THE SANDBELT: What and where is it?
The
Sandbelt, for most golfers, especially in the US, means nothing. Or, maybe it means an area in the Carolinas,
around the Pinehurst area perhaps, that is known for golf and its sandy
soil. Yet, for the world-travelling golfer, it is the
“Utopia” of Australian golf. It
is a collection of eight of the finest courses and clubs in the country, and
world, all within a half-hour of each other.
Imagine having Augusta National, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Pine Valley,
Oakmont, The Country Club, Merion and Winged Foot all within thirty minutes of
each other. But in this case, they are
Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Victoria, Commonwealth, Huntingdale, Yarra
Yarra, Metropolitan and Peninsula Kingswood.
Gary Player said it best when he said, “The Sandbelt … the greatest
collection of golf courses in one spot on the entire planet.”
Melbourne is home to the Sandbelt.
It is located in the very southeastern-most part of Australia on the north
end of Port Phillip Bay. The city proper
is located at the mouth of the Yarra River where it feeds into the Bay. It is a gorgeous city filled with tree-lined
streets, beautiful, large gardens, street cars, great shopping and better dining.
The name “Sandbelt”
comes from the type of land. Originally
farm land, it is known for very sandy soil, a sand completely unique to those
of us in the States. It is from this
land that these courses were built, with very little moving of land. The courses were routed through the
collection of trees and vegetation, and while, they are relatively flat, very
simple and subtle in design yet devilishly, fiendishly difficult. They will not beat you up, but they will
challenge you like very few other courses.
Get off the grass and you’ll be dealing with the powder-like sand dotted
with trees and native vegetation that will make you miss your nicely groomed
rough and perfectly manicured bunkers at your home course.
And the bunkers … oh yes, the bunkers. The bunkers on many of the Sandbelt courses were
designed by renowned golf course architect Alister MacKenzie (you might have
heard of another one of his projects – Augusta National). MacKenzie had a way with bunkers. They just seem to be in the wrong place when
you least need it.
GOLFING THE SANDBELT: Planning is Critical
Once in Melbourne, you will start to feel the
excitement. The reason, or one of the
reasons, you are in Melbourne is to play Sandbelt Golf. Before you step on the courses, there are some
things you should keep in mind. A great place to start is the website SandbeltGolf.com.
Getting on the Courses
Schedule your starting times as early as possible. This is almost the first thing you should do
… maybe even before purchasing your airline tickets. By doing your research, and contacting the
courses you wish to play, you can reserve your starting times. Courses are very welcoming to international
visitors, but remember, you will not be the only person wanting to play these
courses. And, each course may have only
a limited number of starting times each day for international players, and some
days may be off limits or very restricted in order to accommodate member play.
When scheduling your time, be sure to inquire about any
course maintenance that might be happening during the time you are there. It can be frustrating to have to play on
recently aerified greens or be able to play only one nine while the other has
routine maintenance being performed.
Also, be aware of sunset times.
You don’t want to start so late that you are not able to finish your
round.
It is likely that you will have to prepay your guest fees at
the time of booking, and they can be rather steep. Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath are in the
A$350-400 range, and the others are comparable.
Be aware of the refund policy as well in the event something happens and
you are unable to play.
Make sure you have the proper credentials prior to leaving
the States; be sure to ask what is required at the time of booking. Many of the courses expect you to be a member
in good standing of a private club in America, and, as such, have a letter of
introduction from the Club Secretary (General Manager). If you are not a member of a club here, you
should ask if a letter from your Club Professional, State or Regional Golf Association or some
other organization will suffice.
Unless you have a full group of four, expect to be paired up
with others. This is a great opportunity
to meet others, be they club members and native Melburnians or from another
country. This will add to your
experience and create a lasting memory.
Dress Code
The website for each club will have the dress code. Generally speaking, the dress at the Sandbelt
courses will be similar to many of the nicer private clubs in America. If you elect to go during the Australian
summer (December – February), it can be very hot (100*F). For men, appropriate (Bermuda) length shorts
are permitted (be sure they are neatly pressed), but be careful of the
socks. Long socks are the custom in
Australia, but short socks are acceptable … but not the “peds” or ankle socks
that are common in America. All shirts
must have collars and be tucked in, and hats must be worn facing forward. The women’s dress code will be
comparable. Be sure to be tactful – no
striped shirts with patterned shorts.
