1. leroy8888 | Rated | 20 Sep 2011 | Add A Review

Pretty much everything I was about to say is covered in the reviews below. To begin with there is a nice modern clubhouse with friendly staff. This leads to a very well-equipped practice area with nets, putting green/short game and full grassed range.

As for the course, there is still is a distinctive flavour to each 9 although it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Fairways are in great condition and greens "looked" good although they were just cored and sanded so I didn’t get a chance to putt on them properly.

My biggest complaint – the bunkers. I’m not complaining about the number of them (although there are quite a few), it’s the wildly varying quality. Some were soft and puffy but the majority were hardpan and difficult to get under the ball. It makes for a very frustrating time whenever you go into one – which was quite often.

Overall Southern is a great little course that the members should be proud of.

2. Puji | Rated | 19 May 2011 | Add A Review

Have played southern a few times over the past few weeks.

Firstly, I enjoyed the practice facilities at the course, grass tee range, practice chipping/ sand area and large warm up nets.

Staff at the pro shop were very accommodating and helpful. We entered the comp on the day, and were provided computerized scorecards on our arrival.

The course layout is very interesting with the course playing two distinct 9s. I believe two architects were used. The front 9 consists of gentle, undulating fairways, reasonable greens and holes with challenging shapes. Most targets and landing areas are well protected by many bunkers.

A memorable hole is a short par four with water left and right of the short grass combined with 5-10 bunkers along the left edge. A precise tee shot is needed if a golfer plans on beating par.

Back 9 seems to open up a little, and the intense bunkering is left out. However the holes seem to be longer with more blind approach shots. Favorite hole on the back 9 is the short par 3 with bunkering protecting any short shots, then a triple tiered putting surface to challenge those who get GIR.

Condition of the course was exceptional. Fairways were fast and springy, greens were true and quick. Only complaint may be a few bunkers were GUR and many seemed to lack adequate sand coverage.

Thus course is definitely worth a visit.

3. Peter_Pan | Rated | 19 Feb 2011 | Add A Review

Firstly, let me explain the asterix in the thread title. There are many a learned scholar amongst us at ISG that will argue with great aplomb that Southern is not in essence a Sandbelt course. These people will also argue that unless you appear on www.melbournesandbelt.com, you are nothing but a second tier list clogger, much in the same vein as a Josh Fraser or Simon Wiggins.

However, this website has the audaciousness of a Gold Coast property scam, and therefore, to ensure a fair hearing for Southern (and its neighbours such as Spring Valley, Woodlands, Long Island and Kingswood), this author is firm that Southern is indeed Sandbelt.

Now, let’s move on.

Southern is a well established club with a membership base and course that over time has moved away from the classical pompousness associated with its neighbours. It has gone its own way in regards to course design, and has long been described as having a membership base akin to the Collingwood Cheer Squad. Although true to accuse the architecture of SGC as non traditional in parts, the membership base can no longer be labeled the town drunk. Natural attrition and strong management has seen that unfortunate part of its history become just that….history.

In the olden days, SGC used to have 12 holes on the south side of Centre Dandenong Rd, with the remaining six now being used by Spring Park. To remove the road crossing, it enlisted 5 time British open winner Peter Thomson to build a new nine holes that was to complement the outstanding residual work of Berriman. Unfortunately, these new nine holes have become the source of much debate, and Bob Shearer’s stamp as the resident architect for the last 20 years has arguably not been great.

Having said, the course has now grown and the legacy of having two distinct nine’s is becoming less and less of an issue over time

The course starts with a par 4 that allows for the big hitter to wind up and the clever short game player to show off their wares on the newly reconstructed green, complete with false front.

The feeling of space on either side of the fairway is evident through most of the front nice, with the tree line and tree height not as encroaching as on the established back nine.

However, of note is the conditioning of tees, greens and fairways that would be unrivalled in Melbourne at present by all but a few premium establishments. This level of conditioning is something the club has worked at hard to achieve and brings back memories of its glory days as Melbourne’s best presented course in the 80’s and 90’s.

