A few photos from the new look Bonnie Doon

Aussie Golfer was asked to come and check out the recent changes to Bonnie Doon Golf Course and the course is in good hands. 
 

Irrespective of the invitation, I’ve been dying to see what the Ogilvy Clayton design team have woven into Bonnie Doon golf course, about 20 minutes south of the Sydney CBD. Six of seven new holes have been open since late May and by all reports, they’ve been well received. But I went and checked them out for myself.

Having played the course on a number of occasions I saw it as a solid parklands style golf course, but given the sandy soil and proximity to other great golf course such as The Australian, The Lakes and New South Wales Golf Club, it could be so much more. I’d always considered it a little straight up and down with a few holes blending into one another upon reflection, but I’m happy to say the new changes are nothing short of extremely memorable.

I took a quick whip around the new holes in a cart last week to check out the changes and have a chat to a few of the members. All were in agreement that the changes are fantastic. “More people on the course than there has been in a long time”, and “The greens are just superb” were a just few of the comments. the changes were obvious as you make your way out of the car park, with much more of the golf course visible  from the clubhouse.

The view up the new par-5 14th hole. The rough is still in its infancy but will look fantastic once it properly takes hold. The mounds on the left and right create a nice little chute to play through. Staying left is safer than right off the tee, but you’ll be faced with a tougher second shot. Possibly my favourite view on the course is the view to the new look 293 metre par-4 12th hole. I previously liked the old version of this hole but it’s now even better. Some wicked bunkers make for an interesting decision off the tee and the trees that were saved from the wrath of Mike Clayton* frame the hole beautifully.
*As Mike said below in the comments, these trees were in fact saved by Mike and his team after consultation with the golf club. I especially like changes to the 18th hole (the old 8th), in particular the lack of greenside bunkers. (How often do you see that on a finishing hole?) It will be tough to get a short iron approach in with a bottle necked fairway at driving distance. Some serious undulation will make getting up and down a difficult proposition. The view from behind the new par-3 15th. The photo may not do it justice but there is plenty of shape in this green. This pin position is especially difficult to get close and if you’re on the front edge, you may well be saying hello to Mr.Three-Putt.

This is the first of three stages planned for Bonnie Doon and if this is anything to go by, the next two stages can’t come quickly enough. 

If you’re at all interested in the intricacies of golf course design or what is in store for the rest of Bonnie Doon, check out the full Bonnie Doon masterplan as outlined by the Ogilvy-Clayton team. It makes fascinating reading.