1. Slicer67 | Rated | 19 Jan 2012 | Add A Review

Was at the Frog the other day and saw some brochures on a Pro Am event being held at the Growling Frog on Thurs 23 Feb. It’s called the ’Governor’s Conservation Charity Golf Pro Am. The Governor of Victoria is playing in it and I am now hearing some ads on 3AW radio about it.

Thinking of having a round with some golf pros and registering for this event. Anyone else heard of this event and thinking of getting involved?

2. woahwoah | Rated | 04 Dec 2011 | Add A Review

Played there yesterday (3/12/2011). Great weather, and sightly windy (by Growling Frog standards :-)
Fairways and greens were impeccable, and third cut of rough was brutal, as usual.
Word of advice, give yourself plenty of time to get there, roadworks on Plenty Road will add 20 to 30 min to your travel time… but it’s worth it.

PROS

• Course in great condition, tough course

Cons

• If you're not on the fairway, this course is VERY humbling

3. SKOOOTA | Rated | 26 Oct 2011 | Add A Review

Played the Frog on the Sunday the 23rd for the first time and was blown away. Have experienced Links type course’s from down the coast playing The Dunes, but this course was a deceptive little toad. Amazing green wide and forgiving Fairways but once you get into the 3rd Cut Forget about finding your ball. My round partner lost close to 8 balls for the day including the new set of 3 Nike balls that just cost him $20 a sleeve.

I managed to calm down on the drives and loosen up by the 9th, if it wasn’t rolling into the cut it was in the fairway bunkers, Most of which caught all of my great drive over 200 meters. Started teeing off with the 3 wood and concentrated on playing straight, managed to crack my goal of being under the TON.

Great Venue and Service can see myself back there in Summer.

No Bogs or mud

4. GeorgeT | Rated | 18 Oct 2011 | Add A Review

you can all do yourselves a favour and get out there. played last friday and it was immaculate.

5. sicunt | Rated | 02 Sep 2011 | Add A Review

to the tool who wrote about the course being a (bog) your prob just a dud anyway, unfortunately the course does suffer during the winter but always makes up for in the warmer weather, the carts cant go out because they destroy the fairways and because of golfers not doing the right thing its not worth the risk. i was there today 2/9/2010 and the fairways are greening up and the greens are great and they are nice and quick, its looking to be great months ahead of golf! Always a Pleasure playing the Growling Frog Golf course.

PROS

• The ground staff and the job they do Maintaining the Golf course especially the bunkers

Cons

• Golfers who dont respect the Rules & Regulations of the golf course

6. Casualgolfer | Rated | 15 Aug 2011 | Add A Review

I have a farming property in the vicinity of the golf course and I can assure the previous poster that there has been plenty of rain over the past few weeks. The course is in pretty good condition for this time of the year and the greens are excellent. I have played quite a few private courses on the clay over in the northern and western suburbs over the past few months and have found The Frog in similar condition. This is a very enjoyable public golf course to play, always enjoy the walk in the fresh air without car traffic noise and houses overlooking the course.

7. GPJ_Longdriver | Rated | 15 Aug 2011 | Add A Review

Played the Frog again on Saturday in mild sunny / overcast conditions. The course hasn’t seen any decent rain (nor Melbourne for that matter) for a good couple of weeks at least …….. but the course was a bog.

According to the blurb above …….

"The first golf course in Victoria designed by golfing legend and master golf course architect Graham Marsh, the Growling Frog Golf Course is poised to take its place as one of Australia’s premier public access golf courses" ……… I don’t think so, as six months of the year it’s just a swamp.

"The superbly crafted 18 hole Par 72, 6200 metre layout will appeal to golfers seeking a different playing experience to Melbourne’s traditional sandbelt courses." ……. I agree wholeheartedly with that statement, GF is the antithesis of what the sandbelt is like, pristine, firm and lush fairways….. none of that can be found at the Frog.

"The Growling Frog presents a rare opportunity to experience a level of quality and facility that you expect at Victoria’s best private clubs" ……….

Yeah right!! In the immortal words of Darryl Kerrigan ….. Tell him he’s dreaming!!! If any private course served up the course conditions that GF does ….. then there would be a members revolt and the course superintendant would be found swinging from the front fence ….. right next to the designer.

GF is nothing more than a bog sitting on a base of clay and mud, with the merest skerrick of grass in between. I have no idea what they’re thinking, as they shave the fairways closer than you would shave if you had a date with Angelina …… so you hit off bare mushy lies all day long.

What was Marsh thinking???

The course design itself is good although its not outstanding, but it is wasted on that block of land. Perhaps instead he should have just trotted out any old design and tossed it to the owners. He obviously didn’t take into account the fact that water doesn’t run off, or even sink through it, it just sits there …. perhaps it was just a quick grab for cash by the designer who knows, but surely how a course handles water should be pretty high on the agenda given that playing year round is the only way to make money in such a highly competitive industry for the leisure dollar.

Sadly, the course is in shocking nick, as my last visit was in May (see my previous course review), and things were bad then. I was also very generous in my review at the time looking back …….

What Marsh should have done instead on this site, was to build one nice pristine tee box, furnished it with the best grass available, and then in a straight line some 6 kilometres away, built a lovely firm green complex. In between he should have just run a plough through the whole effin field and be done with it. Oh, come to think of it ….. I think he did.

