1. Russ_has_Vision | Rated | 06 Jun 2010 | Add A Review

Played here on Friday and Sunday. Course if looking in pretty good nick. The new management must have instructured the Greens Keepers to mow the place properly, as the whole course is looking much better. Fairways are pretty good except for a few mud patches. Grass is a lot shorter than the last time I placed, they have also begun to make the Rough look a little more defined.

Placed on Friday and the greens were super fast, even the spots where the minibikes tore up the greens a few months ago have come back pretty well. There are a couple of greens that have a bit of damage which I am guessing is diseased grass. Played on sunday after about 400mm of rain over the weekend and the greens were a tad slower. Mainly due to the puddles that had formed in some of the greens. They really need to fix the drainage.

Being winter there is not that many people around. On Sunday it look us 4 hours and 20 mins to play 18.

PROS

• greens

Cons

• a little slow at times

Also Liked

• Ballarat Golf Club

2. DB55 | Rated | 10 Mar 2010 | Add A Review

First played Yarra Bend in 1967 was heaven on earth for a 13 year old,the course was originaly built in 1932 and second 9 finished in 1934 and it is exactly the same layout as when it opened.
I played Saturday 6th march teed off at 8.30am finished at 12.50pm no hold ups.Course was in amazing condition -flat well maintined tees ,pegs were as far back as I have ever seen them , fairways in pristine condition with graduated rough which give great definition to the fairways.
The most pleasing feature was the greens which were fast ,tue and consistent for a long time they were soft and slow.
The course is a joy to play particularly from the back tees ,2nd ,3rd 4th and 6th holses are the best on the front nine.
The back nine is by far the superior 9 a briliant river setting with a great finish 14 the toughest hole on the course ,16 one of the best par4 s you will ever play ,17 a tough par 3 and 18 is a great par 5 finishing hole.
The trees come into play on all holes and although not a lot of bunkers they will punish errant 2nd shots to the green. The undulations of the course add to the beauty of the course without having to play from hanging lies.
$26.00 green fee along with Centenary Park Frankston makes Yarra Bend th best under $30 course in Melbourne

3. FairwayBomber | Rated | 20 Feb 2010 | Add A Review

Very good public course. Its quite a longish course, with some challenging holes which incorporates blind corners. Make sure you have the course map/GPS on your first time. I found having the iphone sureshot app on hand to be very useful here!
Fairways were generally good, though some sections are in real need of attention. All in all, a good course to try out!

PROS

• Close proximity to Melbourne
• Reasonably priced
• Challenging course
• Fast greens!

Cons

• Fast greens! :)
• Some sections need attention (hard to play off hard dirt...)

4. lefty_tiges | Rated | 21 Jan 2010 | Add A Review

play here once a week with some workmates before work. Great public course. Fairways are in good condition, greens are true and fast. Some picturesque holes, good rough, all in all most impressive, keeps us going back weekly. Oh and pro shop staff are always good to deal with

5. nickbradfield | Rated | 15 Jan 2010 | Add A Review

I love it here. Definitely one of the best public courses around town. It’s right on the river so remains lush even in the summer.

6. seano24 | Rated | 28 Nov 2009 | Add A Review

One of the best public courses in Melbourne. A lefty’s wet dream. the course in in great condition and is very well maintained. greens are true fairways great and most of the rough is rough which is rare in drought. Gets it’s water from the Yarra which keeps the course nice and green all year round.

7. Sturmmann | Rated | 08 Nov 2009 | Add A Review

Enjoyed the course, had no problems with waiting to tee off between holes. 18 holes took the two of us around 4 hours, with plenty of breaks.

Also Liked

• Werribee Park Golf Club
• Ivanhoe Golf Course

8. ilovelamp | Rated | 27 Oct 2009 | Add A Review

just moved down from the Gold Coast and this was the first course my friend and i played. such a fantastic course we couldn’t believe we’d only paid $25, in absolute gorgeous condition, every hole is unique and fun! although i played terribly, i will definitely be back!

