1. EzCal | Rated | 05 Jun 2012 | Add A Review

The redevelopment is complete and the course is amazing! Quite challenging too but not too frustrating. If you haven’t yet tried out the new layout get out soon! The course is in great nick, massive improvement over the past year.

2. Kimusubi007 | Rated | 11 Sep 2011 | Add A Review

Lucked out today as i turned up a week after they had cored the greens. Renovations underway with the new design taking shape. The rest of the course was in ok to good condition, with the general upkeep, sightly scrappy.
The holes that are in play are enjoyable with some narrow and undulating fairways, postage stamp greens and some difficult approaches to elevated greens.
Some tempoary greens in place at the moment also.
People very friendly and welcoming and a pleasure to share a few hours of golf with.
The membership and yearly subs i think are a little over priced for the current state of the course…. we’ll see how things go after the new holes come into play next year, and they start the phase 2 of the "master plan".

3. q-tip | Rated | 25 Aug 2011 | Add A Review

Whilst the current course is under construction for the new Geoff Ogilvy-Mike Clayton masterplan layout which promises to turn Bonnie Doon into a top 100 course again, the layout until March 2012 is 4113m Par 55 (15 holes).

The current layout has 3 holes closed but despite not boasting a par 5, it still is a popular Sydney sandbelt course with Banksia scrubs and many good holes with few birdie opportunities.

The new layout will see 21 holes at Bonnie Doon with 3 spare holes, which is great to see on a course which has the available land.

Members are proud of their course and are very hopeful that the changes will make their course as highly rated as other sandbelt courses around.

Other reviewers may not be impressed with the high fees (although because of the renovations the Monday open comp is now $25, down from ~ $60 otherwise), staff and administration and the over-rated feel Bonnie Doon, but on my latest visit here on their Sunday competition earlier this month the members and administration were very welcoming to its prospective members.

Probably won’t join as a member or play here until next year, but will wait to see how the course is this time next year when the course would be in its early phases of its new layout.

Remembering that 1-star is "basic golf" and 5-stars represents "golf at its absolute best", for now, I’d rate Bonnie Doon somewhere in the middle. Plenty of opportunity and there are special new membership options available here to entice others to join now before the expected price hike.

4. EzCal | Rated | 14 Jul 2011 | Add A Review

Bonnie Doon is a very testing sandbelt course. While it is not the longest course in Sydney, it is quite tight in most areas and can present you with some very demanding shots. The Course Design group of Ogilvy Clayton is currently doing work on stage one of the 3 stages to make Bonnie Doon take full advantage of its great land in the small Sydney Sandbelt. The course is going to be a truly great course when it is finished judging by the design blueprints. Put that aside, the current layout is still very great and the conditioning is imaculate while not as asthetically apealing as Concord or the Australian, but has that scruffy but enticing look that the great sandy courses have.

5. Adams23 | Rated | 18 Oct 2010 | Add A Review

very overrated course in sydney.. terrible layout, amazing greens

6. BeatsWorking1977 | Rated | 22 Jul 2010 | Add A Review

I was fortunate enough to be invited to Bonnie Doon for the 1st time to play in the Monday open comp by a friend of mine who has been a member for 25years. I didn’t know much about the course before playing it (other than what my absurdly biased friend had told me), and was quite impressed. The course is not your stereotypical tree lined Sydney course, with narrow fairways, and hard fast green, closer to what you would find in the Victorian sandbelt. It is a stern test, and my positive thoughts on the course are probably influenced by my 39pts, but golf isn’t always about easy, and you feel like you’ve earnt your score around this course. I had a quick look at some of the other reviews, and anyone who thinks this course needs water, or that you’d be better off playing Eastlake, either doesn’t know golf or has a hidden agenda. I’ll be back.

7. Patagonia | Rated | 22 Jan 2010 | Add A Review

Bluntly, I wasn’t impressed with this course. Played as a guest of a member and honestly don’t know why they bother with their dues. The place is supposed to be one of the best in Sydney, but the only thing that betrays it’s prestigious reputation is the stuffiness of the membership and administration. Indicative of the prevailing attitude is the fact that while all the male honour boards and trophies are on display in the clubhouse, the womens’ are kept out of sight upstairs (according to my member contact).