Anyway, in summary …… I loved the place. Its a big boggy marshland out in the middle of nowhere …… and one that after I play in the next OOM out there …… I am removing immediately and permanently from my golf GPS.

8. GPJ_Longdriver | Rated | 30 May 2011 | Add A Review

Played on Friday with my fellow ISG’ers Mick and JRG. The day started with a call from the clubhouse to inform me that the course curator had decided to ban carts for the day as it was "wet".

First impressions of the course itself, a very picturesque layout as viewed from the elevated, well appointed clubhouse. On starting the round with a semi blind tee shot up hill on the first, it was indeed wet underfoot. For 10 in the morning it was also still chilly with the odd bit of drizzle in the air to keep us company. We got the free "course guide" to take with us, and this indeed came in handy, as on a few of the holes you are hitting up over ridges, etc.

The Graham Marsh designed course is very similar to Eynesbusy in style (that too is a Marsh design) with the odd large gum tree, and fairly wide smooth fairways being most apparent.

The course through did suffer due to recent rains, so there was no roll on the fairway, more just drop and stop. For a links based course, I was surprised by the flatness of the actual fairways. Most links courses seem to have endless ridges that you traverse over on your way towards the green, whereas "The Frog" limited these much more than most. This may be a factor in making the course slightly easier, or less wearing on the golfer, but the lack of sloping on the fairways also does not allow for water to run off quickly enough on the clay based course. In late May the course is already under threat of going under water, and this less than ideal course conditioning may well lessen the appeal of the course to potential visitors, as winter sets in for real.

The bunker placement on the course however was well thought out, and gave pause on the tee a few times as to which club to use.

The Par 3’s (4 of them) range from 135 up to 188 metres, and are all great holes, with tight bunkering and offer multiple pin placements.

The Par 5’s (4 of them) range from 482 to 511 metres offer a good chance to let em rip, and if you get them away well off the tee, tempt you into going for it in 2 . which is always a good thing.

There are six Par 4’s under 350 metres so if you can get your driver away well (or even a 3W / Hybrid) it’s then followed by a wedge shot into the green. This can be a good or bad thing. So long as you hit them straight off the tee, and then your 100 metre in shots are good, you’ll score well around here particularly on the par 4’s.

The greens themselves are well thought out. Most have either different levels, or slope in at least one direction. Many a time on hitting the wrong part of the green you are faced with a putt breaking in two directions over the journey. Due to the green’s well thought out designs, there are a variety of pin placements for them to choose from, from easy to hard, to open open positions to tucked away behind bunkers. The speed of the greens is consistent and they roll where you expect them to go . just make sure you can pick the line before you hit them.

By the 16th fairway I realised that I had already used every club in my bag, and this to me, is a sign of a very good golf course. True, I’d used a couple of those clubs off the tee, (which I wouldn’t do again next time I play there), but the fact that your whole game gets tested is to me, the best measure of a golf course’s design, and it’s worth. There is nothing worse after a round when you look back and realise you’ve only used 8 or 9 clubs from your bag.

Much has been made of the length of the course (and distance between holes etc) by previous reviewer’s. I found it no trouble in walking the course, and would probably never use a cart on it.

In summing up ……. it is a very good course, well designed in hole layout, visually very appealing, and it will offer a challenge to most golfers. It’s just a shame that it will suffer badly during the winter months.

That said I’d do the long drive out to the Frog again ….. but only in summer when the course would be really great to play.

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9. TheDivotMaker | Rated | 19 Jan 2011 | Add A Review

Played in early Jan 2011 for the first time in about two years. Last time I played it was pretty dry (understandable due to the drought and all), but this time around it was in such great condition. The fairways were like carpet and the greens were beautiful.
The wind was really blowing, more so than usual, but thats part of the charm of the place. It worked both for and against me on different holes.

Its not really a course for beginning players or players who are regularly wayward as the rough is really rough. Any balls that end up in the rough are as good as gone. My playing partner lost 15 balls over 18 holes. Also makes the course run a little slowly as people spend more time needing to search for balls.

If you’re not prepared to play in windy conditions, don’t bother coming to play here becuase its always windy.

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10. stinger81 | Rated | 14 Dec 2010 | Add A Review

Played here today and I must say this course was fantastic. The fairways were like carpet and the layout was very good. There were bunkers everywhere which added to the scenery. The good thing was that the bunkers were very sandy and fair to play off, as opposed to the usual crap bunkers courses tend to have.
The course has a nice layout with dog legs everywhere aswell as being quite hilly. The course is long and I would recommend hiring a cart to potential players. Also the club house is very nice, it overlooks the fantastic looking course. Aswell as the pro shop being one of the better course pro shops I have seen.
Only fault with this course is that if you missed the fairways by about 5-10 metres you are in knee deep rough. Add this with the potential snakes in the bushes adds up to players losing a few balls for the day

PROS

• Fantastic layout
• Fairways and greens were immaculate
• Very easy on the eye
• Bunkers have been the best I have seen as far as sand coverage and playability goes

Cons

• Its in the middle of no where
• The Hungry Jacks on the way up is impossible to get out of

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11. Joe123 | Rated | 17 Jun 2010 | Add A Review

What an overrated course, flat, poor drainage, cigarette butts on the Tee’s, over priced for what its worth and having to put up with the hoons getting there and going home. Never again.

