.
The tournament will utilize the Composite Course, which is a par 71 measuring 7,086 yards, combing both the West course & East Course.
The Composite Course originated in 1959 when Royal Melbourne was asked to host the Canada Cup.
Royal Melbourne Golf Club is full of dramatic undulation, fertile sandy soil and a natural rugged appearance on the famed Sand belt of Melbourne.
It was decided to use 12 holes from the West Course and 6 holes from the East Course.
Influenced by his time with Dr MacKenzie, Alex Russell designed the East Course. It was laid out during 1930-31 & with Mick Morcom in charge of construction, was ready for play in 1932.
Course Description
The East Course starts and finishes on the main site and is highlighted by seven ‘home paddock’ holes. The bunkering is superb while the greens, though smaller than the West’s are as beautifully constructed and sloped.
It incorporates some of the most dramatic undulation on the course, the short four, long four and mid four start is brilliant with clear risk and reward options from the tee and birdie to double bogey possibilities. The closing stretch starts with the short par 4 15th and the heavily bunkered 16th, which is the flattest ‘home paddock’ hole of either course but one of the best and most underrated par 3s in Melbourne.
The final two holes are famously used on the world-renowned Composite course.
Notable Holes
5th Hole West – Par 3 @ 161m
The 5th is the first one-shot hole on the West Course. It is one of the best Par 3s in Melbourne, which makes it one of the best in the world. The hole plays down from the tee, across a valley and up to a green sitting on the opposite hill.
The key aim in playing the 5th is to get the ball up onto the putting surface; anything short is swept back down the bank fronting the green. Anything too long leaves a treacherous downhill putt.
6th Hole West – Par 4 @ 391m
The 6th hole is one of the great 2-shot holes, a wonderful example of how to perfectly position a ground hazard on the inside corner of a dogleg. The tee shot is played over a magnificent expanse of heath and sand. Players must then make a decision whether to attempt to carry over the bunkers at the corner of the dogleg, or to opt for discretion and hit further to the left. A long drive over the bunkers to the far edge of the fairway leaves a difficult second shot over one of the most awkward greenside bunkers on the course. The green slopes sharply from front to back and the rule is a simple one: never hit the ball above the flag when it is cut in the right half of the green.
10th Hole West – Par 4 @ 285m
Off the tee, players are confronted by a multitude of choices of both club and line. The most obvious hazard to avoid is the huge bunker – known to Members as hell’s half-acre embedded in the left hillside. From the tee the land drops sharply down, then rises up around the bunker and turns towards a small green at the highest point of the hill. The green is protected by deep bunkers to the right and a swale at the front of the green, which gathers up any pitch shot landing short of the putting surface.
On so many holes the greens have very short & sharp back drops.
Par 71
7’086 yards
Fairways-Bermudagrass
Greens-Bent grass- a unique strain of bent called Suttons Mix which comes from NZ
• 2 x Par 5s
• 13 x Par 4s
• 3 x Par 3s
Some very famous golfers have often said “How scary” the greens are, aerial pictures tell the story with narrow greens to aim for with dramatic drop offs into fescue grass.
Player skills suited at Royal Melbourne
• Driving Accuracy
• Local knowledge highly advantageous
• Very high GIR % players who can back spin approach shots
• Par 4 specialists
• Consistently Putters on tour
This week our 7 players have been good this year on both DPWT and had good figures last week @ Royal Queensland Golf course.
Highlighting generally more reliable T2G players.