1. Nicholstones | Rated | 02 Oct 2011 | Add A Review

A true quality championship course. The conditioning was great, the fairways and greens were in top condition. There are numerous fairway bunkers on the course, but all can be seen from the tee.

The greens are extremely large, some would be 50 metres long so from front to back could be 4 clubs different. A lot of the greens have severe slopes in the front, so you need to carry this to stay on. There are also many slopes and ridges through the greens that can give you interesting puts.

The layout is great and the holes are interesting and varied. There is a lot of water about, but most will only come into play if you are off line, so the design is a fair test of golf.

The usual cost is $135 including cart, but if you start after 2:30pm there is a special of $95 inlcuding cart. At the special price it is good value for the quality course you get. You will still get 18 holes in if you start just after 2:30pm as the course is relatively quiet most days. They only have 60 members so you can always get onto the course.

The course is a par 71 for both Men and Ladies with the ACR from the blues being 73 and the Ladies Rating 74.

We didn’t play the Mirage resort course, but looking at it from the road it did look very tired and the fairways looked rough even from a distance. Given they also charge $95 it makes Sea Temple look good value.

2. PBpunter | Rated | 19 Aug 2011 | Add A Review

Played this course on 4 August. It’s genuine top-flight resort course design and quality and worth a round for sure. I didn’t play the Mirage but from the road it looks like everyone says – absolute neglected rubbish.

As for Sea Temple, by top-class resort course I mean it’s generally very well groomed and the design is quite strategic, although very beatable if you think a bit and play sensibly. It’s also pretty forgiving – rough for instance is often hard to distinguish from fairway. I think that’s actually the secret to resort course design – make it look imposing and beautiful but really not all that hard, so that everyone thinks they’ve shot the lights out, enjoys the day and wants to come back!

Designers (TW&P) would have been challenged by the flat land so it’s not as dramatic (or long) as a Moonah Links for example, but they’ve done well including many of their signature features like very strategic fairway bunkering and massive undulating greens (although generally pretty flat within 12 feet of the hole).

I don’t agree with the comment that the course loses something after the 11th – I think it has quality and variety throughout with some of the toughest holes on the run home.

As far as negatives go, price is one – $135 for 18 holes for a non-Sea Temple guest which includes a basic cart (no GPS). This compares to my most recent resort course experience which was $130 for an unlimited day at Barnbougle – no cart but the course has the length of the straight on this one (which says more about Barnbougle’s greatness). Anyway, everything is expensive in Port Douglas so this was no particular surprise.

Another complaint is the little map on the scorecard (and tee signs) is highly inaccurate regarding the location of hazards. I don’t know if there’s a proper yardage book available but those maps are to be completely ignored. Best to use your cart to have a spin up some of the holes if you can before teeing off (it was very quiet when I played so could do this).

There were a couple of rough patches on a couple of greens but overall the condition was pretty good as I’ve said.

Overall a very enjoyable experience. Not the sort of course you feel you have to play every day of your holiday – once was enough for me at that price – but definitely worth a go and I will be back.

PROS

• Design (esp bunkering and greens)
• Condition

Cons

• Price
• Depiction of hazards on map

Also Liked

• Barnbougle Dunes
• Moonah Links (Open)
• Links Hope Island
• Noosa Springs
• Pacific Harbour Golf Club
• The Heritage Golf & Country Club (St John)
• National Golf Club (Old)
• Royal Melbourne Golf Club (Composite)
• Commonwealth Golf Club

3. Freakazilla | Rated | 29 Nov 2010 | Add A Review

Checked out this course whilst on a trip up to Port Douglas with a mate, and we had a ball. The course was in great condition considering the heavy rain the days prior, and the staff were more then helpful. The greens are well maintained and the course itself is a good challenge for casual golfers such as ourselves. Recommend this to anybody in the area.

4. wizardzofoz | Rated | 13 Nov 2010 | Add A Review

Visiting family in Port Douglas for a few weeks, and have been playing Sea Temple COuntry Club almost everyday.

Beautifully kept course, nice and quiet off-season, and their off-season rates of approx. $70 with cart is great considering the environment.

The staff are friendly and attentive enough, although not to the standard I am used to living in Los Angeles, but this is to be found throughout Australia.

I would recommend anyone in the northern Queensland area to definitely play the Sea Temple Course, and until the Sheraton Mirage Golf Course is renovated and brought up to some kind of playability, stay away from that one and play another round at Sea Temple.

5. golferman68 | Rated | 25 Apr 2010 | Add A Review

A very enjoyable place to play golf. Holes 1 to 11 are the pick in my opinion. The rest of the course has a bit of up and back sameness to it. Couldn’t really fault the condition.