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12. Dan_Geroos | Rated | 07 Apr 2010 | Add A Review

Played here on Easter Monday. Despite not having booked the shop staff got me on the tee within 15 mins of arriving. Good work! Course is tricky, with lots of bunkers and hard fairways and quick greens. The rough was patchy and rubbish, but I wasn’t meant to be in there anyway so that can be overlooked. On the pluses, it was easy to find my ball when I was in the rough. Overall, an enjoyable course. Having played a number of really rubbish courses recently Growling Frog was a breath of fresh air. I shall be back.

PROS

• A good course with plenty of challenge
• $25 after 2pm weekdays is a bargain
• Good course layout
• Good, quick greens

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13. horner34 | Rated | 14 Mar 2010 | Add A Review

Played here Saturday.

Nice course layout, but if you miss fairways you are hitting off rubbish.

Make sure you have your chip and run going because the the grass is that low and ground’s so hard that you wont get under the ball to keep it in on the green.

Got stuck behind two very slow groups that would not let us through. abit over 2.5hrs front so we rushed to get in front of groups to play back 9 expecting drinks cart but never saw them. But that’s what you get on saturday public course, would just liked a bit more marshaling.

Very pleasant setting
Greens were very good
Some really fun holes
But most holes OK

Would like to see at least the first cut rough with even grass cover instead of clumps and weeds, but this is Melbourne.

Definitely not a goat track

14. Sturmmann | Rated | 19 Feb 2010 | Add A Review

Fantastic golf course, played here around a dozen times in the last 3 months & can not get enough of the place.

Despite the ridiculous comment previous fool complaining about not having a drinks cart or a 5 hour round on AUSTRALIA DAY, it is a great course. What would you expect from Australia Day… ITS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY.

And people are allowed to procreate..

15. notenoghtime | Rated | 01 Feb 2010 | Add A Review

Played the poor cousin to Eynesbury on Australia Day.
Was very dissapointed by the slow play and lack of supervision from the pro shop. A 5 hour round of golf is not fun. Will not be back in a hurry after not seeing the drinks cart at all on the back 9.

Cons

• 5 hour rounds

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16. seano24 | Rated | 18 Jan 2010 | Add A Review

This place is AWESOME!!! You’re challenged to chose you tee-off club wisely. Huge rewards for trying to clear cleverly placed bunkers but this is a very big risk on most holes. Add an extra 50m to your normal drive and look to hit 20m before the green because it will roll a long way! The bunkers here are carefully placed and challenging. Greens are beautiful and true while the tees are pristine.

17. soorie | Rated | 11 Dec 2009 | Add A Review

I have played a handfull of private courses around melbourne in the past year and the this course definantly rates up there with the best. The course has an awesome feel surrounded by rolling hills and plenty of wildlife. It challenges you to play "real" golf, not just hit and hope and rewards a clever strategy. The greens are the best i have played on and the fairways are always great to hit off. The holes themselves are easy on the eye and present a hard but welcome challenge,especially when the wind blows. I will definantly become a regular here and highly recommend.

18. Sturmmann | Rated | 23 Nov 2009 | Add A Review

The course is a delight, even after the deluge of rain we have received, the course was still a delight to play.

Tee boxes are flat (thats a first for me), fairways are just beautiful & the greens are like carpet, and some are quite tricky also.

It has the "private club" feel to the course, just a delight to play.

10/10 for me.

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19. smokey | Rated | 14 Jul 2009 | Add A Review

Played 18 holes yesterday and really enjoyed the course. Very difficult for a novice player and it was very windy to boot! The fairways were quick as all hell which played well with my partner who keeps them low and ran along the group however if you got under the ball, it was at the mercy of the gods.

Greens were quick but fairly consistent so it wasn’t an issue. The wind did make it difficult, as it was blowing so hard it’d change the direction of the ball while putting.

Overall the landscape and layout is fantastic, loaded with bunkers so you had to really make sure of your approach shots

PROS

• Nice open landscape and little to no difficult rough to find wayward balls
• quick fairways and consistant greens

Cons

• Very windy

20. happytoshoot90 | Rated | 07 Jul 2009 | Add A Review

Already reviewed below, played again today, still an awesome course. Just a friendly warning to give it a few days after steady rain, played today and was extremely waterlogged in some parts.

21. biffnar | Rated | 18 May 2009 | Add A Review

For a public course and $32 green fee midweek, there should be no complaints from anyone. Each hole makes you think both off the tee and into the greens. It has the competition beat for miles in that market and a smart move by the developers given the population spike in Mernda. I would be happy to play here again, structure & layout is great, with variety. Barren surruounds detract, it can be a little lifeless.

Hole 4, 9, 10, 16, 18 are standouts. The only criticism is the 4th hole, your drive is not really rewardrd unless you hit to the far left of the hole and go over the bunkers on the left. Nonetheless, its something different with the tree obstructing your second shot.

Also, rough is an issue, i guess it may take time to grow out, is that the plan? Perhaps placing more rocks similar to the 16th hole around the course may improve the atmosphere.

Overall, an enjoyable golfing experience.

