Clare Golf Club
Classic Country, SA | User Rating: 
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The Clare Golf Club was founded in 1908 and is one of the oldest golf clubs in South Australia. The first course covered land now occupied by Lake Inchiquin and the Housing Trust Estate. Some of the holes used then still exist as part of the present course layout. The first clubhouse was located across the road from the hospital, which was probably no accident as the story is that two keen golfing doctors were instrumental in the early growth of the club.
The Golf Club became inactive from the period just prior to the second World War until 1957. In the intervening period a number of small clubs had developed in the surrounding towns of Watervale, Blyth and Farrell Flat. In 1958 the Clare Golf Club was revived with a new course being laid out around the old racecourse and showgrounds south of Clare. Twenty years later, in 1978 the club purchased its current site which included some of the land that made up the original course.
In 1990, greens were installed and in 1991 were used for the first time for the Club Championships. Clare Golf Club’s greens and course is now well recognized as one of the best country courses in the state. In 1994 the adjacent Clare Country Club was opened and has proven to be an asset for the club by attracting golfers from all around South Australia as well as visitors from interstate and overseas.
The course plays 5897 metres (Mens) and 5235 (Ladies). Par is 72 and the A.C.R. is 69.7. The lowest official score by both an amateur and a professional is 71. Whilst the course has a number of highly memorable holes, the one remembered vividly by most who play it is the par 3 seventh. Perched sixty metres above the green it provides not only a highly interesting challenge but a superb panoramic view as well.
The Clare Golf Club is very proud of the facilities that it provides its members, largely created by the hard work and dedication of volunteers.
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18 Mar 2011
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13 Dec 2009
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1. q-tip | Rated
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14 Oct 2011
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Clare is located in the northern Mount Lofty Ranges and measures 5899m Par 72 with four par 3s ranging from 114-192m, ten par 4s ranging from 265-385m and four par 5s ranging from 445-493m.
Course has a mix of kikuyu/natural grass fairways with some winter rye grass patches on most fairways. The small-medium sized bent grass greens are smooth with good roll, but there are some greens that I’ll say are large by country standards. What is rather disappointing is that there is no sand bunkers on the course.
Layout is strange too, with the opening holes easy and straight but quite undulating with its topography. The 9th, 11th & 18th greens are near the clubhouse. There are about 10 holes where the flags are not visible from the tee mounds, but there are too many short par 4s here which makes it easy for the frequent golfers.
Highlights include: the 114m 7th (index 17) with a teebed about 30-40m ABOVE the green with a teeshot over the 15th ladies tee and a natural creek – club selection the key here to a good score; the short 311m straight 11th (index 10) with Lake Inchiquin on your right from the tee and OOB Country Club motel far right with 2-tier 30m long front-sloping green; the 480m 13th (index 8) which doglegs 45 degrees right from 240m off the tee with a natural creek along the left that crosses the fairway about 90m out from the green; the 347m slight dogleg left 15th (index 4) with the 5th hole’s steep dam embankment on the left – which appears to be GUR – to avoid as it is quite thick; the 375m 17th (index 2) which doglegs 60 degrees to the right from a blind teeshot which then plays downhill to the green from 150m out; and the 483m straight 18th (index 6) with a natural creek across the fairway 80-90m out from the green.
The course benefits from selling part of its land to the Council which built storage dams near the 5th and 6th holes. The course receives free water as a result of this exchange which is great for the summer months, as in winter the course is quite wet.
Clare is a major town with around 3200 people and the course is approximately 400m above sea level. Clare is one of 3 grass green courses north of the Adelaide plains to Port Augusta – the others being Balaklava and Burra – both are within 30 minutes from Clare.
Played here on the same day as I played Burra on 23/09/2011 with $30 green fees. Nothing special but the course’s hilly layout is part of its appeal and challenge.