As is the case in many realms of Life, some golf courses are built up to be The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread but fail to hit the mark. Like a new eatery. Not so with Lost Farm, the most recent addition to the Rolling Stone that is Tasmanian golf. The same visionary potato farmer that was behind Barnbougle Dunes ?? Richard Sattler ?? is responsible for bringing to fruition one of the most exhilarating golf courses ever built. He brought Bill Coore down (of Coore & Crenshaw repute) to do the design ?? although despite not having had much of a hand in it all, the best putter to ever live has put his name to it too (for a cool million bucks no doubt). Anyway, all that stuff is academic. Now you have possibly the two best modern links in the world sitting side by side on a stretch of Tasmanian coastline that will blow even the most seasoned golf traveller away. It??s unpretentious stuff too, the ethos endearing itself to golf folk from all walks of life (you can wear jeans and more or less whatever you like, as long as you have a collar). A few days on I??m still struggling to contain myself.
Lost Farm has been a whisper on a good few golfers?? lips in 2010. And the Barnbougle Buzz is still alive and well, despite it having been on the scene for 4 or 5 years now. Travelling through ??Straya for 80 days earlier in the year not a day went by when we weren??t asked if Tassie was on our route. ??No, but we??re hoping to get there later in the year.? I must??ve uttered those words 500 times. Thanks to Simon Cummins of Golf Tourism Australia (and mate Michael ??Bowser? Hauser) we were extended an invitation to come on down. He didn??t have to ask twice.
The flight into Launceston was like being on a trampoline ?? as soon as you??re up you??re down. I suppose it??s all relative on the back of a long haul from Dubai to Perth. What was troubling however was the seating arrangement: Simon had a stunning brunette perched next to him while I was lumped with, guess who, Goldstein. Whom I wouldn??t describe as a stunning brunette (although I could think of a few other adjectives...). Surely there??s a psychological condition known as ??Plane Seat Envy?? In any case I had it. Bad.
By the time we reached Barny I found it in myself to forgive Simon. It would be two long days on the links if I didn??t. And, hell, we were about to play Barnbougle Dunes! A Tom Doak design and straight into the Australian Top 5 ?? strong credentials. So, did it live up to expectations? You better believe it. Goldy??s put together a video of the adventure so I won??t bore you with too much descriptive drivel. I will say though that on more or less every hole you find yourself with options; angles open up before you for careful consideration. It??s a layout that you need to golf your ball around as much with your head as with your hands. I consider that a compliment to Mr. Doak. No doubt when he flew down to see the canvas on offer Tom felt a responsibility to do it justice. And he has, praise the Lord. (The stretch from 2-9 is particularly special).
Happily Simon arranged for us to stay at Lost Farm, a mere 3 minutes down the road. It was only fitting that we have dinner then in the new clubhouse that sits like a presiding judge atop the dunes, overlooking the course. I had a fish called Trevalla which sounds as much like a Bond villain as it does a creature of the ocean. We weren??t expecting haute cuisine but that??s exactly what we got; obviously Mr. Sattler doesn??t do things by halves (and, like many farmers, he??s got far more between the ears than he??d lead you to believe). If you come all the way down here to play golf you may as well have a good meal ?? and the nearest restaurant must be several k??s away too, so the convenience factor is compelling (especially if you??ve been ill-disciplined enough to have a Boags or two immediately after walking off the 20th green). Oh, did I mention Lost Farm has 20 holes?
The best 20 hole golf course I??ve ever played, hands down. And here??s me been espousing the virtues of 12 hole golf courses all year... I suppose Mr. Coore just saw 20 holes that just had to be built. With two short par 3s known as 13a and 18a the superintendent has options in laying out the course for competition play. 13a by the way is one of the most pleasant surprises I??ve ever come across. You think you??re heading on to what is the 14th tee, then realise there??s a short hole stretching across your path, built on rip snortingly fine dune territory. Coore must??ve had the kind of epiphany that MacKenzie had when he saw that famous rocky outcrop at Cypress (I??m speaking of the 16th, of course) - I??ve just GOT to build a hole on that. And he did.
What I love about both BB and LF is how playable they are by golfers of (nearly) all standards, yet how much thought needs to go in to each shot if you??re to really tear them up. Every choice you make ?? whether you know you??ve made it or not! ?? has a consequence, be it a resulting blind approach or a deep bunker to navigate (sometimes both). Clever, clever stuff. What??s also so encouraging is that both Doak and Coore have dared to build holes that no one else would these days (playing the holes like 3rd at Royal Adelaide, the 9th at Cypress or the 8th at Troon this year we??ve found ourselves lamenting this phenomenon). Holes don??t need to be long to be challenging!
Well done Tom, Bill and Richard. It was a pleasure to come down and admire your fine handiwork. A pleasure that was made possible by Simon Cummins of Golf Tourism Australia and Michael ??Bowser? Hauser ?? two gentlemen to which we are heavily indebted. Yoos fullas are liginds, as we say in Nu Zillin. Golf at its purest ?? low maintenance links, understated clubhouses and good company. Get me back ??ere quick...
JP
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