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

Played for 1st time on Friday and could not be more impressed. Absolutely sensational course, fairways, tees and greens are all PGA standard in terms of condition, the course makes you think, is long and the undulation on the greens would provide a stern challenge for Tiger himself! The clubhouse is fantastic, the bunkers are the best I’ve ever hit out of (and with about 100 on course hard to miss!). My only advice, stay away if you’re a bad slicer/hooker, you need to stay straight at the Frog, fairways don’t run parallel so you can’t hit up an adjacent fairway if you slice off the tee, you will be hitting of a rock hard surface – if you find your ball at all that is. But all in all, one of the very best going around, and for $32 on a weekday – brilliant. Nice and quiet too.

23. Casualgolfer | Rated | 21 Apr 2009 | Add A Review

I note a comment re slow play on Easter Monday, I also played that day and understand that early play was held up due to fog and this impacted on the day’s field.

Field moved well for me.

A 5 hours afternoon round on a public holiday at a public golf course is not too bad when many private golf courses take 4.45 for monthly medal competitions where members are familiar with course conditions. Suggest play earlier in the day and the rounds are quite fast.

My experience is that the course marshall is always courteous and active in ensuring a reasonable pace of play.
Greens, tees and fairways in excellent condition. Love the views and kangaroos, really does make for an enjoyable day. Great to play a course without houses all around the boundaries.
This golf course is a gem and one of the best public golf courses in Victoria. A great golf course. Green fees are much cheaper than many other public golf courses, very affordable.

24. looking4myball | Rated | 17 Apr 2009 | Add A Review

I played this course on Easter Sunday (being the holy person that I am) It was dead, but it does not surprise me that this course would be super busy on a normal weekend.

I must admit the back 9 is the slow to get round due to excess walking between greens to tee and a mass about of bunkers.

Overall I enjoyed the golf and the afternoon sitting outsdie over looking such a beautiful looking course from the clubhouse and enjoying a beer.

Nice staff and a friendly atmosphere

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25. Gezza125 | Rated | 14 Apr 2009 | Add A Review

The ALL-TIME slowest front 9 I have ever played on any course anywhere. Tee off at 1.30pm. Got to the 2nd and had to wait 40+ minutes for 5 groups ahead. How do you get that jammed at the 2nd? A course marshall appeared and asked if there were any groups of 2 that could join up (which there were not) and then left. About as useful as tits on a bull! What ever happened to calling people on to the green on Par 3’s? That would have been a good start.

Made the turn at 4.40pm (3 hours 10 minutes for 9 Painful holes) 21 minutes per hole.

What went wrong, I say greed or bad planning to book too many in rather than just say no. Take even 3 groups out of that mix and we would have played an enjoyable round finishing by 5.15pm. Instead it was frustrating and completely spoiled a round. And people like me report the experience…

Multiple bunkers unraked, hackers crabbing their way from rough to rough. No REAL marshall on course.

We finished in almost complete darkness at 6.35. The only reason we got through the back as quickly as we did was groups ahead abandoning their round after nine or one of my group leaving at the 15th and heading home.

What a pity it was a reasonably well maintained course that made you think – despite the traffic. Really tough greens that punished inaccurate approaches.

If you go at all GO MID WEEK. There are WAY too many better options than this.

AVOID ON WEEKENDS AT ALL COST.

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26. Stinkler | Rated | 26 Mar 2009 | Add A Review

Ouch, had a hit there today. I’ve never hit the ball so well but damn those greens got me good. Is in good nick and a bit of wind makes it all the more challenging! Very quiet there too so a nice quick round.

27. slyne | Rated | 08 Feb 2009 | Add A Review

Worth every dollar.. beautiful links course. Very challenging, must be reasonably accurate with your shots. The course is in fantastic condition A1. Friendly staff and after a round of golf you can enjoy a nice relaxing drink in the clubhouse which is also a nice layout

PROS

• Green fairways
• fantastic greens
• awesome course in general

Cons

• 30km (if you dont like the drive)
• can be windy (weather can change quickly)

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28. fooozy13 | Rated | 27 Nov 2008 | Add A Review

Like any other links course its hard when the wind blows, im off 13 and would not recommend it for anyone over 20, as your score can blow out if you miss the fariways, long tough rough that you expect on a liks course but the wind was the killer. Beuatiful fairways and greens and a nice course but it’s tough

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

Good course and the weather/wind (tends to be southerly) always make it interesting when playing. Only criticism is that it tends to favour tee shots to the right hand side of the fairway to setup a better approach shot. Keen animal enthusiasts will enjoy the kangaroos.

30. The_Bogey_MAN | Rated | 11 Oct 2008 | Add A Review

Played here yesterday for a forth time, this course is comeing along nicely- i cant believe the amount of criticism it has recieved in previous posts. a very fair challenge, with great greens , good fairways and excellent bunkering. the rough can be dry and hard in some areas but hey, it hasnt rained in 10 years….Overall very good course, not great, YET !!!

31. thebighit | Rated | 13 Aug 2008 | Add A Review

played here about a month ago, to be brutally honest… overrated, not uncommon for your ball to land in piles of kangaroo droppings on some of the fairways which were at the time waterlogged similar to playing off mud in some parts, however, i still believe the growling frog to be the most unique public golf course in melbourne… if you can be bothered driving that far!

32. StewyGriffin | Rated | 06 Jun 2008 | Add A Review

In view this place as a o.k. PUBLIC COURSE, very windy, very dry, and a tad over rated. The rough is what it is ROUGH, no grass just dirt. Links courses are meant to be open and shot you down when in the rough but not this rough. Bunkers are as good as any where I’ve seen. Green are supper fast but not always true. And fairways are almost dead from the carts. Just a good public track.