Lastly, shoes with soft spikes or knobs are accepted.
Pace of Play
It is very important that you maintain your position on the
course with the group in front of you.
The position of the group behind is irrelevant. There is nothing to keep you from enjoying
yourself as long as you are respectful of the people with you and behind you. Yes, you may have paid a sizable green fee
to play, but that doesn’t give you the right to dawdle. You should walk with a purpose from shot to
shot. Be ready to play when it is your
turn. If you get paired with members
from the course, be ready to play at their pace. Taking photos is accepted, but you don’t need
one of every shot.
Etiquette
Etiquette takes on many different forms. Not only is etiquette your behavior on the
course, but it includes items such as adherence to the dress code, (men) taking
off your hat upon entering the clubhouse, not being too loud or obnoxious and
the language you use … and cell phones. Most
clubs will prohibit the use of your cell phone on the course as a
telecommunications device (the camera is okay).
But, unless you get a sim card that can make your phone able to be used in Australia or
internationally, your smartphone may not be so smart.
Remember, you are a guest at the club.
Just because you paid a sizable amount for the guest fee, lunch or
beverages does not give you carte blanche to do as you please.
Walking/Golf Carts
Virtually all of these
courses expect you to walk. Only
individuals with conditions that do not allow them to walk the course will be
given the opportunity to use a golf cart.
If this is you, you should notify the club of your condition at the time
you make your reservation. It could
require you to have something in writing from your doctor stating this
fact. Carts are limited and may not be
available otherwise.
Some courses will have caddies available depending upon day
and time. If you desire to use a local
caddie, please include that when making your reservation. Not all clubs will have caddies, nor will
caddies always be available at your time if you do not plan in advance. Also, check to see about the caddie fee, if
it is required to pay in cash and the tipping policy. It is far better to be aware of this prior to
arrival so as to avoid any embarrassing situations.
Lastly, most clubs will have push/pull carts available for
your use. This is far better than
carrying your own bag, especially if you brought a larger bag to protect your
clubs in the luggage compartment.
Distances
Remember, distances are in “metres” and not yards. A metre is approximately 10% more than a
yard, so plan accordingly. If you
remembered to pack your range finder, you will be able to get your yardage;
otherwise, brush up on your math skills.
A slight miscalculation will leave you in a bunker short of the
green. Also, check to see about how the
distances are measured. In some cases, the
distance is measured to the front of the green rather than to the middle as it
is in the States. This, too, will leave
you chipping or pitching and scrambling to save par rather than having a
makable birdie putt.
Getting Adjusted to the Sandbelt Conditions
If you are serious about playing well in the few rounds you
will play, you might want to go to one of the local public courses in advance
in order to become adjusted to Sandbelt golf.
There are a number of public courses in the area, so finding a place to
play should not be much of a problem.
Here are two that I would recommend.
Cheltenham Golf Club
Adjacent to Victoria Golf Club is Cheltenham Golf Club. Cheltenham is a nine hole, semi-private
course playing to 2,755 meters (3,000 yards), par 35. But don’t let this fool you. The course is very sporty and very
tight. The fairways are narrow and the
trees made it even more so. The greens are
small and far from flat. As is often the
case with the first round in any new environment, you will spend much of the
time getting acquainted with putting on different grass, learning to convert
distances, playing out of bunkers with a totally different type of sand and
experiencing which trees will allow balls to pass through and which ones will
not (unfortunately, many don’t … just like here in America).
And, at the conclusion of your round is the traditional end
to any round no matter where you play – a pitcher of cold beer.
Sandringham Golf Club
Across the street from Royal Melbourne Golf Club is
Sandringham Golf Course. A tight course
with many dogleg holes, Sandringham will help get you prepared. It is a par 70, 5,646 metres for the men and
4,929 metres for the women (about 6,200 and 5,400 yards, respectively) layout
that is regarded as one of the more challenging public courses in
Melbourne.
One of the most interesting
facts regarding Sandringham is its history.
The current back nine was part of the original Royal Melbourne. After Royal Melbourne moved across the road,
the City of Sandringham purchased the land and expanded the course to 18
holes. But if you don’t have the time to
play, it has a driving range where you can get the rust off. Another fun fact about Sandringham is that it
serves as the parking lot when major events are being held at Royal Melbourne.
Next week: Huntingdale Golf Club
Next week: Huntingdale Golf Club
