by garfran on Thu Mar 22, 2007 3:28 pm
Don't know if the list of courses has been exhausted in terms of capacity, but if not I would like to see Mornington Peninsular GC added. It is LC recommended and gets a great wrap from Links Corner reviewer Joe Turner. In comparison to other links type courses, I believe that it is up there with the best and it would be excellent to have another 2k1 course on the list.
Mornington Peninsula GC by Joel Geysen
Reviewed by Joe Turner `Loner'
October 2002
How do I say this without offending all of the utterly fantastic links courses designed by the top designers that we have in the Links community today. This is the type of links course that I prefer, one that has a little more definition between the fairways, roughs etc. After all the granddaddy of all links courses Old St. Andrews has well defined areas…enough. This course has mildly patterned tee boxes, a smooth plush looking fairway with a semi rough leading into long grass culminating in greens with a faint fringe, all which makes for a most attractive course blend. The wooden steps leading up to the tee boxes as well as the wooden bridges fit in this type of “natural” course beautifully and do the sand dunes with their short pale scrub brush, and fields of what he calls tree scrub. A tall tree is nowhere to be found which is fitting for this course. The beach and ocean textures, the foam and white caps are outstanding in their looks and color. The only disappointment I found in this picture postcard course were the “rock fields” on hole # 14 just to the right of the hole between the beach and the long grass (rough). It didn’t look at all natural to me with its perfect checkerboard or more of a Harris Tweed pattern.
Starting around hole # 5 water appeared on the course as a hazard for that hole guarding the green and later as the occasional decorative object. The fairways were medium sized and even though well guarded they seemed to be quite easy to hit. They had a few drops places beautifully placed you had the maximum roll for your extra effort drive. The greens, ah the greens, I loved both the simple and the complex breaks he had going for them from at least 10 to 15 feet out. If you were any further from the cup you will encounter the tiers that were set up to raise your putt count, most pleasurable. The elevations where so perfect that I only had to slightly adjust the clubs that the caddie handed me. They were like playing a course within a course, after a while I was looking forward to the greens more than the rest of the hole. Yes, I would rate the putting just below medium. The greens at times seemed to be guarded but it was mostly their small to less than medium size that proved to be the hazard.
From what I could tell this was Joel’s first course, I was certain that he had designed before, if it is his first its an amazing start to a new leading designer. He took full advantage of the advice of other designer’s advice and their generosity in providing him with superb textures, beta testers and other sources that are available to all, but one that few seem to take. The holes are challenging up to a point, it is not a difficult over challenging course but a course that is very much one that all will enjoy playing, I did, Its an amazingly small download in comparison the some of the giants today yet can stand with them in quality. If your asking is this a good download yes, download it and enjoy it.