TOP-100 SPOTLIGHT
A snapshot of some of the layouts that make up Golf Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses, and what they offer as destinations.
FEDERAL GOLF CLUB
RED HILL, ACT
RANKING: Federal ranks 48th on Golf Australia’s Top100 Public Access Courses list, a drop of six places from the 2013 ranking. THE DEAL: Federal’s visitor green fee is $75, or $50 for nine holes. Know a member? Great! Play with them and you’ll save $25 off an 18-hole round. GOOD TO KNOW: Federal is the only course in Canberra ranked among Golf Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses. It is also home each spring to the Federal Open Amateur, one of the elite events on the national amateur calendar. ANECDOTALLY: Tucked over the hill from Parliament House, Federal blends a high-quality layout with a scenic setting. The course is home to countless kangaroos and the hillside layout looks directly at the Brindabella Ranges, while also bordering Red Hill Nature Reserve. If you can keep your head down long enough to concentrate on the golf course rather than the captivating views, there’s a seriously good test to be had on a layout many capital golfers view as nipping at the heels of ‘big brother’, Royal Canberra.
Federal uses its sloping ground well to create interesting and challenging holes, some that turn with the lie of the land, others that turn against it and several holes that ascend or descend the terrain. A pair of dogleg par-4s in the middle of the inward nine are two of Federal’s best. Both the 14th and 15th holes begin from elevated tees, journeying down to low-lying fairways before rising to the green. The 375-metre 14th doglegs gently left while the 350-metre 15th turns right in a one-two combination that epitomises Federal’s shot-making requirements. The round culminates with a long uphill par-4 (which was once a par-5) that is as tall as any hurdle the course asks golfers to jump. CONTACT: (02) 6281 1888; www.fgc.com.au