There are two things you need to know if you've never visited
St. Michael's golf club in Little Bay, in Sydney's
Eastern Suburbs. Firstly, it really is "less than a half
hours drive from the Sydney CBD", despite the city snarl and
secondly it's absolutely as good a test of golf as you'll
find anywhere. Especially when the wind blows.
Situated on a glorious, dramatic (and regularly windy) stretch of
Sydney coastline bordered by the Coast and New South Wales Golf
Clubs, St. Michael's over the years has been host to both the
Australian PGA and the NSW Open. It's nevertheless a friendly
club with a large and active membership who'll happily tell
you that their greens are as good as anywhere in the state.
Amazingly, in what is probably Sydney's worst kept golf
secret, anyone with a handicap and a golf club membership can
play "St Mick's" for just $40 in their open each
Thursday, although booking early is a must as the sheet gets full
very quickly.
Bordered by the ocean, this is a largely inland course that
twists ands turns through hilly native bush land. The greens are
large and often treacherously fast and on many, including the
tricky par 3 12th, a two putt is usually a reward for a
successfully lagged first putt. This is definitely not a course
for charging Tiger-like at the hole and first time visitors will
do well not to record at least one three putt (or worse). That
being said, the greens are wonderfully true and once you get a
feel for the pace, a delight to putt on.
The ultimate test of any good course is the holes that still
stick in your mind the next day. First time visitors here will
leave with vivid memories of a number of holes if not all
eighteen. It's a beautiful setting and clever design means
that not only are birdie opportunities rare but danger lurks
round many a corner.
The first really memorable hole here comes very early in the
round. After warming up with the straight but long par four
first, your second tee shot is uphill to a hidden fairway that
doglegs sharply to the right. And forget any idea of cutting the
corner - here you can't even see the corner!
There's no shortage of opinions on just how to play this
great hole but few people agree. Try a high fade with a wood or a
dab up the middle with an iron for safety? On flat holes
that's a hard enough choice, but blind and uphill? Welcome to
the real St. Michaels!
Having somehow navigated your way to the top of the hill,
you're greeted with a large and accommodating green and for
those here in one, a rare chance for an early birdie. From here
it's a sharp climb to the elevated third tee and your first
view of the third. The green sits on a hill, 170 metres away, on
the opposite side of a deep grassy valley. With trouble on all
sides, few people make three from below the hole, so take plenty
of club and trust that swing!
More variety comes at the 4th, where you hit from another
elevated tee with fantastic views down the coast to Coogee,
Bronte and beyond. Whilst short at just 290 metres, beware,
it's the first of the really deceptively fast greens and
unless you're a wizard with the flat stick, pretty much
anywhere is better than being past the hole.
There's nothing worse than the golf bore who talks you
through every hole, but from here St Michael's is an absolute
joy, the tight par three 5th leading to the panoramic ocean views
of the downhill par five 6th "Horgan's Gift" which
at 433 meters is the only "easy" hole here. Once off
the tee, this and the following two holes are all relatively easy
par chances and with a tough back nine ahead, it's a good
idea to try and get some points on the card.
After a well earned visit to the comfortable clubhouse sitting
next to the 9th green, you're ready for a spectacular back
nine.
Hard To Forget
I guarantee you'll find it hard to forget the par four 11th
Off the tee, you're hitting blind again over the trees on
your right. Too straight and the hill kicks you into the
shrubbery, right and you'll find a road you didn't know
was there. Get your tee shot away and you're down the bottom
of the hill and left with possibly the most challenging approach
of the 18, hitting up over scrubland to a huge elevated green
guarded by bunkers and featuring a vicious slope from the right
hand side. It's one of those holes where afterwards you can
look back and feel proud if you're writing "4" on
your card. Or "5" for that matter.
After yet another tricky par three at 12, we head back towards
the ocean for the dramatic par five 13th, lined with hazards and
another huge green. Playing safe is your best chance of a five
and the same applies for the par four 14th, no pushover but
possibly the gentlest hole on this tough nine.
The last four holes here are pretty to look at, but as tough a
finish as you'll find. The 200 metre 15th plays every inch of
it's length and once again, the green is treacherous,
especially putting back down the hill. Trust me; it's very,
very quick.
Save The Best For Last
Saving the best to very nearly the last, the view from the 16th
tee is as dramatic as they come, featuring just a gap in the
bushes and the ocean beyond. The ravine you're hitting over
is a golf ball manufacturer's paradise. Anywhere left or
short of the fairway and you're guaranteed to be playing a
"provisional".
From the fairway, you'll face an often blind second to a
green that slopes viciously to the left. Pick a distant tree or a
cliff in the distance twenty yards right of the flag and make a
good swing - with the right club you won't be far away. Once
again, anyone writing "4" on the card can look back
with real pride.
The round finishes with another blind tee shot over the saddle of
a hill on the picturesque par five 17th and finally a closing
hole that more often than not is straight into the teeth of the
wind and needing two good straight hits to get home.
So that's St Michaels. It's tough certainly, but never
anything other than a great place to play golf. With four par
fives, four par threes and 10 par fours, St Mick's is always
in great nick and a "must do" for keen golfers of all
abilities. Their course superintendent recently won a green
keeping award and it shows. Whilst there are plenty of motorised
buggies for hire, this is no new modern "resort-style"
course. It's a good old fashioned test of golf and fully
deserving of its regular slot in the nation's top 100
courses.
It's a claim made by so many new courses, but you genuinely
can play 18 here and still have time for a spot of lunch before
heading back to the CBD for that important mid-afternoon meeting.
And if you happen to have snared an early slot in their bargain
priced open comp, what's not to like?
Highly recommended.
(3.5) | Add A Review
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23 Mar 2011
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07 Mar 2011
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01 Feb 2011
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24 Jan 2011
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22 Mar 2010
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03 Nov 2008
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13 Apr 2007
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08 Jun 2006
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1. wayright | Rated
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26 Jul 2011
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Add A Review
Having joined St Micks. as a member last year I can tell anyone interested that I am extremely happy with my decision. The course is a gem with a beautiful outlook across the pacific. You could imagine yourself hours out of the city when in fact your 30 mins from the CBD. This compares favourably with other eastern suburb courses such as Eastlakes and Bonnie Doon where the sound and sight of road traffic is never too far away.
The membership have been very welcoming and are a down to earth bunch who love their golf. The course itself is undergoing a steady transformation back to a more links style with the reseeding to couch grass. As other commenters have noted this is done in a iterative manner of a couple of fairways a year keeping the environmental impact down and the course open for play. A new maintainence complex is also underway this year and a strategic plan for rebuilding all 18 greens in the pipeline. In my view the members dues are going into the right areas to keep the course improving on a steady trajectory in the years to come.
The golf itself is top notch, the course can play a multitude of ways mainly depending on what the wind is up to. You won’t find many courses out there with a set of tougher par threes on offer. Each one long and challenging. A great mix of par fours both long and short. The par fives are where you could potentially pick holes, especially the sixth which at index 18 is probably the weakest hole on the course, but made more interesting when played off the back stick.
In summary I recommend St. Micks to anyone. People can make up their own mind but for my money it’s one of the best courses in Sydney if not the country. Looking forward to many more years good golf out there in the wind and sunshine!