1. q-tip | Rated | 21 Mar 2012 | Add A Review

Apart from buying shoes from the proshop, time for an update on the course itself…St Georges Basin now measures 5327m Par 70 from the black plates with five par 3s ranging from 115-215m, ten par 4s ranging from 268-396m and three par 5s ranging from 437-515m.

Course has kikuyu grass teebeds and fairways throughout its layout. The bent grass greens are fairly slow. The front nine greens are mostly medium-to-large sized with some up to 40m long at the 5th and double 1st/8th green. The back nine greens are much smaller in size than the front nine with a few tiny 5m long greens at the 12th and 18th. There is also another double green at the 10th/18th. The rear boundary fences of homes form OOB along one side of nearly every hole here as the linear layout runs near the town centre of Sanctuary Point.

Water hazards in the form 4 ponds at the 2nd, 4th, 5th & 6th greens and a drainage channel along the leftside of the 5th fairway are in general play. There are only 4 bunkerless holes (2nd, 12th, 13th & 17th) with a total of 26 bunkers on the course.

Signature hole has to be without doubt the 163m 2nd (index 6) with a teeshot over water to a wide but shallow bunkerless green with water only 5m from its front edge and if played into a westerly I guarantee this hole will challenge you.

Other highlights include: the 396m slight bend left 5th (index 5) with OOB homes far left of the drainage channel which lines the left rough to a massive 40m long green guarded left by 2 bunkers and right by a small pond; the 307m slight bend right 6th (index 10) which plays gently uphill to a green guarded by a bunker short right and a storage pond further right; and the 215m long par 3 slightly uphill 8th (index 2) has a long double green which is guarded by 3 bunkers.

The back nine holes begins with you crossing Waratah Crescent and is quite boring and uninspiring with similar length par 3s and 4s and a short par 5 until you reach the 16th tee.

The 16th and 17th are by far the most challenging holes on this side of the course…the 360m slight dogleg right 16th (index 1) requires a teeshot over a crest with tall gum trees lining the rightside and OOB homes further right. The right-sloping fairway is slightly downhill from the dogleg corner to a medium-sized green guarded by a bunker 10m short right. This is followed by the 352m straight but slightly uphill 17th (index 3) which requires a blind shot over the crest with OOB homes on the right from the tee to the tiny 5m x 5m bunkerless green.

The front nine has less tree-lined fairways than the back nine and appears to be more open-styled. The front nine is far more challenging and more bunkered and has water in general play on some holes.

Most par 4s here are short, straight with the flag visible from the tee and less than 320m in length. The front nine par 3s at the 2nd and 8th are the courses best attributes. The par 5s are quite benign and fairly straight forward to score well on.

Played here 18/03/2012 with $26 green fees. Less than 30 minutes south of Nowra off the Princes Highway. Nice layout for the beginners and less frequent golfers.

Call the proshop on (02) 4443 0836.

2. agakhan | Rated | 21 Feb 2012 | Add A Review

Enjoyed the game here, the pro shop is very friendly, ended up buying shoes which I had not planned at all.

3. justinm | Rated | 03 Nov 2005 | Add A Review

I played her last weekend but I didnít need half the clubs in my bag. The course is the shortest Iíve played, but it has some aspects that any golfer would enjoy. The fairways are lightly tree lined and the course if mainly flat. This resulted in a usually easy recovery of any stray shots. The front nine has several holes where the water comes into play. The 2nd is a par 3 with nothing but water between the tee and the green, which allows no room for leaving it short. The 4th is a downhill hole with the green on a small peninsular with water on 3 sides and a bunker partially blocking the approach, so you need to be very, very accurate.

The greens are generally in good condition and a number have tricky slopes to navigate but when I played they had not been shaved that so were pretty slow.

The Kangaroos make for a pretty sight and add to the experience of playing there. If youíre looking to compare it to another holiday destination course, itís slightly better than South West Rocks but not as good as Port Stephens. Overall any game of golf is better than being in the office and this course is enjoyable to play. Due to the short length, you should smash you handicap and make yourself feel pretty good so get out there. This is definitely worth check out.

4. jimandr | Rated | 09 Jun 2003 | Add A Review

It's a long way from Bonville, in distance and in quality, but golfers of all standards can enjoy a game at this course.

It's a short course by any measure at just over 5100 metres from the back tees. The par 5's are between 430 and 470 metres, and a few of the par 4's are under 300 metres in length. However, as is often the case in courses of this type, the challenge is in getting the ball in the hole, not just blasting away in the general direction of the green.

One interesting design feature is that the front nine runs roughly clockwise, with out of bounds on the left on most holes, then the back nine goes anti-clockwise, with out of bounds on the right.

The fairways are fairly narrow, and lined with a mixture of shrubs and large gum trees, so it's a 50/50 chance of a shot for your next if you stray from the short grass.

The greens are a challenge for the best of us. Some of the short holes have postage stamp size greens, and others are massive, usually with awkward swales and dual levels. The pin placements can make it an easy task or a very hard one. It's possible to putt the ball off the green without hitting a really bad putt (and some of us did!).

Frustratingly, the greens would hold a well-struck full shot, but 40 metre chipshots would slide off the back edge.

Best Holes: 2nd: A 160m par three from the back tee that is all water carry. No margin for error in front, so take two extra clubs to be sure.
4th: A great looking 280 metre par 4 downhill to a peninsula green, with water hard up against the green on three sides. With the pin 3 metres from the back edge (as it was when we played) it's much harder than it looks.

If you are having a bad day, the many kangaroos that make up the galleries look cute, and if it's a really bad day, the Country Club bar is right near the ninth green.

In summary, only an average country golf course, but one where you may walk off wondering why you didn't break your handicap.

5. Mark Barden | Rated | 12 Dec 2002 | Add A Review

The sign says "Don't approach the Kangaroo's" and there are plenty to see on this surprising course.

The front nine is relatively flat with the 2nd hole, a 163m par 3 a feature. You have to carry water all the way and depending on the wind, it can be anything between an 9 iron to 3 wood.

The short par 4 4th is also a great hole at only 290m or so but your second shot requires great accuracy, especially if the pin is set at the back of the green. Water comes into play from 3 sides and again the wind direction will have a bearing on wether you make a 4 or an easy 6 or 7.

The back 9 is a little more undulating with fairway and greenside bunkering a feature.

The greens are superb and generally of a generous size except for the postage stamp sized 17th.

Considering the recent drought, the fairways are also in very good condition.

Although not overly long, the course requires good management to score well.