I arrived at Pelican Waters on Queensland's Sunshine Coast to
play the course with preconceived ideas and thoughts. I agree one
should not do that but hearsay and others opinions can be an
influencing factor when considering which of the many course out
there to play. I had heard it was a tough unforgiving golf course
but by the time I had played it for the first time I had fallen
in love with the place.
Sure there is no denying it is tough, and perhaps at times
unforgiving, and if you are planning to play it off the back tees
be warned it may well eat your lunch. But that is why they
construct three, four and sometimes five tee blocks on these type
of courses. They adjust the degree of difficulty to suit your
level of skill. I have no sympathy for those who play a golf
course from the back tees and then complain how difficult it is.
The back tees on any course are really for the best players as
the strategies from there are built around their higher skill
level they display, not to mention the distance factor.
Pelican Waters boasts several holes that in my opinion are
absolutely world class and could hold their own on any golf
course anywhere and I will outline those in more detail later.
The original developers, the Henzell Group, had been active in
real estate and development in the Caloundra area for many years
and this area of land had been earmarked for a golf related
residential development for ten years or so before the project
commenced construction in the late 90's.
The developer had approached, and entertained, approaches from
several leading design companies but in the end Greg Norman was
chosen and he added further value to that selection by
introducing the Macquarie Bank / Medallist collaboration to
assist in financing the course and Troon Golf to manage the
operation. The course opened in November 2000.
Essentially there are two loops of nine, one heading north and
one south of the clubhouse with very few holes within sight of
another, in fact, there are only three occasions where holes
adjoin each other. This linear nature offers a large amount of
golf course frontage or views over water to golf, thus maximising
land value.
The course begins with a relatively generous par four. I say
relatively generous as it leads you gently into what follows.
Fairway bunkers guard the left side of the fairway but there is
plenty of room right although the further right you go the more
difficult the angle for the approach. But at 359 metres a
comfortable start.
The next few holes are spectacular and outstanding. The second
has all the ingredients of a beautifully designed golf hole. Not
long as the crow flies at 314 metres but if you are planning on
taking that straight line you had better hit it long and straight
in order to clear the water that skirts the right hand side.
That would leave a very short approach to a green with three
different levels. A more conservative approach from the tee
leaves an approach over a series of bunkers to a green angled
against you. One of those great short par fours that is fraught
with danger if you get it wrong but rewards are available for
those that get it right.
The third is a sweeping par five around a lake along the right
hand side separating real estate from golf with a "bite off
as much as you dare" type bunker along the right hand side
between the lake and the fairway. The hole then straightens out
until around 90 metres from the green where it sweeps back to the
right. At 500 metres it is reachable for the very long hitter but
there is danger all the way down the right half of the hole for
those getting too adventurous. The green is perhaps a little
narrow in the front half probably only ten paces across and
slopping down into the bunker either side so it may be that will
need some work. It is however a great looking risk reward / hole.
The fourth is a beautiful looking hole framed up magnificently
from the tee. The bunkers that frame the green are some thirty
metres short and so a little deceiving in terms of distance. The
back bunkers also provide visual appeal with a false front to the
green. From the back tees a long iron and from the middle just a
medium iron.
The fifth is one hell of a golf hole. Again not overly long at
349 metres from the back but bunkers guarding the right side
protect a line that will give you best access to the green. The
green is protected by a lake that crosses the fairway some 60
metres out and then skirts the left side of the green, so
anything short and left will find a watery grave.
There are many good holes on the course but I would also include
the par four 12th and par three 14th and par four 15th as others
that really took my eye.
The 12th is an almost reachable par 4 with a fairly generous
landing area for the tee shot the intrigue however comes with the
second shot and just where the flag is placed. Guarded by a huge
mound on the front right of the green the flag can actually be
tucked behind the mound which means that getting too close can be
a problem.
The par 3 14th is a beauty in fact my favourite par three on the
course. Only 160 metres from the back it is flanked all the way
down the left side by a huge bunker that actually runs down to
the lake alongside. In order to access the green and more
especially left hand flag positions the left hand trap must be
challenged. There is plenty of room to the right of the green but
that leaves an awkward approach through swales to save par.
