I’ve never played another course anywhere in the world quite like New South Wales Golf Club. It’s exquisitely unique in that it can play so drastically different from one day to the next. I have been fortunate to play this incredible layout in both rare, dead calm weather, and the brutally windy conditions that its members know it for.
My best example came at the Par 5 fifth, pictured above with the green on the right coming down the hill. On face value, this is not considered a challenging Par 5, measuring just 514 yards from the championship tees.
The Course in Calm Weather
Allow me to illustrate my first experience in calm weather. I comfortably crested the hill at 295 yards from the tee, the ball rolling well down the hill roughly 350 yards in total. This left an 8 iron for my second shot and a relatively simple birdie.
The Course in Windy Conditions
In contrast, on my second trip to La Perouse the fifth hole played into a severe southerly wind. I was unable to reach the crest of the hill from the tee, let alone the green in two shots. The hole played near 100 yards longer than the scorecard yardage suggests.
New South Wales Golf Club’s History
Situated on a beautiful stretch of coastline just outside of Sydney this is a true seaside links. Famed architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie designed the course in 1927. MacKenzie stated it simply when asked about designing the course, ‘This presents, I think, more spectacular views than any place I know with the exception perhaps of the new Cypress Point Golf Course in California’. The length of the course is not what poses the challenge. Rather, the relentless winds which sweep across this magnificent piece of golfing property.
If you get the chance to check out New South Wales Golf Club, I highly recommend it!
Photo Credit: © Gary Lisbon | https://www.golfphotos.com.au/ | IG: @garylisbongolf