6. brisbanedrive | Rated | 17 Nov 2009 | Add A Review

Great course, one of the very best I have played! This course is a true test of golf, especially when the wind is blowing. The course is well bunkered with a fair amount of water as well. The fairways are generous, but the greens are large, well bunkered and have many undulations, making them hard to read, although they rolled true. The design is well thought out with variations in holes and there are some risk/reward holes.

The conditioning is ammaculate, and the staff could not have been more helpful. Would love to play here again.

PROS

• Great Bunkering
• Immaculate Conditioning
• Impressive Greens
• Good Design
• Friendly Staff

Also Liked

• The Glades Golf Club
• Brookwater Golf & Country Club
• Bonville International Golf Resort
• Hyatt Regency Coolum
• The Vines Resort & Country Club (The Lakes)

7. stuartmac75 | Rated | 30 Oct 2009 | Add A Review

Great golf course stunning. Plays a lot like a Scottish links course which is mind blowing in the tropics ! Greens are really good. If I could afford it and put up with the hour drive each way would be a member here.

Also Liked

• The Ailsa Course at the Westin Turnberry Resort
• Secret Harbour Golf Links
• Cairns Golf Club
• Paradise Palms Golf Course

8. kizza | Rated | 11 Jul 2009 | Add A Review

Played it last week, course presentation was immaculate, only criticism being the greens were relatively slow. Staff friendly and helpful with good warnings about the two resident Crocs. $130 for the round with cart demands an excellent experience which it is able to provide. Well worth the $$$.

9. HoInWan | Rated | 19 Apr 2009 | Add A Review

This is a great looking course and suits all standards of golfers…i would say it would be one of they few courses worth plaing $100 to play…a must if in the area

10. mooseca | Rated | 19 May 2008 | Add A Review

do yourself a favour and play this great layout. There’s trouble but there is alos plenty of space – well worth the effort

11. dannylee | Rated | 22 Jan 2008 | Add A Review

After playing this great course 6 times in the past year the recent work to improve some of the greens is a huge bonus. Sea Temple plays as a championship course should with great bunkering and much on offer to the hacker and the low marker. With summers heat and humidity to test you physically this course is a must.

12. RABBITSFOR08 | Rated | 13 Jan 2008 | Add A Review

Excellent course, well maintained, deserves being in the top 100 in Australia. Great staff, very helpful.

Being from south, and playing Saturday comp here in December was very hard, make sure you stock up on the water.

Excellent course, by far the best I’ve played.

Also Liked

• Paradise Palms Golf Course
• Mirage Country Club

13. Blackers | Rated | 09 Jan 2008 | Add A Review

Great course. Quite hard for those of us with a 20+ handy cap but the course is in such good condition that that the occasional ball lost in the water (on every hole) is forgotten.

PROS

• Impecciable condition

Cons

• For high handy caps its quite challanging (take plenty of balls to donate to the crocs)

Also Liked

• Avondale Golf Club
• The Australian Golf Club

14. brownie19 | Rated | 30 Nov 2006 | Add A Review

Played the Sea Temple Golf Course (formerly Links) in Nov 2006. As I was a guest of the sea temple hotel across the road the green fees were only $77 with cart.

The course is extremely well maintained, with fantastic fairways and greens. In fact they were the best greens I've ever played on with some serious slopping and contours making putts quite difficult.

Good attention to detail with the cart full of tees and an esky filled with ice.

I would definately play here again if back in Port Douglas.

15. angelopetr | Rated | 25 Apr 2006 | Add A Review

My buddy and I are club golfers (every weekend)and we play off 25 & 13. When we get away, we try to only play courses that require you to sit back, take it all in and then pull out the right club to do the job. This course is just that. Its tight off many tees, in terms of landing spots and has great variety with some very interseting par 3`s. The fairways were lush and the greens firm and true. The only two complaints we had were the fees ( we played 3 times in that week, and did not get a discount - we asked before our first game). Secondly, the practice putting green was a totally differant surface to the course!!

The staff and the pro were brilliant - very helpful.

16. wundy88 | Rated | 18 Nov 2004 | Add A Review

After 4 rounds I finally had some idea where I was and where the water was.

I would have appreciated a map like that available at St Andrews that describes the terrain you cannot see and also indicates the slope of the greens. Some of the greens are fiendish for the tourist

Tourists are not going to have a good experience here if they are there for only one day and are without a map.

The staff are top class and the locale is beautiful.