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33. buzzer | Rated | 02 Jun 2008 | Add A Review

Played a round here on SAT (31st May). From the time you arrive at the course till you drop your clubs back in your boot.. you cannot fault a thing here !!

Lets start from ht begining… it is a Public Golf Course. Hence, for all the guys here that are complaining about how bad the service is & the setup is.. go have a look at your own Public Course first !!!. I am willing to challenge that you will not find a better Public Golf Course in Melbourne (Moonah Links isnt melbourne..).

The service…. FANTASTIC… from Wayne, to the ground staff, to the girl that works in the restaurant.. EXCELLENT !!!. Wehn we were there, the place was busy & we still got excellent service…7.30 am.

Lets get to the course… Graham Marsh design…. this course is laid out for every level of handicap player. If you are an over 20 HCP player, play each hole as an extra shot.. hence, please a Par 4 as a par 5, a par 3 as a par 4.. you get the idea!.

If you play sub 20… well this is the place to get your score.. keep it straight, use some thought on EVERY hole, and choose your shots sensibly.. and you cannot go wrong.

As on other contributor said.. bunkers are a plenty!.. however playing out of them an absolute treat! (yes i was there in a few).

Yes the course is long…if you cant walk.. get a cart.. if you can walk.. well shut up & walk !!.. be thankful you are not walking someplace like Cape Schanck or Moonah links… thats a tough walk !!

While you are there, enjoy the roos… the birds… we happened to be playing on a day that was 18 & fine!. Couldnt ask for better conditions.

The fairways are PERFECT!! The greens are TRUE… if it looks right.. it will roll right! The bunkers are excellent…. the rough was shrot.. & hence easier to play!!.

For $39 in a Public Course.. this one rates several times better than.. Waterford Valley & Kingston links (Both around $50 mark)

PROS

• Fairways, Greens, Bunkers, Service, Green Fee, Facilities... I can go on...

Cons

• For the guys living down south.. it is a bit of a drive... but worth it mate!

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34. Nick2397 | Rated | 24 May 2008 | Add A Review

Firstly I’d like to say to the poster “FJH”, that you have no idea of how difficult it is to get people to speed up on a busy day at a golf course. You can tell people to keep moving and catch up with the group in front, until you get black and blue in the face, but 95% of the time they ignore you and keep moving slowly. So I suggest you either put up or shut up in future.

As for the course, at the moment the fairways and greens are in A1 condition. The same can’t be said for the rough, due to the dry weather and idiots in carts driving through it. So if you’re looking for a public course in the northern suburbs Melbourne that has true greens and supurb fairways, look no further than the Frog!

35. rhyssole | Rated | 28 Mar 2008 | Add A Review

guy below me what are you talking about 50 minutes you must have got your ball lost a few times to take that long, it’s a great course and is a good deal better than the nearest club in yarrambat

36. FJH | Rated | 29 Jan 2008 | Add A Review

Took 50 Minutes to play 2 holes. 3.5 hrs for nine. Did’nt bother with the rest of the game. Course Marshall did nothing to speed things up. Just drove around then retreated to the club house for another donut. No mention of the potential slowness upon paying green fees. Absolute disgrace considering the back nine looked relatively free of players. That may have been because everyone was fed up after the excruciating length of front nine.

37. NWPGA | Rated | 23 Jan 2008 | Add A Review

played this course with our social group the previous 2 years and enjoyed it. Went to book it again this year and was instructed to email all information and they will get back to me. Terrible customer service and will take our 24 players to a course that actually listen over the phone and don’t place some junior to take calls and not complete sunday bookings. DISAPPOINTED!

38. Dave_1 | Rated | 14 Jan 2008 | Add A Review

Great course that has brains behind it, many holes have several ways of playing them, if your long off the tee the course plays ok as you get plenty of run on many elevated tees

You must hit it straight though as bunkers come into play on most holes, this course demands you be able to hit a draw and a fade (maybe on the one hole)

Its one of the best course I have played peroid – Low handicappers and high markers will enjoy it, I also didnt find the walk between holes that long (one or two were but no more than other courses)

very freindly staff also, very welcoming, will play it again when Im over there

39. scenicpeak | Rated | 12 Oct 2007 | Add A Review

1. It will take 5 hours to play. It’s a long course with a walk in between holes 2. It’s a new course so areas like the rough still need growing 3. It will always be windy. If you don’t like windy golf don’t go 4. It is interesting

40. Westholme05 | Rated | 09 Mar 2007 | Add A Review

Best course in melbourne by a long shot! You guys are obviously to used to your boring, short, dry city bound courses. A bit of fresh air, a good walk and a decent challenge will do you good! Hopefully even pull your belt in a notch or two!

No problem with the proshop either, if a group is slow they will come out with their carts and tell them to let everyone through.

Doesn’t worry me if you dont play there, the less the better!

41. wazzal | Rated | 08 Feb 2007 | Add A Review

The three things that come up again and again in the past reviews are:

              - Distance, both of the course and length between holes.
              

              - Weather, everyone seems to complain about it.
              

- Time, circa 5 hours.