9. dannuzzio | Rated | 12 Oct 2009 | Add A Review

played here on saturday for the first time in 6 months,best condition i have ever seen the course in, the fairways were green and cut and the greens quick,get down there and play it

10. Truefanofthegame | Rated | 28 May 2009 | Add A Review

Yarra Bend Golf Course is only 5 minutes from the CBD. It is in great condition all year round with friendly staff happy to assist your needs. Lessons are avaliable 7 days with Junior clinics and Ladies Beginner lessons running all year round. Website will be avalible on 1st JUNE 2009. yarrabendgolfcourse.com.au

11. bozely | Rated | 17 May 2009 | Add A Review

Played for only the 2nd time ever on 15th May 2009. After suffering through a deplorable experience at Elsternwick the day before, I was hesitant about re-visiting the bend as on my only other visit I seemed to encounter the water logging problems that have been listed. That hesitation was soon overcome with some superb service in the pro shop, where I was offered the use of the brilliant FT-IQ driver for my round, a sound judgement call on the staffs behalf as I’ll now soon be $700 lighter in the pocket, what a club. At $20 for 18 holes I was too impressed, thats tremendous value.
The course condition erased all of my bad memories, superb fairway conditions, true if a little slow greens, and excellent bunker conditions for a public track. The Par 3s are memorable, and I’ll now forever remember this round after snagging a 1 on the 7th.
Thanks Yarra Bend for an unexpectedly good experience, and we’ll be back in the short term future.

Also Liked

• Eynesbury Golf Course
• Growling Frog Golf Course

12. happytoshoot90 | Rated | 03 May 2009 | Add A Review

Have this played this course 4 times in the last couple of weeks as it is my old faithful. Nothing but good things to say about the bend, gotta be the best close to the city public there is, the holes are varied and interesting – my highlights are the 2nd and the 16th, and the condition is always exceptional especially in this drought. given its price – $24 mon-fri and its location for those who don’t have time to go up country or down the coast for a hit, you can’t ask for anything more.

13. Smergen | Rated | 07 Apr 2009 | Add A Review

Well, I’ll add to the long list of reviewers here that rave about Yarra Bend. For a public access course you couldn’t fault it. The only gripe I had was that in some areas the course was muddy and water logged (I couldn’t believe it in this drought!) but these were few and far between and never really where your ball should be.
The pace of play had me worried given its reputation, but we had 7 of us in two groups go around on a Sunday in a tick over 4.5hrs, with a solid half time break. Can’t argue with that. The course was packed, and I do wonder if the test of accuracy (which I love) is a bit too much of a test for the average hacker. Not that I should whinge, I spent my share of time on the wrong fairway.
For $25 it is exceptional value. Highly recommended.

14. balnce | Rated | 02 Feb 2009 | Add A Review

The best true public access course in melbourne. Fantastic challenging layout that is in fantastic condition with great fairways and greens for such a busy course. Has some of my favourite holes in melbourne with the 12th 14th 16th and 17th holes being standouts. Has the feel of a country course even though its only 5 minutes from the cbd.
Not an overly long course with premium bein on accuracy. Only problem with this course being the slow play as it is one of the busiest courses in melbourne.

Also Liked

• Kingston Heath Golf Club
• Long Island Country Club
• Cape Schanck Resort
• Cowes Golf Club
• Leongatha Golf Club
• Kingswood Golf Club

15. looking4myball | Rated | 23 Nov 2008 | Add A Review

Fantastic !! just finished 18 holes and for my first time there it was a pleasure even if my score said otherwise. The course is in great nick, and the greens are looking beautiful – the best public course I have played on.

16. dsa4139 | Rated | 04 Nov 2008 | Add A Review

Always in good condition. Staff always friendly. Course is short but is a nice mix of short risk/reward holes, doglegs as well as quite a variation of par-3 holes. No wind to speak of (probably due to tall trees blocking the it) but the course does have a natural undulation to the land which means that upwill/downhill shots are necessary part of your playing arsenal. Biggest issue is slow play. 5 hour rounds can be possible especially with less experienced players in groups in front.

17. Breathegolf | Rated | 31 Oct 2008 | Add A Review

The best quality public course for miles around! Just make sure you book to avoid inconvenience. Staff seem to have alot of fun with the customers which gives the place a good vibe. Scored a great driving tip off the pro which really helped. Didn’t know they conducted lessons there either. The course is always well watered. Good mix of hole designs. Never bored playing golf at Yarra Bend.

