The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

The best golf courses you should play before you kick the bucket

19th February, 2018
Advertisement
Laucala Island Golf Course
Expert
19th February, 2018
13
2864 Reads

When I was playing golf professionally on the American tour I used to get wrapped up in the one-week tournament schedule, moving from one course to the next.

If I could do my whole career again, I would do a lot more exploring and would absorb the history of the places I was playing at.

At this stage of my life, I’ve got a completely different mindset.

I don’t want to score, I don’t want to do any of that serious stuff. I just want to go out and have fun as it’s no longer a full-time job.

After turning professional in 1999, I was lucky enough to play at some of the best courses in the world.

I’ve played St Andrews for the Dunhill Links, and obviously, it includes Carnoustie and Kings Barn.

I also played Royal Troon in the 2004 Open Championship.

There’s always the famous courses like Augusta National – where the Masters are held – and Pebble Beach on the west coast of America but I’ve always enjoyed the hidden gems.

Advertisement

A great golf course must cater for everyone, including my Dad who’s a 21 handicapper.

We can get caught up these days with distances and equipment and we create these huge golf courses to counteract the advances in technology.

It’s great to see guys like Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy pounding a white ball more than 300 metres but the people that play week in and week out have to enjoy the game and the golf course needs to be fair.

With that in my mind, here are my favourite courses that I recommend you put on your golfing bucket list:

Country Club of Scranton

Country Club of Scranton (Pete Creedon)

The Country Club of Scranton – Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania

This is an old school course, I was lucky enough to play on it during the week of a tournament close by.

Advertisement

On the Tuesday, my friend’s caddy said, “Mate I’ve gotta take you out to play this golf club of Scranton and you’ll be amazed.”

I’m one that doesn’t usually get excited about golf courses, and I look back now at what this was and this was just an incredible layout.

This was designed in the 1920s era when golf was still new in America.

Once again, it’s not long, they’ve kept the original design.

It features wide fairways, which makes it accessible for any kind of game and experience level.

It has rolling green lush fairways and I would go back in an instant if I had to chance to play here again.

Natadola Bay golf

(Natadola Bay)

Advertisement

Natadola Bay Golf Course – Natadola, Fiji

The game of golf is really growing in Fiji.

Major winner VJ Singh has helped put Fijian golf on the map.

He’s given back to the country with some golf design and created awareness for me and my mates that rave about how good the courses are.

Who wouldn’t want to go to Fiji?

Hopefully one day in my job I’ll get to head over there and help out with the Fiji International. That’d be pretty cool.

I’ve never been to the country but playing there has always been on my bucket list.

Advertisement

When the Fiji International is played and I see it on television, it’s probably the only time I get jealous that I’m not experiencing it.

Natadola Bay Golf Course is one of the courses I’d love to play, but there’s another one over there as well which caught my eye for its vibrancy.

It’s called Laucala Island, and was purchased by one of the guys who was involved in the Red Bull air races.

Looking at the pictures of each hole, it’s easy to see why so many make the pilgrimage for a golfing holiday. It would be a great week of golf in Fiji and I’d love to take my Dad over to play those courses.

Denarau Golf Racquet Club

Denarau Golf Racquet Club

There’s another one on Denarau Island in Nadi called the Denarau Golf & Racquet Club.

It has these cool bunkers in the shape of marine creatures to remind you that you’re right on the Pacific Ocean. I’ve seen images of the par-4 15th hole and it looks absolutely breathtaking.

Advertisement

Water is certainly a big theme on the course and it’s definitely a challenging layout with four of the par-threes requiring the player to hit their tee shots over the blue stuff.

Golf course in Ariona

(Talking Stick Golf Club).

Talking Stick Country Club – Scottsdale, Arizona

I lived in Arizona with a few of the other Aussie golf pros.

Geoff Ogilvy, Steve Allen and I would regularly play this little golf course around the corner from where we lived.

It was great to have two golf courses to choose from at Talking Stick (north and south).

It was designed by Ben Crenshaw and his partner Bill Coore.

Advertisement

The north course reminded us of playing at home.

It was wide open, not many trees on it, and it was more of that sand-belty kind of feeling, but right in the middle of the desert.

I know the guys still go and play there just because it’s such a cool golf course in the backyard of where we were living.

Flinders Golf Club

(Visit Victoria)

Flinders Golf Club – Melbourne, Victoria

Legendary golf course designer Alister MacKenzie added his special touch to this course and you can tell in some of the similarities to the Royal Melbourne and some of the other courses he was lucky to design.

It’s close to the coast, so it has great views, and every hole has something special about it.

Advertisement

The short par four opening hole gives you a false sense of security and it’s simply a warm up for the test ahead.

It’s one of those courses that’s easier to play in the morning before the wind gets up – in fact, it’s about 12 strokes different for a player like me.

The locals certainly love telling everybody that MacKenzie had been there and why not? The history makes this place.

Kalgoorlie Golf Course

Kalgoorlie Golf Course

Kalgoorlie Golf Course – Western Australia

I’m a bit biased with this course considering my involvement with West Australian golf and the PGA Championship but I really believe this is one of the most underrated courses in the country.

I talk about Scottsdale, Arizona and the desert and golf courses there, but this is something so unique in Australia.

Advertisement

It’s hosted the WA PGA Championship for the past seven years.

I played the first five and loved every moment.

It’s a stunning location with the grass meeting the red dirt, and all the players rave about it.

The course has the black tees (for professionals) and guys play off the far back to make it more challenging, but then it’s perfect for the weekend hacker with the white and yellow tees up a lot further.

I was never really a big hitter which is part of the reason why I got out of the game. However, I enjoyed this more than any other long course I’ve played.

Even if you’re having a bad day on the course you can’t help but smile when you play at these locations! Experience the ultimate golfing holiday in Fiji and discover why the professionals can’t get enough of the stunning scenery. Check out Tourism Fiji for more details.

close