My response is this

- Distance. If you can’t handle the heat get out of the kitchen, Most Melbourne courses are short for one of two reasons, first is space, its a city, not much space to spare when you cram in 3 million people. The second reason is time, over the ages the distance a person can hit a ball has increased quite a lot, when courses were designed 100, 75, 50 years ago a good drive and a good five iron would get you 320 metres, now you should make (depending on ability) almost 400 with well connected hits. A par 5 at Huntingdale had never be made in two until Greg Norman managed it with Driver, Driver. Bubba Watson did it in 2005 with Driver, 6 iron. Times are changing people.

Growling frog is designed the way golf was supposed to be played, thats to say, it should be a CHALLENGE. And in a 100 years it may just be concidered a ‘short ’ course. If you want to hit driver, pitching wedge on every par four then perhaps Royal Elsternwick should be your next stop.

- Weather, your playing in the boons and it’s a links course. Enough said.

- Time, while i’ve had a long round due to hackers slowing us down and not allowing groups to play through you can’t blame the pro-shop. They are marshalling the course now and i was lucky enough to see a group booted off out becasue they had been warned about slow play twice and nothing changed. Plus, you are playing a longer course with big walks in between holes and a lot of zigzagging (For me at especially), i think spending an extra 1/2 an hour or even 1 hour is quite acceptable on this course given the above. One reviewer nailed it, 5 hours work or 5 hours golf ?? Hhmmmm, Tricky !!!!!!!!!!!!

If this course was on the Sandbelt everyone would be clammering to play and all the 5 hour rounds and bad weather in the world would be ignored just to play ‘The Growling Frog’.

I give this course full marks. The only reason it gets 5 little blue dots is because 6 gigantic green dots isn’t available.

If you get the chance, play this course, its hard, challenging, your legs WILL hurt afterwards but when it’s all over you can sit outside overlooking the course with a cold drink and chomping down on a home made pastry of your choice…..what could be better?

42. rorypo | Rated | 31 Dec 2006 | Add A Review

Growling Frog achieves it goal of being a unique golf course blended into the natural local environment, but where it fails largely is in golfer satisfaction.

The course condition is quite good and there is a decent variety of challenging holes but the time to play a round is just ridiculous!!

I was in a group of 3 single figure golfers and the first nine holes took around 3 hrs in good conditions!!

I believe the pro-shop/management is resposible, they cram in as many tee times as possible in order to increase revenue, and with this come long long rounds.

The course is okay... but hardly worth the drive unless you like 6 hr rounds and playing in the dark!!

43. Irishb | Rated | 26 Nov 2006 | Add A Review

I am in agreement with the review below...sometimes people will search long and hard to highlight the negatives...but this course has very few!

We had the same experience of leaving a still Melbourne and arriving on course nearly being blown away...but hey, if you cant play golf in all weather...you aint a golfer!! The layout is extremely challenging...facing the par 5, the 11th or 12th I think, into a headwind is a scary experience!

Some very nice holes and the course was in immaculate condition. I would recommend this course primarily for 4-18ish handicappers, otherwise you WILL find it to be a long day! We got round in sub 5 hours with hardly any holdups on course at all.

We will be back!

44. Melbsouthpaw | Rated | 11 Oct 2006 | Add A Review

Gee - don't know why people whinge so much about this course.

Yes it is long (so get a cart if you can't walk long distances).

Yes it is windy (so adjust your game to compensate).

Yes it can be slowish (but would you rather spend 5 hours on the golf course or at work,etc...??).

On the positive side of things, the course is fantastic. The layout of the holes is challenging for a social golfer like me (& probably for >95% of golfers in general).

The condition of the course when I played was terrific. In my opinion, good value for money.

Highly recommended (certainly in front of Kingston Links for roughly the same money).

45. mabeyk | Rated | 02 Aug 2006 | Add A Review

Could Swampy have found a more open and unprotected piece of land to build a golf course on? I played, admittedly, in the middle of winter (late July 06) but leaving the CBD the weather was fine and a slight breeze was blowing. As I was getting out of the car at the course I found myself huddling over the boot to get the clubs out in near freezing conditions with a howling wind blowing up my trouser leg. These conditions didn't change for the whole round and from what I have heard they don't actually get much better in this area. The course in design was good but there was a lot not to like about its conditions, the bunkers looked like they hadn't seen a rake in a long time, the fairways hadn't seen rain for months and it didn't look like a single person in front of me had repaired their pitch mark. I suppose this is to be expected cause its a public joint but I still find it frustrating. The greens were still good to putt on despite the pitch marks and if you found a bunker that hadn't been desecrated then the sand was excellent. For the previous reviewer to say the 11th is a great hole is quite surprising as I thought it was terrible after I had laid up on to a strip of concrete they called fairway. As you can tell I wasn't overly impressed and the weather did play a big part of this but I won't be coming back in a hurry and it would have to be in the middle of a long hot and wet summer to get me back!

46. griffoman | Rated | 11 Jul 2006 | Add A Review

This is a great course and I am so sick of people whingeing about play times.

Yes it is a kilometre longer than most Melbourne courses and there is a walk between some holes but get a life. You are in the bush, there are kangaroos and cockatoos and ibis and 500 year old redgums... better than a bunch of planted crap closer to the city.

I play regularly and always make it round in less than 5 hours .. no different than the other long courses around such as Waterford, Kingston Links or Bundoora. In the past 6 months they have significantly improved the flow with marshalls circling, but you are never going to achieve perfection on a public course that is open to all comers and hacks.

