Newcastle

The 376m 1st is a sturdy opener - a good drive leaving this mid-iron approach to a dunetop green with few places to miss

The 3rd is an interesting hole of 217m that will force most plays to decide whether to play it as a two-shot or one-shot hole, with the short left bunkers adding interest

Call it a par four or call it a par five - what won't change is that a long iron or hybrid approach to the green at the 414m 4th is a fantastic shot. There aren't enough holes that present such a shot for the average player

There are many drives on the course similar to this at the 368m 5th

The ideal drive at the 367m 6th challenges the left-hand dune to earn an approach that need not carry the fearsome front right greenside bunkers

The superb 148m 7th hole, showing the exposed sand and ferny vegetation found in many rough areas of the course

There's great benefit to driving right at the 326m 11th

The 14th, measuring 391m, is the first of two consecutive long par fours with low-profile greens

One of the most challenging shots on the course is the long iron to the 17th green - another tough two-shotter measuring 385m

Course name: Newcastle
Location: Stockton, New South Wales, Australia
Four Word Course Review: Defines 'natural' and 'understated'

Newcastle is a little bit of a sleeper in Aussie golf, at least that's what I have found. In Sydney (2hrs to its south), when talk turns to top golf courses nearby people will rarely mention "Newie", but any time it gets mentioned, everyone in earshot will mention how much they love it and how great it is.

It's a remarkably endearing place, an extremely friendly club and the course is as idyllic as you'll find - other than on 17 and 18, which flank a fairly busy road. The sea is only a few hundred metres away from the course, so wind is generally a factor.

Above all it uses some very good land extremely well, playing over the sizeable undulations with a good variety of greensites, and accepting the blind (or blind-ish) drives (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11, 15, 18) with generally ample room to accommodate the reduced visibility.

As well as being really natural, the course is fairly subtle - particularly at the greens, which don't feature many large undulations but have enough going on that there aren't many straight putts. Even inside five feet.

For the most part the greens use steady slopes and very slight ridges and gullies to create challenge. In a lot of ways Newcastle's greens remind me of The Valley Club of Montecito. At both courses it's hard to see much in the greens from 100 or even 50 metres away, but the movement is there and it's critical that you keep your ball below the hole.

In and around the greens there is no superfluous shaping. What's there is there for the golf - effective and simple.

I also really like the natural and low-key bunker aesthetics. The course could perhaps handle some bolder bunkering on the wilder land, but in some ways I think the bunkering sums up Newcastle GC: understated, not showy, but effective and well thought out.

The most famous stretch of holes is the 5th through 7th, two mid-length par fours and a mid iron par three.

At the 5th, a draw down to a blind saddle sets up a mid iron approach, unless your length allows you to run down a steep ridge to about 110m from the green. The green is pressed up fairly severely, making a lateral miss an almost certain bogey, while the front of the green is set just beyond a slight upslope - another feature of the course.

The 6th heads back up the hill - also doglegging slightly to the left. A draw is again the best shape, with the ideal driving position down the left beyond the dune. There has been some tree clearing here recently and if the left were opened up a bit more I could see merit in a drive bunker set into the dune on that side, perhaps. The depth of the green is hidden from the driving zone and it uses steady slope to make putting tough.

Finishing the loop, the 7th is slightly downhill to a green defended front right and middle left with sand and behind with a steep run-off.

The three holes are all tremendously challenging and offer really different, interesting shots. That's largely a strength of Newcastle - the approaches are all different and test different shots.

The course doesn't feel long, yet it measures 6200m and the par threes will generally require a wood (217m), a mid to short iron (148m), a long iron (173m) and another hybrid or wood (212m).

The par fives only measure 414m, 473m, 485m and 445m, but the 4th and 9th play up steep hills to the green and both the 9th and 10th play over heavy fairway undulations.

The fours are a varied set, with seven between 361m and 391m, another at 352m and the last couple at 325m and 326m - but with such a variety of land very few play similarly.

Lastly, the vegetation - mostly native species including ti tree, eucalyptus and some ferny heath - is well managed and makes the course feel undoubtedly Australian in character.