Royal Sydney

The glorious 5th green falls away on all sides, with plenty of bunkers waiting to be fed

The 18th plays back to the foot of the brilliant clubhouse and is a fitting end to an enjoyable round

Course name: Royal Sydney
Location: Rose Bay, Sydney
Four Word Course Review: Front nine outshines back

Royal Sydney is definitely one of those places that is more about the club than the course, but the Australian Open venue, redesigned by Ross Watson in 2003, has its moments.

The flat back nine terrain stands in the way of the layout reaching significant highs, but there are several strong holes and memorable features on the front side and in the closing stretch.

A reachable par four greets you as the opening challenge, and despite a tempting opening to the green over the sea of sand in the fairway, it's one - like the opening holes at NSW, Woking and North Berwick - that might be more likely to have you reaching for the driver were it later in the round.

At the par five 2nd, a fantastic centreline bunker set into the front of the green dictates the lay-up strategy in conjunction with the day's pin position, while the 4th and 5th greens sit high above the surrounding terrain, accepting only a perfectly-positioned approach and shrugging anything else into deep bunkers or down tightly-mown slopes away from the putting surface. It's the kind of severe, one-dimensional design that characterises Watson's work.

The par five 7th tumbles naturally over land perfect for golf, before the second reachable par four of the day at the 8th, where, perplexingly, the ideal angle to the green is from as far away from the drive bunkering as possible. The 9th green ends the outward side on a higher note, the green nestled into a sandy hillside.

The disappointment as you walk downhill off the 10th tee is that the best of the terrain is behind you, and most of the best holes are, too. Where the front nine follows the boundary fence on three sides, the back plays up and down the centre of the property.

Trees begin to dictate the strategy on the way in, to the detriment of several holes, particularly the 12th, where a drive leaked right would leave a tantalising but very difficult approach over sand to an angled green were the driving zone not overcome with trees.

Three holes later, the 15th is not much more than an over-indulgence of length and sand played over level ground.

The gold standard of the three-shotters that is set on the front continues with the 13th and 16th, which both feature fantastic greens and a smart use of some of the better back nine land - particularly with the placement of the centreline lay-up bunker in the face of a diagonal ridge at the 16th and the two-tier plateau green at the 13th.

The home hole returns the golfer to the foot of the stylish clubhouse, the greensite at the base of the hill a combination of ample sand, a tough green and plenty of mounding for spectators: the perfect place for a national championship to be decided.

If there is a general disappointment at Royal Sydney other than the back nine terrain it's the repetition of the par threes. The first three are mid iron drop shots to greens well-defended by sand, before the 17th dishes up something different, but perhaps too severe for the long iron it requires.

Inside after the round, there are few clubhouses that are more fun to explore with a drink in hand. Photos galore adorn the walls, documenting the club's history, both as a tournament venue and a haven away from the bustle of the city for its members, who also enjoy tennis, lawn bowls, croquet and squash, as well as a nine-hole golf course that offers a less demanding test than the main course.