17. tommo2 | Rated | 20 Sep 2004 | Add A Review

Maybe I shouldn't have listened to my playing partners but as a 20odd handicapper, not being able to see shot after shot where the ball ended up was a bit off-puting. We hackers need encouragement after we hit a reasonable shot not a walk over the hill then find out...oops!

Coming from the Dry west, fairway bunkers aren't much of a big deal but one of the small pleasures of golf is to watch your ball roll along the green stuff after a good whack.

Obviously not my style of course yet I can see the challenge for the serious low handicapper. Hey! I thought links golf meant no water. Losing balls in the H2O plus next weeks rent money to play makes this course a blue moon occasion for me.

Still lots of greenery and good company adds half a star.

The Relic.

18. xaarxaar | Rated | 11 Jun 2004 | Add A Review

The previous reviewers have got this course just right. The many fairway bunkers certainly add feature to this otherwise flat course but they're easy to avoid and even off the back tees the course offers less challenges than most resort style courses. The lack of definition means that to a visitor, hitting driver off the tee is mostly guesswork.

I found the people and the clubhouse/practice facilities to be excellent, but like other reviewers thought that the course, especially the fairways, just wasn't in good enough condition to warrant a $100+ green fee.

19. tigertee | Rated | 09 Apr 2004 | Add A Review

A new course in FNQ, I had been looking forward to this round for months. Played it virtually off the blue pegs at 6125m, unfortunatley it didn't float my boat.

3 main gripes; hole definition, mounding and greens.

Hole definition: Standing on a few of the tees it was tough to get a reasonable idea of where the hole was going. "Remember this is from a visiting tourists perspective not someone who will/has learn/t it like a member"

Mounding: Just over the top with the mounds, both quantity and size. I think it was the 13th, all it needs is a wind mill on top of the mound to turn it in to crazy golf. It requires an almost impossibly positioned tee shot to see the green when playing the second shot!

Greens: Very hard "brittle" coverage plus patches of bare dirt. For the sorts of dollars they ask I expect to get a course in an appropriate conditon. If your product is not up to scratch you can't expect to charge top dollar and have happy customers.

Having said the above the fairway and green surround coverage was great, so many other courses have trouble in managing grass coverage on mounds, they could learn a lesson here.

Staff were excellent and couldn't do enough for you.

Couldn't understand why the practice fairway was positioned so close to the first hole. Saw a few people on the first nearly hit, when we teed off there were almost a dozen balls on the fairway.

20. long | Rated | 14 Jan 2004 | Add A Review

I agree with peanuts this person described this golf course to a tee, although I will say this when she blows watch out 11th hole where most hit 8 or nine iron can turn to a 2 iron very quickly.

Service of all staff very professional, nice surroundings, nice clubhouse exspecially right on sunset looking towards the tablelands down towards cairns, makes for a enjoyable afternoon.

Course 7/10

21. | Rated | 30 Dec 2003 | Add A Review

Sometimes you play a course and you really can't make up your mind. I played it three times in a week and I was no surer after the thrid round than I was after the first.

I grew up on bent greens, so the Bermuda frustrated me each day, but the sheer size of the greens can be blamed for part of my problem.

There are plenty of hazards on the course, some are designed and some have been living there for millions of years (crocs - I didn't see any but the plentiful signs suggested they could be). Carts are compulsory and that's not just to keep the holiday golfers moving on a busy day...

I have to say that if you avoid the fairway bunkers it's not a tough course from tee to green, and for those who play Bermuda greens well I think you could shoot quite low. There is some length, but the lack of real rough and the relatively infrequent interspersing of water hazard into driving areas enables most holes to be attacked.

One of my favourite holes was the par 3 sixth, which is 190m from the back tee, with water back, right and front left, and bunker left. Quite a large green but the club selection in the tropical breeze was so important.

An enjoyable hole on the back nine was the par 4 thirteenth, which was not overly tough at 360m, but carried a risk/reward shot. The conservative line was left of a large mound that protected the green, but that line flirted with rainforest on the left and intermittent fairway bunkers. Driving at the mound was relatively free of hazard, but left a short and blind approach over the mound from a lie not as good as the fairway would be. The green was quite undulating, just to add to the challenge.

I enjoyed most holes but felt there was something missing from them. It may have been the untidy water hazard surrounds, the fact the housing lots around the course are just bare strips of land (thus reducing the aesthetic appeal), or it may have been the relatively low growth of the rough (and so there was little contrast from the fairway). Perhaps these things will improve with time.

Like good resorts the drinks cart was around regularly (although only after 9.30am), and the clubhouse is a good spot for a post-round drink.

A fairly expensive golfing experience which I may do again, but perhaps not until the course has been able to grow a little.