Aside from that, the course itself is nothing special, with plenty of scrub in which to lose your ball or get a spider bite. There is also no water on the course, which is a disadvantage when nearly all the other decent local Eastern Subs courses (Eastlakes, St Mick’s, The Coast) feature water heavily, adding to the challenge and scenery of the round. It somewhat makes up for it with an abundance of bunkers, which is different from most other courses (good thing).

When I last played here there was an awful lot of renovation going on. Don’t know if that has finished or not, nor do I care as I won’t be back here for $100 when there are so many other cheaper courses out there that provide the same or greater level of challenge and enjoyment.

PROS

• Reputation - you can say you've played here
• The geens
• Bunkers aren't just for show

Cons

• No water at all
• Scrubby plants here are tailor made for losing your ball
• Not as challenging as you might expect
• The prevailing air of stuffiness

8. armygolf | Rated | 09 Sep 2009 | Add A Review

What is all the fuss about? Played in the open Monday comp, might as well have been playing off the social markers the tee were that far forward. Over Rated golf course, for a course that is talked up and has such a high brow reputation. Club house is nothing flash and needs to be renovated.

9. drodrigz | Rated | 23 Dec 2008 | Add A Review

Played in the Monday Open Competion on 22 Dec 2008. This is an outstanding value at $45. I had an excellent golf experience! The course is challenging. The greens are tiny. Overall condition is excellent.

10. Tazza | Rated | 28 Nov 2008 | Add A Review

The Most OVER-RATED Golf Club In Sydney.

Repetitive style holes and too many shrubs.

Black snakes were even spotted, so if your ball goes in the shrubs, leave it and pull out another.

Won’t be here anytime soon.

Green fee is over-priced.

11. twodogs100 | Rated | 03 Nov 2008 | Add A Review

Played in the Open comp Mon 03 Nov 08. Great course and good value at $45, which is 1/2 the normal green fees. Teed off 1000am, Got around in under 4-hours, very relaxing with no hold ups and/or no one up our back sides (and the groups in front & behind had carts, we walked). And I only lost x1 ball. Very fast greens which I need more practice on. 31-points for first visit – V happy, will play in the Monday comp again.

12. locky19 | Rated | 07 Aug 2007 | Add A Review

Having read the reviews above, I went to play in the Bonnie Doon open comp with mixed expectations. The comp fee of $45 was half the normal green fee and at the end of the round I was chuffed with the value. The course was in unbelievable condition (with the exception of a couple of greens), the par 3’s in particular were impressive and the greens in general were hard, fast and extremely challenging. All of my group loved the course, loved the layout and enjoyed the experience in general.

I can’t wait to head back and play in the open competition again. Word to the wise, if you don’t rate your fitness – get a cart, the course is built on some big hills!

13. waylow | Rated | 22 Dec 2006 | Add A Review

Bonnie Doon is a VERY nice course, fairways and tee beds are in excellent condition.

Having said that, I think it is overpriced. I like to judge a course on quality and value for money. Compared to some of the cheaper courses in Sydney, Bonnie Doon doesn't really rate well in this regard.

Standout hole for me was the par 3 2nd?(I think it was the second).

I found the holes on the back nine across the road a bit boring.

This is a very tough course, especially into the wind, I was playing driver, 3 wood and still pulling up short of some of the par 4's into the wind!

Overall its a nice course, but I won't be back, its just too expensive for what you get.

Better off to go to Eastlake!

14. amirashrafi | Rated | 08 Aug 2006 | Add A Review

Played this course for the first time on a Tuesday (open day), after a very wet weekend in Sydney.

Unbelievably, the course played beautifully dry with the greens slower than its preceeding reputation suggested. Tight fairways, tree lined and thick long grass need to be dealt with with flawless precision. Hit the ball into the long grass munster and forget about getting it back.