The round continues through to the 4th and 5th holes which probably provide the most conjecture for the architectural snobs.

The 4th is a heavily bunkered par 5 with bunkers in the middle of the fairway off the tee and a small green heavily protected on both sides. The longer hitter has the choice to go for the green in 2, however the risk / reward proposition is usually not in the players favour

The 5th is a short par 4 that is bunkered on both sides of the drive, with water also on both sides should the bunkers fail to catch your wayward ball.

Members and newcomers to the course usually get a sense of awe when playing this holes due to the perceived difficulty and eye candy that they present. However, a vocal minority see these holes as over bunkered ensuring forced shots for the better golfer. In any event, they are unique on a sandbelt course and are fun to play.

Putting out on the 9th takes you past the well stocked spike bar for a quick reasonably priced can of VB and an egg and lettuce sanga.

The back nine has arguably some of the courses better holes with back to back 400m+ par 4’s in 13 and 14 giving headaches to golfers of all levels. The round finished with the much underrated 18th with its dogleg left and well bunkered green.

However, Bob Shearer’s changes at 12 and to a lesser extent 16 deserve discussion.

Those that played the course prior to the changes at 12 would argue it was possibly the best hole on the course, and one of the better par 3’s in the region. However, Shearer’s changes have caused much conjecture within and outside the club. Southern now has its only 3 tier green with a bunker on the left hand side of the complex that has a shallow lip unlike anything else seen on the course.

Again, eyecandy for visitors and a great result for some members. However, architecturally, the top tier is impossible to shoot at for most due to an encroaching tree line, and the slopes on the green too severe when compared to the rest of the course.
16 has also been rebuilt by Shearer and is a much more pleasing result.

Southern is the black sheep as it has gone alone in its decision making and ignored the traditional hand cuffs of the region. Firstly, it has made changes to its course that are not truly in alignment with sandbelt architecture. One can argue that this is a good thing as it does produce a playing test that differs slightly from its neighbours, but one that is not so out of tune that it is unrecognizable as a sandbelt track.

Secondly, it was the first club in the region of a tier 2 nature that made the tough decision to rebuild its clubhouse some 7 years ago. The result is something that is generating revenue for the club through functions to ensure a healthy financial position and also a massive improvement on its predecessor. I raise this point as it has now gone through the hard yards and can continue to pay of its debt through normal trading. Others, like Woodlands, are imposing an ongoing levy to members to pay off their $8m new build, while others again are caught with dilapidated assets and are vulnerable when making the next step (eg Keysborough and Kingswood).

Southern has many benefits for prospective members. It is financially secure, has new major assets that are not placing a burden on the cash flow, its course is now back to a level of presentation not seen for many a year and its membership base is near capacity across all categories.

Most importantly for this author, it offers a course that is slightly different. One could join, say, Victoria and feel a sense of sameliness when visiting your cousins in the region like Kingston Heath or Commonwealth. However, when one comes to Southern, the feeling when coming of the course is knowing that although a sandbelt track, it presented other things as well.

Where does it rate? In regards to architectural merit of the course, it is ahead of Keysborough, Kingswood, Cranbourne and Long Island. In this regard, it is bettered by Spring Valley and Woodlands. It overtakes Woodlands when the value for money argument is put forward based on joining fees, subs and levies.

Overall, it sits comfortably in the region of 70 – 110 in the Golf Digest ratings without raising any eyebrows.

This makes it a damn fine track and a damn good club

4. mabeyk | Rated | 01 Feb 2011 | Add A Review

Played Southern last week for the first time in 10 years and I really liked the new layout, facilities and condition of the course. Yes it is quite long but it is very playable and has a good selection of short and long par 4’s, the par fives are quite different so they pose a different challenge each time (its not always a driver!) and the par 3’s keep you on your toes (I wasn’t a fan of the 6th with its 3xtiers!). I would recomend Southern to anyone and I look forward to going back.

5. Francie | Rated | 26 Jul 2010 | Add A Review

I played there today with my work golf group. I haven’t played there for a few years (maybe 10) so it was a new experience, as when I played there last I can confirm that the greens are hard to hold in dry conditions.

