golf australia | APRIL 2018 13chute of sand dunes to an open fairway but well
below the green. While your approach must be
straight it must also be long enough to get back
to the fl ag. The green is more than 30 metres
long and any approach dribbling on the front of
the putting surface could leave a monster putt.
Arguably the best par-3 at The Links Lady
Bay is the 197-metre 17th. It is a beautiful hole.
With the coastline of in the distance and deep
fescue shimmering between tee and green, it
of ers a real touch of what you will fi nd on the
north-west coast of Ireland.
Played into a westerly, a full-blooded drive
might be needed to get home. Downwind I
suggest bouncing a mid-iron in short and
letting it run to the fl ag. There are no hazards in
front of the green and hats of to the designers
for leaving the entry to the green wide open so
players of all standards have a shot at making
par. But trouble is never far away if you’re of
line with eight bunkers surrounding the putting
surface, with several semi-hidden to the right.
The greens at The Links Lady Bay have
always impressed. The Bent grass putting
surfaces were faultless and in excellent
condition during my visit. They were quick,
without being silly, and rolled as true as the
bentgrass greens you might fi nd up the road at
Royal Adelaide or Kooyonga.
If there was one criticism of The Links Lady
Bay I had for many years it was the conditioning
of all the playing surfaces, with the exception of
the greens. The bunkers had inconsistent
amounts of sand and the fairways didn’t match
the high standard of the putting surfaces.
The Links Lady Bay has improved
dramatically in the past few years. During my
visit to compile this review, I had never seen the
course looking better. It was no coincidence
either as every judge on the Golf Australia
Top-100 Courses panel that voted for Links
Lady Bay commented positively about the
improved presentation.
I loved The Links at Lady Bay. Sure, I had a
good score but at the end of the round I found
my thoughts drifting to the holes I’d played, not
the way I had played the holes. I had my fair
share of lucky bounces and a few bad ones as
well but it had been an absolute pleasure to
play. But that’s golf and that’s the way the great
designers, like Mackenzie, believed it should
be played.THE COURSE
LOCATION: St Andrews Boulevard, Normanville,
South Australia, 5204
CONTACT: (08) 8558 0600. (08) 8558 0650 (pro shop).
WEBSITE: http://www.linksladybay.com.au
DESIGNERS: Jack Newton, Graeme Grant and
John Spencer (1998).
SLOPE RATINGS: 140 (blue), 139 (white), 123
(yellow), 131 (red women), 138 (yellow women).
PLAYING SURFACES: Couch fairways,
bentgrass greens.
GREEN FEES: $48.
PGA PROFESSIONALS: Simon Pope, Sarah
Douglass Norris.THE CLUB
MEMBERSHIP: Links Lady Bay offers seven-
day full memberships and Pay-As-You-Go
memberships, available from $380.
THE RESORT: Links Lady Bay Resort offers 28
spacious and luxurious one bedroom spa suites
with large corner spas and private balconies.
Each room is designed to embrace the natural
space and surroundings that is the Fleurieu
Peninsula, balconies offering golf course and
ocean views. All of the Standard and Superior
rooms sleep up to four people and are located on
levels two and three of the resort.
The resort also has a gym and a day spa,
where guests can escape their daily routine
and indulge in treatments that are relaxing,
refreshing and revitalising.
PLAY & STAY PACKAGES: Stay overnight in a
King spa suite and enjoy a continental breakfast
delivered to your room while overlooking the
course. After your round, you can enjoy a light
lunch in the Peninsular Café with a glass of
wine, beer or champagne. The package is $
per night twin share (Friday or Saturday night
stay), or $339 twin share per night (Sunday to
Thursday). To book, call (08) 8558 0600 or email
[email protected]FACT FILE
The driving
zone on the
par-4 10th gets
narrower the
further you hit
from the tee.Wispy fescues and golden rough
suggest a taste of Ireland to be
found in South Australia.