The 17th is as gorgeous as they say.

Hills and valleys provide a good excercise for walkers. Even saw some black cuckatoos for the first time on a golf course, munching away on the pine cones.

At $90, it is asking for a lot, but being smack bang in the middle of Sydney, it was well worth the RDO!

Do yourselves a favour...

15. raynman | Rated | 30 Jan 2006 | Add A Review

I had Been looking forward to playing here for years. Sadly,The only thing more out of proportion than the members ego's are the green fees at this club.

The staff in the clubhouse were absoulety terrible. Unless you are a member of the club you may aswell be invisable.

The arrogance of the two guys (I use the term loosely) behind the bar today was ridicoulous.

They attempted to make four grown men feel like children simply because we simply asked if they had a cigarette machine in the club.

You would expect alot more from the Operation after forking out almost $100 for a so called, 5 star "Championship" course.

Basically a good days golf but all in all and awful day had by all.

I found nothing special here at this course I cant find next door at Eastlakes (for almost a 1/3 of the price)

Won't ever be back unless I have to for a comp.

16. astanley | Rated | 16 Dec 2005 | Add A Review

Bonnie Doon GC is nearby the Lakes and Eastlakes golf courses and is an interesting layout which is not overly long but requires plenty of strategic tee shots given the hilly and undulating fairways. It has plenty of bunkers and as a semi-private course can be played by visitors with an AGU handicap. However, the open day fees are quite high at ~$50 so this is one course most outside golfers may avoid playing.

Bonnie Doon plays similarly to Eastlakes with similar greens and sandy rough and can be a tough test with the wind blowing. I do not regret playing this course, if only for the one time as I enjoyed the professional setup of the course, particularly the lush fairways and the greens and bunkers played fairly. Bonnie Doon GC is a fair test of golf for the average golfer and is a pleasant walk too.

17. kjgreen | Rated | 07 May 2004 | Add A Review

Well what a waste of time that was, from the time I got to the pro shop to be told my dress was unacceptable (which was odd as I was wearing the same as at least a dozen of the members on the practise green ) to the time I had to fork over 40 bucks to play on a relatively plain course which had 60 percent of the fairways looking like they where about to die, I could not believe it was not a tee through the green rule and when you got to the green they where slow and bumpy, would not be in a hurry to play again unless things change there a bit.

18. whallop | Rated | 21 Sep 2003 | Add A Review

A nice course, but yes, lots of straight holes that play down to the fairway and up to the green. After a while you don't really know what hole you are one.

A few really good hole such as the 17th, which is one of the best in the country, but the rest are forgettable.

19. andrew14966 | Rated | 01 Aug 2003 | Add A Review

Bonnie Doon is a lovely, sand based Sydney course that rates in Australia's top 100.

It's not overly long, but many of the greens are small & when the wind picks up (which it often does) it's quite a challenge.

One thing that you will notice is that a lot of the holes play from an elevated tee, down into a valley then back up again to an elevated green. This puts alot of pressure on your approach shots, especially to the par 4's.

Quite a few of the fairways run parallel to each other. (1,4,8,18 & 9 near the clubhouse & 11,13,14,15 on the other side of the road). This may seem like it would make the course boring, but the holes all have great charactor & are each enjoyable in their own right.

Stand out holes include the 2nd, a 178m par 3 with minimal views of the green & the returning par 4's, the 8th (yes, 8th) & the 18th, both requiring long, straight golf.

The 17th is a lovely par 4, at only 298m it's a gem. The drive is up hill with a large, native grassed hill on the left falling away to trees on the right of the fairway. The very small green is built into the side of the hill with 2 bunkers guarding the front of the green. The hole really only requires a long iron off the tee & a wedge to the green, but it could make or break a round. You stand on the tee with a definite possibility of a 3, but could quite easily walk off with a 6. Every course should have a hole like this close to home.

Bonnie Doon has an open day every Monday for those who are members of an AGU club & have a handicap. It's well worth a day out.