The par four fifteenth is deceiving from the tee. It appears from
there to have no fairway to hit to but that is merely appearance
as landing area is more generous than that. It pays to be down
the right half here as it allows better access to a green guarded
in the front left by a large bunker the shoulder of which also
feeds down into the fairway ensuring that the second must be
carefully thought out.
The finishing hole could be very good but for a rather strangely
placed blackboy in the middle of the fairway in the landing area
for the average hitter. I'm never a fan of something that
small in the middle of the fairway as there is such an element of
luck as to whether you are in it or not. Otherwise a very strong
finishing hole with the best angle from the left half of the
fairway which requires a flirtation with the left hand fairway
trap.
The grasses used are Tifdwarf on the greens, Rileys on the
fairways, Santa Anna on the tees and a combination of grasses in
the roughs including Centipede and St Augustine.
Tifdwarf got the nod here ahead of 328 Tifgreen and whilst there
have been some settling in issues the greens when I played them
in February appear headed in the right direction. Tifdwarf is
capable of providing a quality putting surface and once
established will offer just that.
The Rileys grass (Australian variety of Bermuda) used on the
fairways was actually developed by the same gentleman who
developed the highly successful Greenless Park used so
extensively throughout Australia as a fairway grass. It offers a
year round quality playing surface and clearly copes with the
heat of the summer here with no problems.
As you would expect with a course that is managed by one of the
multi-national management companies (in this case Troon Golf) the
level of service is first class on arrival, during and at the
completion of your round.
The clubhouse is well designed and spacious and offers outdoor
and indoor casual and fine dining. A roomy well stocked pro shop
offers a wide range of clothing options. As is always the case
with this style of operation you are made to feel important as a
guest of the course.
The key issue that confronts Pelican Waters at present is to make
the golf course more user friendly for the average player and
below who will, of course, represent their greatest revenue
source. This is currently being undertaken and I am sure that
once a balance is found this course will be recognised as one of
the best in the land. Such measures will and must include the
reduction of rough in areas that will not come into play for the
good player and in a manner that will not unduly effect the
natural aesthetics of the landscape.
Even as it is now, Pelican Waters could rightly claim the title
of a great tournament course but tournaments will not played
there every day. It is potentially a course of the highest
quality capable of world wide acceptance and recognition.
The Clubhouse is surrounded by waterways and is indisputably the
best in the region. With an a la carte and buffet restaurant,
verandah and indoor bars, a sandstone fireplace and sitting room
and convenient concierge and baggage services, it is the place to
dine and unwind.
A new development adjacent to the course,
[url=www.vardonpoint.net.au]Vardon Point[/url], is now up and
running offering one, two, three, or four bedroom luxurious
apartments for short term serviced accommodation. And when I say
luxurious I mean just that. Spacious with quality furnishings and
all mod cons made it a pleasure to stay in and being within four
minutes walk from the clubhouse offered great views over the
first fairway and to the course and bushland beyond.
Located in beautiful Golden Beach, Pelican Waters is the ideal
place to getaway and play. Just an hour from Brisbane along the
Bruce Highway, and less than half an hour from world famous
Noosa, Pelican Waters is close to the renowned surf beaches and
shopping of the fabulous Sunshine Coast.
(4.0) | Add A Review
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20 Apr 2013
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09 Feb 2013
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21 Jan 2013
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07 Jan 2013
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02 Jan 2013
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19 Dec 2012
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16 Oct 2012
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06 Feb 2012
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02 Feb 2011
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1. lukaslinecker | Rated
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24 Apr 2013
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Add A Review
I rate this course. Accessible, reasonable price (when on special or at later tee times) and in good condition after weeks of rain. I take exception to a $2 credit card usage fee for any purchases in the Pro Shop (not sure inside the club – I wasn’t prepared to find out!). An $8 bucket of range balls would have a 20% surcharge. The RBA regulations are that credit card fees by merchants must reflect the reasonable cost (~1.9%) of offering the payment method. 15cents is appropriate. $2 is not.