Playing every golf course in Melbourne Australia Rd 9: Mt Derrimut Golf Club
I added three new Nike clubs to my bag this week and I brought them to play at the highly recommended Mt Derrimut golf course. As you know I am playing every course in Melbourne, so if you recommend a good course in the comments I will go and play it.
Mt Derrimut is thirty minutes away from the city. It’s the most challenging course I have played to date. There are sand bunkers on every fairway and water hazards everywhere. Which as you will see throughout the video, swallowed up that lovely sleeve of Srixon Divides I got in the previous video.
I played from the Black Tees, to make it as hard as possible, and it certainly made the course a very long one for me. Hole 1 Par 4 372m. I decided I would only hit my new 3-wood from the tee, so I could practice with it today. It got off to a good start, landing me 220m in the middle of the fairway. I hit an 8-iron at the flag and landed on the green. My putt went close and I tapped in a par to start.
Hole 2 is a Par 5 475m. I tried to hit over the bunker, but it didn’t make it. I tapped a 7-iron back towards the fairway and hit an 8-iron towards the flag. It veered left, so I used my new 56-degree wedge to chip it greenswards. I had a 10m putt for par. It went close and I tapped in a bogey.
Hole 3 is a Par 4 343m. I bombed a drive straight down the fairway and had a pitching wedge to the green. Again, I pulled it right and it rolled into the rough. My chip rolled past the hole and I had a long putt to save par. Again, it was a decent putt but it didn’t fall and I took another bogey.
Hole 4 is a Par 5 494m. I tried to hit over the bunker again. Low and behold, I ended up in the sand. I tried to progress with a 7-iron, but didn’t catch it well at all for some reason. I broke out the Nike 5-wood here for its first outing, and it makes a beautiful sound when hit. It brought me to within pitching distance, to try out the 56-degree wedge again. I haven’t got it dialled in yet and I hit it over the back. I chipped it close and sank a putt for bogey.
Hole 5 is a 358m Par 4. Looking back now it seems the 3-wood carry is around 200m, because I landed in another bunker here. I hit a really good 7-iron this time and it nearly makes the green. My chip is a bit shorter than I hoped and I has a long putt to save par. It doesn’t come close and I take another bogey.
Hole 6 is a 142m Par 3. I hit a 7-iron at the flag and hit the green. I have a difficult putt with unsure movement from around 15m. My first effort goes relatively well, and I’m all set to tap in a par, until it veers right and leaves me with a bogey.
Hole 7 is a Par 4 388m. I utilise all the new clubs here. I push the three-wood right and hit the five-wood to get myself back in play. I try to pitch my wedge onto the platform green, but it’s not accurate. My chip is though and it leaves me with a tap in for bogey.
Hole 8 is a Par 4 352m. And this time I manage to clear the bunker. But I hit an unusual shot and sliced it right into the tree. My pitch actually landed in the bunker, but I had relief because this bunker is under repair, so I dropped it in the assigned spot and chip it towards the hole. I decided to putt from the fringe and it went close enough so that I could finish out the hole for a double bogey.
Hole 9 is a Par 3 138m. The crosswind catches my 8-iron, and it pulls more left than expected. I pitch it back over the ledge and thankfully it was close enough to the hole that I had a shot at par. It doesn’t fall and I take another bogey.
Par for the front nine was 36 and I shot 45, which is 9-over-par. 1 double bogey, 7 bogeys, and a par. I felt as though I played reasonably well at the time, but looking back I should have played smarter and not hit as many bunkers. And again, I am not saving any pars with my putting.
Kooringal golf club
Starting the back nine, Hole 10 is a 378m Par 4. There were a few gentlemen in gantry watching this one, so I was delighted to pipe it down the middle of the fairway. I hit a 7-iron at the flag and made the green. I had a long putt from here and didn’t get as close as I wanted it to. So, I was left with a tricky putt for par, which didn’t sink. Hole 11 is a Par 4 298m. Again, I smoke this drive, bang smack in the middle of the fairway. I hit a pitching wedge to the green and it just manages to catch the edge. I have a long 15m putt for birdie. I smash it at the hole and expected it to fly way past it. But it crashed into the flag pole and falls. I think this is only my second birdie in Australia, and in particular I am delighted to finally have dropped a putt from distance. Even if it was a fluke. Hole 12 is a Par 3 173m. I hit a 5-iron and again I land in a bunker. I managed to escape but leave myself with a long putt for par. I nearly make it but it doesn’t drop and I take another bogey. Hole 13 is a Par 5 518m. I hit a good drive, but there’s a water hazard ahead and I decide to play up to it instead of over. I hit my 5-wood from here and it’s long. Over the back and into the sand. It flies out with no spin and leaves a long putt for par. I get it close and tap in another bogey. Hole 14 is a Par 378 Par 4. I smoke my drive down the middle and try to hit a 5-iron at the green. I feel like I’ve been in the sand on every hole today, so it’s no surprise I am here again. At least I am getting good practice chipping out. I have a putt for par, I think it’s going to fall but it whizzes by and I take another bogey. Hole 15 is a Par 3 158m and this is where I start to go downhill with the lost balls. Water left and bunkers right. Pick your poison. My first shot ends up left in the water and my provisional just escaped the right bunker. My chip doesn’t catch the roll of the hill and I have to two-putt from here for a triple bogey. Hole 16 is a Par 5 490m. I hit a decent drive to the edge of the fairway and I hit my 5-wood towards the green. I have no idea where that ball ended up, and after a moderate amount of looking around, I have to drop a ball and take a 2-shot penalty. Thankfully my chip goes close and I tap in a bogey. Hole 17 is a Par 4 406m and I top my drive into the drain in front of me. That’s three lost balls in three holes. I feel like I am playing at Ballyhaunis Golf Club at this point. Thankfully, this one lands on the fairway, and I tap it towards the green and have a chip to save bogey. It comes close and I tap in a double bogey. Hole 18 is a Par 4 343m; back to the club house. I smoke my drive straight down the middle. I’m a bit blinded by the sun and it’s only fitting that I push my 9-iron into bunker so I can try this one out as well. I land at the back of the green, and blade my chip. It’s not hugely disastrous and I can still put for bogey. It doesn’t fall and I take a double bogey to close out the round. So, this was the hardest course I have played so far and that’s reflected in my score of 20 over par. I certainly made use of the bunkers and I think golf app showed that the rake was my most used of the day. I would summarise this as a challenging course, where you have to play smart golf to get around. This is definitely a course I will have to come back and try to beat this score. Otherwise, I was happy enough with new clubs, I hit the 5-wood decent from the fairway. I hit the 3-wood nicely off the tee, I just didn’t have the distance dialled in for it on the first day out. Similarly, with the 56-degree wedge I will need to spend some try on the practice greens to get the on-course benefits out of it. So, if you made it this far, give my page a follow to see some more of Melbourne’s golf courses. If you can recommend somewhere for me to play, drop it in the comments and I will go and play it.