I agree with earlier comments the holes could be better marked, as the light green signs on the tees are almost invisible. There could also be more rubbish bins for the bogans that insist on dumping their beer cans or chocolate bar wrappers all around the course - either that or snipers to take them out and do us all a favour.

Apart from that the tees are excellent, the fairways in great condition despite the drought, the greens are maturing nicely, and the bunkers are now signficantly better maintained... and you do get a drop where the kangaroos have rested!

My favourite remains the 11th with the green reachable in two for the very long and brave... but a double bogey or worse for anyone trapped in the 12 bunkers that surround and protect the 100 metres to the green.

And please please make sure you try one of the home made pies ..

Yes you will have tired legs, yes you will probably shoot 10 over your handicap and yes you will probably have wind rain sun and fog to contend with... but it's like great sex - you'll feel shattered but satisfied afterwards.

47. pauldavies | Rated | 01 Jun 2006 | Add A Review

This is an interesting and challenging golf course, BUT!! The distance between green and tee is often 250+ mts. 4 "good" (10 to 15 h'cap) golfers taking 5 hours + on foot mid-week is beyond sensible. The course may be 6200mts but add another 2500mts for the trek between holes. We'd probably play there again but only in carts.

Enough of the negatives. Greens are great and fairways in good nick, although they'd been watered when we played and were soggy in many places. Greenside bunkers are good, but sand needs fluffing up. Fairway bunkers contribute very little other than aesthetics. Generally they are flat and non-punitive. Don't even need to modify club selection if you collect one. Woods and long irons are a breeze out of them.

Good links feel about the place, but user friendly penalty free drop zones negates many of the real links type hazards. Great clubhouse with beautiful vista of the back nine. Great 19th hole.

48. sarboy | Rated | 15 May 2006 | Add A Review

Growling frog has a ok layout with many interesting holes and some that are not.

My main problem was with the rough. Their is no rough just dirt with some clumps of grass, that is cut shorter than the fairways.

For some reason this course just takes a long time to play. We were in carts with all players under 18 handicap and it still took over 5 hours.

Course needs to improve the rough before I will go back.

49. cunninga | Rated | 18 Apr 2006 | Add A Review

Played GF yesterday and it took an eternity, just over 5 hours. I know its a public course, but an odd marshall here and there should be a requirement.

Started 25 minutes late after being told by the pro that we were only 5 minutes late, so that was a good start.

It seems that tracksuit pants, tank tops, runners, compulsory no raking of bunkers, players hitting up and over front groups, and 6 or 7 players in one group is allowable.

Course is very very average from my perspective, starting from the blind first hole (Which holds up play straightaway) to rough which is non existant (Still playing preferred lies in the first cut, which is virtually all of the rough). Maybe in 10 years the course will be more enjoyable.

Word of warning, take no note of the course book, some measurements are completely wrong and all hazards are not marked. No wonder we got ours for free.

50. tigertee | Rated | 08 Apr 2006 | Add A Review

Played there again in March and it was a 5h 40m round of golf, as a result our group of approx 24 (mainly club golfers) will not be back.

It's a shame as we will be missing out on an enjoyable well maintained course that also has very good off-course facilities; but there are plenty of others to choose from. Each time we speak to the staff they advise we are trying but there is not much more we can do to speed it up. I hope those who are making so slow for everyone else keep coming back because you are losing sales by ignoring the feedback from those who want a reasonably paced round of golf.

51. tigertee | Rated | 12 Jan 2006 | Add A Review

Played there for the third time recently and still enjoy it. Friendly layout to suit most standards, hard to loose a ball. Course maintenance seems to be doing a good job as the standard hasn't slipped.

Pace of play is the problem! I know people who have walked off after 5 3/4 hours, our round took 5; guys you have gotta do something! By getting rid of the few slow ones out there you will attract and retain more business than you stand to loose. It is the only time I have seen a group of 3 and our four play through a group of two and quickly left them well behind. It is destroying what is otherwise an enjoyable day.

Restaurant is still great, very friendly, good variety and value, very popular with non-golfers too.

I will go back again, but if I have to wait minutes on every single shot again may have to pass-up on what is a very good package.

52. thegymp | Rated | 17 Oct 2005 | Add A Review

This is a great "public golf course" but unfortunatly it is getting a reputation for being too slow. I returned to Growling for the 1st time since December 04, with 13 friends, and while the course is still in great condition and a fantastic layout - it is too slow.

I was talking to a staff member and it became apparant that they are accepting of the 5hr+ rounds. In fact, this staff member spent a long time justifying it.

In their defence you would struggle to play this course in less than 4 1/4 hrs course and they have (unfortunatly) cut back the rough in an attempt to keep things moving. There was even a marshall on the course.

I will be back, as it is a great course with so many subtle variations, it just won't on a Saturday or Sunday !

53. dtralee | Rated | 16 Oct 2005 | Add A Review

After my third visit there and the third time a round has taken 5 and a half hours plus it is time to erase 'The Frog' off my golfing map. The course itself is a good test of golf, the holes varied without being spectacular and the greens will definitely test one's short game.But more testing is controlling one's patience and completing the round instead of walking off mid round after encountering the golfing equivalent of the south-eastern carpark.No round should take more than 4 and a half hours max, irrespective of whether you're playing good or bad. The tee times need to have a greater interval between groups and someone needs to actually monitor what is happening on the course and give the hurry up to those who need it.

