The Glades Golf Club
The Glades Golf Course on Queensland's Gold Coast has already, in just nine short months since its opening, established itself as one of, if not the premiere golf course in this golfing mecca.
Although officially opened in December 2000 the course had the luxury of being ready for play for eighteen months prior to that time due in part to its original South Korean developer falling victim to the woes of the Asian financial crisis. The condition in which the course was opened reflects the opportunity the maintenance team had to allow the course to mature without the pressure of having it opened for play before time.
The publically listed Australian company, Thakral, purchased the course and its surrounding real estate land from the Koreans in 1999 and in late 2000, a consortium made up of a group which included the Queensland golfer Ian Baker Finch, purchased the course.
The thing that struck me about the course is that despite its, at times, dramatic and dynamic appearance it is very playable. Although I have played the course but twice I have found it very easy to remember the layout and the characteristics of each hole, another sign of a good golf course.
The secret to many a good design is to make the course look more difficult than it actually plays and if this was the designer Greg Norman's intent, then he has succeeded. It is aesthetically pleasing with Norman utilising his almost trademark full face bunkering and contrasting grasses to not only direct play but to add a certain dynamism to the course. There are 99 bunkers on the course.
A4 bent grass has been used on the greens. Other Gold Coast courses have struggled with bent as this is almost the transition zone geographically in terms of climate for that grass but this is a strain that is a lot more heat and humidity tolerant than others that have been tried here and the exposed nature of the site allows for a lot more air movement. The quality and speed of the greens are as good as it gets anywhere.
The present layout and numbering is not as originally intended or as it will be in the future. A temporary clubhouse (although many courses would be pleased to have it) has dictated that the course begins with what will eventually, on completion of the main clubhouse, become the par three thirteenth. A hole measuring some two hundred metres, it is not the ideal start but this will change when the new clubhouse is completed and the course returns to its intended layout. The first hole when that happens is a relatively short (328 metres) par four with a generous fairway to open proceedings. A heavily contoured and small green awaits a short iron approach so an interesting but enjoyable opening.
There are some fabulous golf holes that await beyond with my favourites being (original layout) the par four second, the par three third, the par five seventh and the par three seventeenth. It's hard to single out a signature hole on the course, as there are so many good ones, but for mine it may well become the seventeenth, not a long par three (147 metres) but water short and left of the green and a subtle ridge that divides the green from front to back make par a difficult task for those that miss the target from the tee.
Not only is the playing of the course a pleasant experience but the service also offers as good as you will find anywhere. Managed by the US company Troon Golf the welcome guests receive from staff on arrival leaves those playing the course for the first time feeling completely at home and undaunted by the occasion. The little things as they say mean a lot and the small gifts such as the impressive bag tag add to the experience.
Of course such service and such a facility comes at a price and the Glades is the most expensive on the Coast so I guess you could and should expect nothing less than the best. Deals of sorts are available at certain times of the day and a call to the Glades will provide more information.
The Glades is already creating and setting standards for golf in Queensland. The introduction of US based companies such as Troon Golf, Clubcorp, American Golf and IMG in Australia and the competitive nature of the business here will ensure that the high standards those organisations have introduced will remain.
It may be that the cost of a round of golf here is outside the realm of most golfers on a regular basis but even if you do it only once you should try the Glades. One would imagine that it will not be long before significant PGA Tour events are being played here. Greg Norman's ownership of the PGA Championship in conjunction with SFX and his already expressed desire to rotate such around courses which bear his design, will ensure that The Glades will have the opportunity to host an event should they so wish in the not too distant future. It will indeed make a great tournament course and venue.
The future plans include the aforementioned spectacular clubhouse currently under construction and an adjacent boutique lodge which is sure to be a great attraction for both corporate and individual golfers.
