The Vintage Golf Club

IN: COURSE REVIEWS | BY: Wayne Hindson | | REGION: Hunter Valley, NSW DATE: 15 Mar 2003 | Rated

Hole 17

(Photo: David Scaletti/Sportscapes)

Every once in a while you get to play a golf course that lives up to its reputation. Most of the time, at least from my experience, courses have a good reputation or are actively marketed but fail to impress when they are actually played. The Vintage definitely lives up to all that it promises.

The Vintage is located in the Hunter Valley area of NSW and is the latest design from arguably Australia's best ever golfer, Greg Norman. Norman states that his vision for The Vintage was "to create a truly integrated recreational based golfing resort community of exceptional quality within a vineyard setting that will heighten and strengthen your prestige golfing experience".

That experience begins as soon as you approach The Vintage, located approximately 45 minutes drive from Newcastle and around 2 hours drive from Sydney. Turning the corner on McDonalds Road, you get the first view of the course and associated land development and it was at this point I started to feel that this was going to be a special day.

Pulling up to the magnificent clubhouse, one of the only buildings completed at this stage, we were met at the bag drop off area by staff who whisked our golf bags away to prepare them for play as I parked the car. Returning to the pro shop, our bags were ready, our cart was waiting and it was only a short time before our experience would begin.

My playing partner and I thought it would be wise to take advantage of the free range balls on offer so decided to warm up a little before heading to the first tee. Now most courses I have been to just give you a bucket of balls, not here at The Vintage. Their range is across the road from the clubhouse and has numerous pyramids of balls stacked up and ready to go, just hit until you're ready, then off you go to the first tee.

At this point it was hard not to be impressed already with the service and quality and we had not even made it to the course yet!

The opening two holes are quite short and provide a false sense of invincibility. The 331m par 4 first will see most players taking a long iron or fairway wood over a short water carry. A hazard protects the green on the 1st, running across the front around 5m from green's edge though with only a short iron in to a relatively flat green this should not cause too many problems.

The 2nd at The Vintage requires more accuracy and thoughtful course management. Both my playing partner and I thought this hole was a dogleg left, so we were surprised when we got to our tee shots to find it is actually a dogleg right. At this point we decided it would be wise to look at the course layout book and the daily pin placement chart. Though only 356m in length, the 2nd requires both accuracy off the tee and precision into the tightly bunkered green. The approach to the green is one of the prettiest and most challenging I have seen on a course for some time.

The necessity for precision continues on the next hole, rated the hardest on the course. If you are not accurate off the tee on the 3rd, then you are bound to find par hard to come by on this 398m monster. Two well placed right side fairway bunkers will capture many shorter hitters off the tee, while the longer hitters will need to avoid the American Buffalo outer rough if they are to have a trouble free approach to the green. It's best to keep the ball left off the tee here as the landing area is very narrow and elsewhere will lead to trouble. The elevated green requires an extra club than normal and well-positioned bunkers front left and right ensure punishment for anything short and off centre.

My favourite hole on the entire course is the 507m 7th. Stepping onto the 7th tee, all you see is a lot of shrubbery and in the distance the hint of a fairway at the top of the hill. The carry over the shrubs should not be a problem and the generous width of the fairway should please even the most wayward of golfers. Once you get to the top of the hill you realise how magnificent this par 5 really is, with Bimbadgen Estate running down the left hand side and the wide fairway continuing downhill to a well-designed green. Longer hitters should have no trouble reaching this green in two, while average length golfers will hit little more than wedge into the green. However, even though it is only a short iron into the green, do not think it will be easy. A very deep right hand bunker can come into play and anything which does not take into account the contours of the green will most likely finish off the green and require fine short game touch.

The 8th hole is rated number two at The Vintage and it is not surprising. Measuring 194m, the tee shot is almost all water carry to a green that is long and narrow. For those thinking of avoiding the water, three very well positioned bunkers left of the green mean this is not an easy lay up option and from personal experience is not a great place to be. Like a lot of holes on course, lack of accuracy off the tee will lead to a large number on the scorecard.

The last hole of the front nine plays a lot longer than its 406m, mainly due to it being directly uphill. The landing area off the tee is very generous, however there are numerous fairway bunkers at various lengths that must be navigated and avoided. Anything too far left off the tee will leave a blocked approach to the open, multi-tiered narrow green. Par for this hole is a good score.

