Yarra Yarra

What a clubhouse!

The 4th is a new hole, designed by Martin Hawtree, that maintains the high standard of the par threes, along with the 11th and 15th - and all very different from one another

The difficult 11th calls for a faded long iron to a green flanked by trouble

Approaching the 12th, its green pitched steeply from back to front

A wonderful short par three, the 15th

Course name: Yarra Yarra
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Four Word Course Review: Par threes the standout

While many of the holes at Yarra Yarra are currently a bit overpowered by trees, it has a handful of great holes and a set of greens that I loved for their putting difficulty and approach challenge.

The likes of the 5th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 15th and 18th greens were difficult to read and really rewarded a ball placed below the hole. A number of them break much more than it looks like, which I credit to the long, steady slopes on much of the course making it hard to work out what's flat and what's an easy slope.

The 15th especially was a fantastic green for a short par three, coupled with some vicious bunkering. The steep tier rewards precise distance control and, with a front pin, gives the imaginative golfer options for working the ball towards the hole either from the tee or when recovering from the sand. As a similar beast to 13 at Royal Melbourne (East), 13 at Royal Melbourne (West), 10 at Kingston Heath and 11 at Metropolitan - ie. flat land, plentiful bunkering, bold green - I'd rate it the best of the bunch, which is no mean feat against that field of contenders!

But for all that praise it's probably not even the best par three on the course - with that title probably claimed by the 11th, flanked by deep, expansive bunkers and the green set up with something of a nod towards the reverse Redan concept. A great opportunity for the talented long iron player to show off his skills.

Another standout is the long par four 5th, the drive calling for a fade over a bunker that unless the hole is into a strong wind is likely to be flown with ease by most players.The approach is from a hook lie that will assist with the draw into the green than the land and the bunkering combine to call for. Recent technological advances have probably reduced its challenge somewhat, but it's still a smartly designed hole over quality land with great scale to the features (which is lacking two holes later at the 7th, the left-hand greenside bunker dwarfing the green).

The par five 9th has a lovely lay of the land green that falls from right to left, while the par four 2nd makes good use of some lesser land, with smart bunkering inside the fairway and a tricky green.

The 12th is a great example of the tree encroachment's effects. The daring line down the right, over the fairway bunker, is made less tempting by the thick trees on that side. But, as with the 3rd hole (which has recently been altered to move play away from the boundary), the tree coverage is necessary to keep balls away from neighbouring homes. Trees removed from the equation, the 12th is a brilliant hole.

Unfortunately balls in backyards = expensive repairs and legal exposure, so while the new 3rd might not be a great hole in everyone's eyes, it solves a major problem and expense for the club.

There's a lot of work underway at Yarra Yarra to recapture former glory and lift many of the holes to the league of the standout holes, with tree removal planned.

Let's hope it continues, because the land, the best holes and the incredible Spanish clubhouse will really shine when the ongoing tree removal and subtle redesign work on several holes has been completed. Tree removal will not only increase playability, more open vistas would give the property a greater feeling of spaciousness and also open up views of the course from the clubhouse (and views of the clubhouse from the course!).

Granted, clubhouses are a sidenote to the merits of the course, but at Yarra Yarra the clubhouse really is something special, both inside and out, and desrves special mention.