18. DANCUMMANE | Rated | 11 Oct 2008 | Add A Review

played Yarra Bend today with a mate and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Both 10 handicappers, found the course to be in excellent nick. Very plush, well bunkered and the greens were hard were true. Very far from a boring course playingwise and one hole was skirted by trees with hundred of bats. Fantastic. Recommend it to any one. The one negative was the bunkers- found three of them, two were just hard pans with token sand and one had deep lush sand…..Why the inconsistency??? made one bunker impossible to play a shot onto the green but hey nothings perfect and for $25 a bargin.

19. puttfordough | Rated | 26 Sep 2008 | Add A Review

Being a once every 2-3 weeks type of golfer, with a handicap of 18-20, Yarra Bend is only the 4th course I have played since moving to Melbourne 6 months ago.

It is supremely better than both Elsternwick and Burnley and much more appealing in terms of the challenge/scenery than Albert Park. It is a proper 18 hole golf course with ups and downs, rolling fairways, slopping greens, large trees and plenty of areas out of bounds to avoid.

There is plenty of scope to use all the clubs in the bag and a few long holes where you can really belt your drive!

Like any public course, the tees/fairways/greens are not perfect, but you’re not playing at Royal Melbourne. At $25 a round, it is well priced and a solid test!

20. tealeaf | Rated | 21 Sep 2008 | Add A Review

Easily in the top 3 public golf courses in Melbourne. The pro-shop is very well stocked and the pros were very helpful. The course has a great layout with many obstacles especially some decent sand traps. Generally found the back 9 was in better condition (fairways and greens) than the front 9. Definitely worth playing there on a regular basis (fortnightly-monthly).

21. melilli10 | Rated | 27 Aug 2008 | Add A Review

A great course. Fairways and greens are in top condition. The bats hanging of the trees look fantastic. Some of the par 3s can be deceiving as they look shorter than they really are. Stay clear of the right on the 17th hole or you’ll end up with at least a double bogey. Overall a great course that i would recommend.

22. colebatchd | Rated | 12 Jul 2008 | Add A Review

I have played this course a number of times, most recently last weekend (6/07/08) and have always found the same thing – lovely layout, pity about the condition of the tees and greens. On many teebeds I couldn’t find any solid ground, and the greens were far from true.

Also Liked

• Growling Frog Golf Course
• 13th Beach Golf Links (Beach)
• Newcastle Golf Club
• Belmont Golf Club

23. TheSpecialOne | Rated | 30 Jun 2008 | Add A Review

Player Yarra Bend for the first time on 29.06.2008, The course has a great layout and alot of the holes will make you think. But at present the tees and greens are under repair and that really takes the shine of the course. Its still playable but some of the hole are as much as 50 meters shorter and some par 3’s can be played with a PW, putting on the greens is like putting on the beach so be prepared for a few extra putts. Overall once all the repairs are completed this course will be joy to play.

24. Fields07 | Rated | 03 Apr 2008 | Add A Review

Played over the Easter period and was looking forward to reconnecting with this course that I remembered from many years previously as a good layout and challenging course. Regrettably the drought has really impacted upon this course and it was in a terrible state with fairways only dustbowls. I learned there is a change of management happening and there are plans to remodel the course. I would hope this doesn’t happen – the layout is great. It just needs to be maintained and refreshed. Notwithstanding my negative comment it is a course worth a visit.

25. Squidboy | Rated | 08 Feb 2008 | Add A Review

Fifteen Holes Fri 8 Feb 2008. Starting around 2:00pm. HCP n/a.

My first attempt at 18 holes after “graduating” from Burnley… Really enjoyed the first nine, especially the second hole where the fairway drops off so you can’t see the flag – there are some posts to indicate the centre of the green and for me they were a pretty good point to aim for…

The tee markers were all set right at the back of the tee-off area and the flags were all at the back of the greens so some of the Par 4s felt pretty long for a beginner such as myself.

Started the back nine and immediatley ran into congestion. As a result didn’t enjoy the course so much and had to cut 15, 16, 17 as I a deadline when I had to leave by (which didn’t help my game either…). Did really enjoy hole 14 (another blind flag). However 18 seems very long for a beginner (445m par 5) it’s going to be a while before I get good enough to be confident with this one :)

All up will be back again…

26. Lowdown | Rated | 23 Oct 2007 | Add A Review

Played Yarra Bend last weekend. Course was in great condition – with both fairways and greens looking very good.