As you cross the entrance road and head towards the 10th tee, it's hard not to be distracted by the beauty that is The Vintage clubhouse. Built at a cost of $5 million, 1it overlooks the 18th green and has been architecturally designed to blend in with the surroundings and unique style of the Hunter Valley. Its spike bar is ideal for a quick snack, while the bistro and outdoor bar are great places to relax after your round. And of course you may just need to stop by the Pro Shop and restock your ball supply before heading to the back nine.

A 552m par 5 awaits golfers as they stand on the 10th tee. While it is a long hole from the back markers and there are well-placed bunkers down the left side of the fairway and a large eucalypt tree on the right, this hole should not pose too many problems for the average player. The 2nd shot requires thought in order to provide the best angle in to the water-protected elevated green. Birdie should be makeable for the longer hitters, while par or bogey would be a good score for most others.

A feature of several holes on the inward nine is the need to carry large amounts of water. The 171m par 3 12th is all water carry; however once you've cleared the water there is no greenside trouble. The next hole requires a carry of between 160m and 190m depending on how brave you are feeling while the 336m 15th requires a minimum water carry of about 150m. For the longer hitters these should pose minimum problems, but for all others just the thought can be enough to make you look for a safe option, of which there are none.

My three favourite holes on the back nine are 14, 17 and 18. The 14th is a 478m par 5 which requires some serious course management. Precision off the tee is essential to successfully playing the 14th, with a fairway bunker awaiting you if you're left and a gorged hazard running down the entire right side. Catch either of these and the possibility of par quickly disappears. Once your drive is in play, your next piece of management is deciding on whether to lay up short of the hazard about 120m from the green or to risk it all and go for the green. If going for the green you'll need to avoid the left hand side, which is well guarded by trees and the right greenside bunker. For those laying up the bunker needs to be avoided, as does the hazard greenside left. Take a 5 here and you've done well.

The 17th is a pretty 182m par 3, though the elevated tee and downhill sloping fairway make it a little shorter than stated. Four bunkers surround the back of the green, a hazard will catch those who hit it left and short, and once on the multi-tiered green there is still much work left to do. This hole looks like it should not pose too many problems, but to quote my playing partner "there's so much that can go wrong here, so much room for disaster."

The strength of many great courses is their finishing hole and the closing 380m uphill par 4 at The Vintage is no exception. A slight dogleg left, with Australian natives right and the clubhouse in the distance, the 18th plays longer than you think. A good drive off the tee, keeping left to open up the green, should see you hitting a mid-to-long iron into a heavily bunkered, two tiered green. If you leave it too far right off the tee, you will have little chance of getting to the green with your second shot, or if you find the rough on the left hand side the green may also be out of reach. Once that last putt sinks, you'll want to head back to the first tee and do it all again.

The Facilities

The reason this course exists is to facilitate a $450 million property development, which will ultimately see around 500 houses around the course (60% will have course frontage), together with a 260 room hotel and community centre comprising tennis courts, pool, health and fitness centre and general store. It remains to be seen if this development will spoil the current peaceful existence of The Vintage.

Facilities at the Clubhouse include Members' Lounge, Spike Bar, Apres Restaurant, Function room, Fully stocked Golf Shop (with basement car park for 70 carts), Private lockers and change rooms complete with showers, Outdoor bar and terrace (offering spectacular views of the course and mountain ranges, Golf cart assembly area and Driving range facility.

The Verdict

Alas time and budget did not allow me to head back to the 1st tee, so I had to settle for a quiet refreshment at the outdoor bar while the staff cleaned my clubs. Sitting there my playing partner and I agreed that The Vintage is now arguably the leading course in the Hunter Valley amongst counterparts Cypress Lakes, Hunter Valley Golf and Country Club (or Portofino as I still know it) and Cessnock Golf Club. Sure it was slightly more expensive than these courses, but what's that saying about getting what you pay for? The Vintage offers more than a game of golf - it offers a total escape of mind and body.

My experience at The Vintage is one that I will remember for some time. The course is extremely well laid out and easy to navigate, it is quiet and not overcrowded and the staff was well mannered and courteous to golfers.

Yes, it is somewhat difficult and challenging. Yes, you can lose a lot of golf balls. And yes, I will be back.

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