WITH its dramatic surroundings, tree-lined fairways, undulating greens and general number of holes, the Hilltop course at Mollymook by no means fails to ship a memorable {golfing} expertise.
Quantity 38 on Inside Golf’s Australia’s High 100 Public Golf Experiences, readers and trade consultants agreed that Mollymook, positioned some three hours from Sydney on the NSW South Coast, is a favorite amongst common golfers and guests alike.
Nonetheless, as with the best of programs each in Australia and overseas, when casting a vital eye over constructive and damaging features, whereas aiming to do it appropriately and strategically, there’s at all times a case for improve and enchancment.
Which is what Mollymook Golf Supervisor Barry West and the Board of Administrators, alongside revered course architect Ryan Van Der Veen, want to obtain with the course enhancement plan they’ve in place.
Works are underway on the Hilltop course at Mollymook Golf Membership, beginning with a revamp of the par 5 thirteenth inexperienced.
An American course designer with a formidable physique of labor behind him, having labored alongside and for the likes of Greg Norman, Pete Dye and most not too long ago Neil Crafter on an improve undertaking at Glenelg in South Australia, Van Der Veen has been assigned to take what’s there and to make Mollymook, already superb, even higher.
“I’m undoubtedly excited,” Van Der Veen stated. “Twelve to 13 years in the past, Barry (West) began as Director of Golf and he introduced me in at the moment to do a course evaluation.
“Since then, I’ve stated to them the canvas is unbelievable right here. The way in which it sits, the routing could be very strong, the contours are good, the mature bushes, vegetation is unbelievable.”
Now with the blessing of Board and Administration, Mollymook Hilltop is present process the facelift and improve first touted greater than a decade in the past.
“We’re taking a look at six, possibly seven greens which we are going to fully re-design. And the others are resurfaced,” Van Der Veen defined, with the preliminary adjustments underway and going down at and across the inexperienced of the par 5 thirteenth and the world together with the eleventh and 14th tees.
“The very first thing Barry did (12-13 years in the past) was drive me to the thirteenth. That was the very very first thing he confirmed me,” Van Der Veen stated.
The thirteenth begins from an elevated tee, winding its manner down a treelined fairway to a inexperienced guarded on the entrance by a small creek. It will not be the signature gap at Mollymook, nevertheless with its severely sloping inexperienced, the thirteenth is a gap that has at all times challenged, maybe not at all times pretty.
“I checked the inexperienced earlier than I pulled the turf off and there have been spots the place it was a seven per cent slope. With the tempo of greens lately, it was greater than double the share of allowable slope to have a pin.
“The utmost slope we are going to put in shall be two and a half to 3.
“We thought, let’s do that correctly. We’re pulling the creek all the way in which again and making it look the way in which it’s alleged to. We’ve additionally cleaned up a bit of sunshine vegetation to open it up a bit extra.
“That space of the course is type of their Amen Nook. The par three twelfth is fairly strong, the 14th after it, it’s a spotlight of the course,” Van Der Veen reasoned.
Art work exhibiting the plans for the world of the thirteenth inexperienced and 14th tee.
After the revamp to 13 inexperienced and 14 tee; “as soon as full we are going to break into gap 9, the par three close to the clubhouse, which could incorporate the 18th inexperienced as effectively.
“We’re engaged on one thing that might be fairly particular. Making an attempt to reinforce the placing inexperienced space, the again of the clubhouse, to make it a bit extra of an inviting area. Hilltop has been referred to as a reasonably strong golf course, however folks don’t cling across the clubhouse amenities.
“Barry is basically leaning in the direction of attempting to get higher facilities up there as effectively. To reinforce the entire Member and customer expertise.”
Included within the plan is drainage and irrigation work, in aiming to make Mollymook playable and in pristine situation no matter rainfall and climate, whereas the top objective is for Hilltop to face out when in comparison with different programs within the area.
“Mollymook differentiates from the opposite programs on the south coast by its terrain and contouring. However the bunkers and greens look the identical as each different course on the coast.
“We are attempting to get a mode that comes with one thing totally different. We would like folks see a photograph and say ‘that’s Mollymook’,” Van Der Veen added.
However worry not, whereas adjustments are presently going down, with extra to come back, Mollymook’s distinctive set of challenges will stay, the course persevering with to be fulfilling to play.
“We do wish to preserve it playable,” Van Der Veen assured.