Today the greens were firm but they were leaving pitch marks on a full wedge shot. There are a few greens with very steep slopes so a shot pitching short, or at the front of the green will roll back off. A number of flags were at the front today but I found I was landing short (according to the distance markers and my average shots) so another club would have been a better choice. Previously when I played here you had to pitch it short to keep it on the green.

The benefit of the softer greens was countered by the lush fairways and limited run. It is a long course and if you don’t get your driver out from the tee you are going to struggle.

I noticed that there is some newer bunkering since I last played but I don’t know whether they are all totally consistent. I was in quite a few on the back 9 holes (played first) and found sand that was white, brown and hardpan. There were a few bunkers with casual water in them as well. (which I believe were the older bunkers) The consistency of the sand depth varied as well.

Overall I was very imnpressed with the condition of the fairways and tees. Some of the fringe of fairways, leading up to the greens, was patchy and rough. I take it that at this time of the year there is work being done in this area and by summer they will have been repaired.

Well worth playing during the winter months as the fairways are in good condition and you are a better chance in keeping the ball on the green if you land on the full.

6. FairwayBomber | Rated | 03 Apr 2010 | Add A Review

Played here today as a prospective member.

Upon arriving, the clubhouse and amenities impressed, as were the way tee offs were arranged. My first impression of the course itself was that it was in great condition. Please note that the course is long, and would challenge all golfers. This is not a course for beginners or those lacking distance off the tee. There were numerous 400m+ Par 4’s which is all but out of reach for the average golfer.

There were a couple of things that I really disliked about this course:
1. The greens were hard and small. It is unusual for me not being able to hold greens less than 140m out. Today, I was challenged to hold greens from 80m, such was the undulating greens and hard surface. Most pitch shots barely left a mark on the green. Perhaps its just me…

2. The group (members) playing behind were a bunch of upstart kids (in white trousers no less. They would roll their carts down the hill towards my group’s tee off area, thereby distracting our swing. In spite of the fact that my group had to wait to tee off due to the group in front of us, the young guys had the audacity to tell us to keep up with the group in front!? How does that work?

Took nearly 5.5 hours to complete this course.

This is far too slow, and combined with our experience with the young group today, they lost 4 prospective members. Am glad I didnt have to fork out any $ to play here today.

PROS

• Challenging design
• Fairways have very good coverage.
• Greens ran true.

Cons

• Long course (too long maybe)
• Too difficult for the average golfer (which slows down play)
• Young members can be obnoxious
• Hard, undulating surface make it virtually impossible to hold greens.

Also Liked

• The Dunes Golf Links (Dunes)
• Eynesbury Golf Course
• Growling Frog Golf Course
• 13th Beach Golf Links (Beach)

7. IC3 | Rated | 08 Feb 2010 | Add A Review

Played here Sunday as a guest and prospective member.

First impressions were great, nice drive up to the new clubhouse, visually very appealing. Clubhouse staff were very friendly and helpfull…..every member I went by gave me a nod hello, even the bar staff at the end of the round were very friendly and professional.
club rooms were clean, tidy and modern and had everything needed.
Fairways were well kept and consistent with each other all the way through. Greens were well manicured and ran true. Bunkers were strategically placed which made good approach shots imperative to the outcome of the hole. Didnt really like the 3 Tiered green on the par 3…yes 3 tiers but thats personal opinion.

Back 9 is much more protected but also alot tighter.
Im off 11 but found this course to be very challenging and somewhere where I would happily play again and consider becoming a member.

8. HotPies | Rated | 31 Oct 2008 | Add A Review

Great course in A1 nick when we played here last week (24.10.08) WHAT DROUGHT ! Greens, fairways and tee box all in great cond. They have alot of water storage on course to see out the harshest Melb summer can offer. New entry of Dandy rd & out standing club house as good as anything else in the sandbelt.

