When visiting the Melbourne area on a golf trip you will likely run into local golfers who share a passion for the game. More often than not the conversation moves from asking if you have played the most famous courses in the area to Woodlands GC. This club seems always seems to pop up in conversation- almost as if it is the mind and heart of the Aussie golfer.
Is it perhaps because Woodlands GC feels more approachable to the average golfer?
- The grounds are overall a little more flat as compared to other courses in the Sandbelt, but the undulations still provide variety for approach shots.
- The confines and appointments in the clubhouse are more simple than the other courses, but quite charming and comfortable.
- The overall length of the course may not be equal to a "modern" design, but the course is routed in such a way that the par-3s and short par-4s present their own challenges.
In any case, the age and length and design of Woodlands GC certainly equates to a test of golf! It would be a mistake not to respect the bunkering and small green complexes which require accurate approach shots. The layout essentially handicaps modern equipment from simply blasting away and overpowering the course. Players that think their way around the course and understand how to best approach and hold a green will be rewarded. Accuracy through the tree-lined fairways and checking one's ego at the door will be the way to avoid hazards and be in position to shoot at the greens.