Was not too crowded either, as I was expecting a lot more traffic than what we got.

All in all – a top inner-Melbourne course, at a good price.

27. reaperboy | Rated | 15 Jun 2007 | Add A Review

Quite simply one of the best public courses I have played. The layout is quite challenging especially the par 3 17th which has an enormous gully on the right, trust me you don’t want to go down there. The only drawbacks was the play was a little slow, not that I really minded, and the greens had just been cored. All in all a must play as the green fees are cheap too.

28. joshuas | Rated | 29 Jan 2007 | Add A Review

Yarra Bend is a challenging layout, the par 4's are somewhat repetitive but you're game will be tested. With doglegs in both directions, undulating fairways and a few different holes that will genuinely test your ability its an enjoyable course.

Allow at leat 6 hour from tee off to the 19th. Lots of hackers and slow paced play. the course is green because its on the yarra but the greens are slightly inconsistant.

29. petertran | Rated | 15 Jan 2007 | Add A Review

Probably the best public course around with two flaws:

1. It's difficult to get a booking (probably not worth calling up unless you are an afternoon golfer).

2. Extremely slow between holes due to the amount of hackers there.

Allow at least 6 hours to play 18.

Apart from that, it's quite a satisfying course to play on.

30. jaygolfer | Rated | 30 Nov 2006 | Add A Review

This is a very nice public course. The course layout provides constant challenges throughout the round. The fairways are always nice. The greens however are a little all over the place. More so at this time of year, as I suppose they are trying to keep them from burning out!

Fantastic surrounds. While walking down the fairways, you have a lot there to keep you entertained.

Definitely worth the relatively cheap green fees.

31. grnis200 | Rated | 08 Nov 2006 | Add A Review

Truly one of Melbourne's great public courses.

Always is great condition, Yarra bend is one of the better layouts of the public courses within Melbourne.

The Par 3s always seem the highlight, particurly the 17th where there is little room for error.

A very hilly course, playing Yarra Bend reguarly will keep you fit.(The walk between the 16th and 17th is the hardest)

32. chookbilly | Rated | 29 Dec 2005 | Add A Review

This course will have you thinking all day! Enjoyed every minute of my 4 and a half hour round. The course was in beautiful condition, the only letdown was my tee shot on the par 3 17th (choke!) I wouldn't recommend going right off the tee,... ended up taking 7 shots!!! ughh.

But seriously, if you havn't played this course, do yourself a favour, you won't regret it.

33. anrgw5458 | Rated | 15 Dec 2004 | Add A Review

Begining with the first tee Yarra Bend golf course eases all players into a challenging round. From that point on players will hit balls where fairways drop out of view towards the Yarra river and meet thin fairways where accuracy is demanded. The only break from creative thinking on this course comes at the fifth and thirteenth holes which all players should easily par. Every other hole attempts to goad players into using all their skills which makes for an excellent round of golf. That is until players reach sixteen, seventeen and eighteen which are unforgiving if mistakes are made. The finishing three holes won't let any player off easy, as the course tries to get a players game to reach a higher level. These final holes are there to challenge golfers to return and beat them. All things considered the finishing holes are not frightening, they just enhance Yarra Bends reputation as the best metropolitan course in Melbourne.

34. chickens | Rated | 14 Dec 2004 | Add A Review

I've played this course a couple of times this year, and it is indeed a very nice layout. There are some very good holes which far surpass typical public course standard (if it wasn't for the waful surrounds on the first - footy ovals left, and a big ugly blank spot behind the green backed by someone's back fence - this would be a good quality 18 holes, instead of 17).

One problem though - played a round in June, and the fairways were particularly boggy, especially through the back half.

Still, a good course, especially good for value.

35. ronrat | Rated | 13 Apr 2004 | Add A Review

Hard to get on but lovely course and a bat gallery that makes hooking a conservationist nightmare. Every hole is uniquely different and overseas visitors have raved at it's value for money. Must play if you are in Melbourne and can't wangle an invite to a famous sandbelt course.