Also Liked

• Sandhurst Golf Club (North)
• Spring Valley Golf Club
• Flinders Golf Club
• Sandhurst Golf Club (South)

9. thevon | Rated | 17 Mar 2008 | Add A Review

What a great course. The fairways are like carpet and the greens are superb. The front nine are a links style and the back nine a traditional park layout. The only quibble I have is the silly three teared green on the little par three in the back nine. Change this and I would rate it in the top 50 in Australia.

Also Liked

• Amstel Golf Club (Ranfurlie)

10. girvine | Rated | 29 Jan 2008 | Add A Review

Fantastic carpet like fairways reward the straight driver with 2 long opening par 4s to challenge you early. Most holes have a fairway bunker or three in play for the average driver though the longer drivers can clear most. Each of the par 5s leave a clear choice of clearing/splitting front side bunkers from ~200 or lay up for an “easy” pitch and putt. The par 3s offer difficult par chances with the 12th in particular overwhelmed by massive bunkers front and right and a 2 tiered sloping back to front for a tough putt. Althought some of the greens had been cored those that hadn’t were wonderfully readable and true. While it may seem obvious, the straighter hitter should be able to make their way around here and shoot handicap whatever it may be. My only complaint is the distances are unusually to the front of the green but after a quick mental adjustment it’s fine. I definitely recommend this course for a quality $50 round.

11. Lowdown | Rated | 10 Dec 2007 | Add A Review

Played here recently and it lived up to its reputation. Although many fairways and greens were being or recently cored which took some gloss off the experience, but looking past all that, the course was quite challenging, and the layout is quite superb.

Some great long fairways, wide enough to encourage the drivers out there, but certainly rewards accuracy. Some brilliant greens, many surrounded by deep bunkers for those game to attack them.

To round it off – a spanking new clubhouse in the centre of the course adds to its appeal. Oh – and nice people there too.

12. JPSon4x | Rated | 09 Mar 2006 | Add A Review

A great sandbelt course. Every hole has something about it, and there are no "gimme" pars anywhere. Starting with a back to back 405m and 390m par 4's with wide but not deep greens for approach...the par 5 4th that just teases you to go for the green in 2, but will card you a 10 if you stuff up...the par 3 12th, one of the best par 3's in Australia, and finishing with the par 4 18th with its cruel dogleg for draw players and tightly guarded green.

Fast even greens, quality fairways, punishing rough, not totally unplayable in the wind but tricky nonetheless,...

A new $5m clubhouse...spike bar that spills out onto the deck...

You gotta play this course...

How it isn't in the top 50 in Australia beats me????

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

Played there over Christmas, the new layout just flows so well, it is natural.

The course was at Southerns usually high standard, the greens were not lighting fast like I remember, which is not a bad thing.

Other than investing in good maintenance, don't touch the course. It's both challenging and rewarding without being brutal or too easy.

14. hitori | Rated | 15 Nov 2005 | Add A Review

Played the old layout but this is a completely different course now that the new clubhouse has been made central to the layout. The holes now follow a logical progression with the only real walk being between the 9th green and the 10th tee (conveniently past the Spike Bar).

The fairways are great and the greens are hard and fast.

The great thing about this course is that looks can deceive. It might seem straight forward but it certainly has some teeth (especially in the wind). Having said that, if you are game then it does reward a good shot.

At $50 for a guest green fee, I would recommend that a golfer on any level jump at the chance to play here.

15. tigertee | Rated | 25 Feb 2004 | Add A Review

Great layout, played there 4 times with another round coming up. Their par 4's are great requiring length and accuracy for the second shot. Their copy of the Par 3 from K/heath is sensational. Greens are always in good nic with most bunkers excellent.

I hear the layout is now much improved since the new club house is open, no longer do you start on the par 3.

16. raylee | Rated | 07 Nov 2002 | Add A Review

An unusual start with a Par 3, the you work your way to some holes with the prettiest back drop there is. You would almost think you are in the country, not one of Melb suburb. The layout could be much improved between the 9th & 10th hole where at the moment it is such a long walk. With the new club house built, hopefully it will better.