COURSE REVIEW: HUNTINGDALE GOLF CLUB
The spiritual home of the Australian Masters might just be a better course to play now than when it hosted some of the world’s best players, writes Jimmy Emanuel.
Mention the name Huntingdale Golf Club to any Australian golfer and thoughts of the longstanding Australian Masters are sure to come flooding back.
And while the club’s recognition is largely thanks to over 30 years as host to players including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman and Tiger Woods, recent works to the course and ongoing improvements to maintenance practices mean Huntingdale will continue to earn plaudits despite the Masters’ absence from the PGA Tour of Australasia schedule.
Always known as a long and tough test of driving as a tournament venue, Huntingdale has become more playable for players of all standards in recent years. The removal of more than 100 trees, primarily for safety reasons, has had the added benefit of opening playing corridors, while the clearing of scrub beneath the now all native trees has exposed some wonderful sandy wasteland areas and largely ended the time-wasting practice of looking for lost balls. That said, inaccurate driving into these areas is still punished, with a punch out to the fairway being the smart play.
The scrub clearing has re-established some of the qualities Huntingdale and its Melbourne Sandbelt neighbours, like World Cup of Golf host venue Metropolitan Golf Club across the road, are famous for.
Whereas its neighbour has slightly more expansive land to spread its holes across, Huntingdale’s par-72 is more creatively placed on a smaller property. The original designer, Englishman Charles Hugh Alison, did a marvellous job of allowing each hole an isolated feeling despite the smaller property size.
As with all Sandbelt layouts, the bunkering is one of the standout features at Huntingdale, with multiple greens completely surrounded by traps cut to the edge of the bentgrass greens, while visually intimidating fairway traps will have you second guessing whether driver is the play on many of the two shotters.
On my recent visit, the bunkers also impressed after multiple heavy downpours, which in previous years would have rendered the course unplayable. The traps now drain magnificently, the same true of the rest of the course. Something course superintendent Michael Freeman credits to drainage work completed during recent years. Freeman would know better than most, having worked on the course for more than 35 years. His experience and intimate knowledge of the course – it soils, grasses and other growing nuances – combined with the upgrades and changes has Huntingdale looking better than ever – even surpassing its days as a tournament venue. Of particular note are the quality of the putting surfaces.
Outside of the 14th and 17th greens that were primary focuses of English course architect and Harry Colt enthusiast Martin Hawtree during his redesign work completed in 2015, some of the putting surfaces are nearly 20 years old. And while patches of poa annua are visually present on the greens, they do nothing to disturb the pure roll of the ball, which is a credit to Freeman and his sta.
Beyond the conditioning, the layout remains an enjoyable challenge of all facets of the game.
The 1st hole is instantly recognisable from Huntingdale’s days on television, the right fairway bunker posing the main trouble from the tee on a hole that eases players into their round, while also alerting first time visitors that strategy is the key to scoring well at Huntingdale.
Indeed on the front nine, players have options from the tee on nearly every par-4, while the back-to-back par-5 6th and 7th holes oer the best scoring opportunities.
Both are reachable for long hitters in the right conditions. Birdies are created from the tee, with shots finding fairway bunkers needing to be advanced with a mid- to short-iron and long approaches into the raised greens fraught with danger if played from the wrong side of the fairway.
Of the opening half, the short par-4 8th is the pick of the holes for mine. A classic risk-andreward prospect, players who successfully take driver from the 314 metre Blue tees will have a wedge approach and a chance at birdie. Those who lay back from the tee will be happy hitting the middle of the heavily bunkered green and walking to 9th tee with a par.
In my opinion, Huntingdale’s back nine contains some of the best holes and, once again,