54. mattgore | Rated | 30 Aug 2005 | Add A Review

Played last weekend and was able to secure a 9:30 am tee time on Saturday! Expected the course to closed to the public. It's the second time I've played, last time the course had been only open a few months. They've softened the harshness of the rough - you now have a chance to find your ball. The wind got up a couple of holes into our round which certainly changes your style of game. Greens were excellent but the fairways seemed to have 'browned off' a little over the winter months. $35 a round is excellent value and it's not too bad a drive out there. It'll likely be a regular for my furture Melbourne visits. Provides challenges for all standards of players.

55. griffoman | Rated | 16 Jul 2005 | Add A Review

What a great course. I have heard and read several reviews but I think most miss the point. This is not a Melbourne sandbelt course, it is a stand-alone experience. It is great to find a top class course that offers something for the 8 handicap as well as the 30 handicap.

In its early days a ball off the fairway was a ball lost, but now the rough has been trimmed it is a much friendlier experience, especially with preferred lies and drop zones in the rocks. But it is not an easy one. Approaching the 11th green you understand how the ANZACS felt pinned down at Gallipoli with no less than 11 bunkers surrounding and layering the elevated green. The par 3s are excellent and the twisting fourth is a test for every mid range golfer with bunkers and dams to punish any errant stroke. Careful iron play is the rule here unless you can consistently drive 230m and draw at will. If you think this course is not beautiful, phone ahead and get the first tee-off for the day. The sun rising over the course, the magnificent red gums, kangaroos, water birds, growling frog calls and other abundant wildlife make it an absolute treat only 45mins from the CBD. Oh and don't forget the homemade pies - they are to die for ! Due to the strict wildlife and environmental management there is some green damage and other "flaws"not found in the pesticide drenched resort courses, but overall Growling Frog is a challenging and rewarding course for good to average golfers. My only complaint is that they tend to stack the tee times too tight on weekends which leads to delays when you have 30+ handicappers (though nothing like Sandringham) - all the more incentive to tee off early. Play midweek and you're in paradise ! Totally recommended.

56. scotttinda | Rated | 27 Apr 2005 | Add A Review

Growling Frog should be stand as a testament to everything that is wrong with manufactured "cost effective" links golf. The course is by no means bad, in fact the layout of the holes is very good, the holes themselves provide throught and interest, but as you labour through the barren plains of northern Melbourne, there is precious little to incite any sort of real atmosphere or character. The whole place feels very 'safe'. Had this routing been laid down on the Victorian coastline, golfing mouths would be watering. That is not the case however and as such we are given the dry and somewhat lifeless links of Growling Frog. Marsh has done a good job with the course's layout, it is both strategic and enjoyable, however one gets the feeling that the whole place is a little dull.The course is open and uses strategic bunkers and hilly slopes to add difficulty and thought to your shots. Certainly the layout is not repetitive, however the dry surrounds and feature-less plains are hardly excitement inducing. Devoid of natural atmosphere this place had to create it's own atmosphere with clever and crafty holes, I somewhat felt Tony Cashmore's quirky hand could have done much better around here. Some of the holes seem long for the sake of it and in a place suseptible to high winds, this is not the stuff of great enjoyment. All in all, they have done well to carve a decent a golf course out of such an uninspiring piece of land but when you trudge around for 4+ hours and fail to be genuinly excited by any of the 18 holes you have to ask yourself whether it was really worth it in the first place.

57. vectors | Rated | 07 Apr 2005 | Add A Review

Very good course in excellent condition. Challenging for the avid golfer but playable for the hacker with many open spaces. Strategic bunkering with 4 hilly holes near the clubhouse but the rest of the course is flat. Enjoyable tranquill atmosphere and well worth the visit.

58. bigwags | Rated | 13 Jan 2005 | Add A Review

A reasonable drive to Yan Yean. Course looks great. 1st hole nice 4 iron, 9 iron down to the green. Put the brakes on, it's very fast, takes a couple of holes to work out. The course will be really nice until the hoons cut it up, get on quick before this happens. Beware the drive home, and watch those speed cameras.

59. wrosloketr | Rated | 28 Dec 2004 | Add A Review

Having opened in September 2004, the Growling Frog is a course that surpassed my expectations. The condition of the course was excellent considering how new it is.

One of the features that stood out to me were the bunkers. They really do provide a visual presence from the tees and fairways as you manouvre yourself around the course.

Most greens are multi-level and accurate iron play is required as you may find yourself with quite a difficult uphill or downhill putt.

Great value for money and a terrific view fom the clubhouse that overlooks the course fom high up on a hill.

Hospitality is excellent, with friendly staff only to willing to be of assistance.

My first visit to the Growling Frog was very enjoyable and I look forward in anticipation to returning for another game.

A Graham Marsh designed layout that is truly a great addition to the North of Melbourne.

60. thegymp | Rated | 19 Nov 2004 | Add A Review

From the moment you stand above your approach shot to the first green, you realise that this is not just "another public Golf Course".

This is a true links course, where going into the rough can result in a disaster (think The Dunes rough in winter).

A great variety of holes are on offer with pin placement dictating how the hole will be played that day.

The greens can be difficult to read and will only get faster as the course matures (or summer arrives).

This is a great course - lets hope that they continue the good work and do not hand over the management to a group with only profit as motive. (think Kingston link)

Definatley worth a round and at only $30.00 great value !