Day 87 - A coastal gem at Port Fairy

Posted by Jamie on 30 March 2010 | 0 Comments | Tags: Port Fairy, links, Victoria

Port Fairy was so named because one day a rogue fairy broke from the pack and, so the legend goes, established his own vineyard which soon became renowned for its astronomically good fortified wine �?? port.  (Not because the town sits on the coast and was at once stage used by cargo ships to berth, as right thinking people might think).  The Port Fairy in his spare time would walk the links land with his companion, a small dug named Hamish.  Breathing in the sea air The Port Fairy would find inspiration for his seasonal releases, and more significantly, for a design hankering that would in years to come bare fruit far tastier than one might detect in a vintage Port Fairy Tawny Port (say, the 1906).  The fruit I speak of is the Port Fairy Golf Club.  And what a pleasure it is.

Now that was all a lot of rubbish.  It being my prerogative to spin trivial yarns I decided a bit of creative writing would help me get through the 5 hour drive from Millicent to Adelaide.  Apologies for my indulgence.  

PF is one of the few �??true�?? links tracks we�??ve come across in our 87 days on the road this year.  Whether it was designed by a fairy or a mortal man, it matters not.  Michael Clayton�??s the current architect, and he�??ll do well not to do too much to this �??hidden gem�?� (as it�??s oft described).  After a while a hidden gem surely ceases to be hidden, and in our experience PF must�??ve passed that mark.  Everyone we�??ve talked to �?? and I mean everyone �?? has asked whether we�??re playing Port Fairy, upon learning our plan was to drive from Melbourne to Adelaide.  They all did so with a lilt of excitement in their voices too.  So when we left Warrnambool yesterday morning at some anti-social hour the culmination of weeks of anticipation was coming steadily to a head.  

PF didn�??t disappoint.  We arrived about 7.25 am, and would�??ve been the first in the car park but for a Melbournian chap of Indian descent who was down for a weekender with his family.  Red skies glowed to the East, signalling a Shepherd�??s Warning that rain was on it�??s way.  Made for a good snap or two in the meantime.

 

Trevor (the Golf Ops Manager) and John (Club President) very kindly took time out of their Sunday morning to join us for a hack.  Another Bledisloe encounter was teed up.  Agricultural blows were struck from the 1st tee.  And we were on our way.  

Mick and me being the masochistic humans that we are were hoping for a bit of wind.  Playing links golf without wind seems a bit like drinking wine out of a plastic cup �?? it�??s just not the real McCoy.  The wind eventually came, mercilessly, on the final stretch as our tired limbs were fading.  For the first dozen holes or so though conditions were perfect (save for a bit of moisture) for half decent scoring.  As we all know, however, golf�??s never as simple as that.  You can have the best sleep in history the night before; the heartiest breakfast upon waking; have cleaned your clubs to a brilliant shine; stock your bag with brand new balls and tees; meditate in the clubhouse before play; get a therapeutic massage from a Goddess on the 1st tee; and the rest.  But golf is a mercurial, even cruel beast; preparation is only that and even fine weather is of limited assistance.  At the end of the day you�??ve got to close your eyes and swing the club 40 times or so a round (if you�??re lucky) and hope for the best.

John hit a Phil Mickelson-like power fade off the tee (albeit right handed), betraying his calibre as a good golfer.  He plays off 8, but was once off 1 �?? and held the course record here for a bit.  Trevor�??s fade was a bit stronger.  Both were Quality Company, and shared with us on the way �??round how the course had changed over the years (the club ripped out a fair bit of ti tree 18 months or so ago, to open it up and showcase the dunes in their full magnificent glory).  I particularly liked a tale Trev told me about the 16th hole, which is a cracker by the way.  

Years ago a bit of scheming was done among Committee members on the subject of earthworks on the 16th.  They umm�??d and aaaahhhh�??d about whether to seek the local Council�??s permission to do the work in mind, and eventually convened an evening meeting to decide the matter.  Still they couldn�??t come to agreement, so the Chairman grabbed the bull by the horns.  �??Tomorrow afternoon,�?� he declared, �??we�??ll all convene on-site on the 16th to decide the matter once and for all.�?�  When they arrived the Chairman �?? whose company owned a digger or two �?? had completed the works, under lights the night before, and asked them all what they thought �?? should we ask the Council now?  What a champion.  He�??s still a member of the club �?? a life member no less.  He did a cracking job with the 16 hole as I said too.

The course is understated.  No gigantic quarry-like bunkers (like you might find across Bass Straight at Barnbougle); no 12 feet deep pots; no elephants in the greens �?? just a beautifully laid out, natural links course.  A couple of the holes (6 and 10) are cut like shelves into the dunes, and have only a solitary greenside bunker between them.  But stray down to the right and you�??ll find deep marram grass; stray far enough up to the left and you�??ll find the same.  With the wind blowing from any direction good luck not straying.  You get the picture.

The stretch from 12 to 16 is among the most beautiful stretches I�??ve ever come across.  12 tee is more or less the southernmost point on the course, perched atop a dune overlooking a wild looking sea.  From there you play a par 5 along the ridge; then a 278 metre par 4 that most Young Guns would go after; then one of the most spectacular holes anywhere, the stroke index 1 400 metre dogleg right par 4 (on which I managed to sneak a cheeky birdie); then a 200 metre par 3 that, when the tees were relocated recently, won best new hole in Australia; then the dogleg left uphill par 4 16th.  Just beautiful.  Then you�??re confronted with a long par 4 and long par 5 that both play into the prevailing sou�??west wind (as they did yesterday morning).  What a back nine.

12 tee

13 tee shot

14 - stroke 1

15 - recently voted the best new hole in Australia

Given the rain came down heavier and heavier as we approached the sheds, we were glad to find shelter and a cup of coffee in front of us.  And a magnificent meat pie to boot.  Our 4 became 5 when another John �?? a lucid gentleman about to retire and get his teeth into some serious golf travel �?? joined us.  The world was put to rest, as it often is, for an hour or so before Mick and I hit the road, bound for Millicent.  Next time I return I hope their plans to install a snaking burn along the 18th have become a reality �?? the idea, touted by designer Michael Clayton, is a good one.  I say �??next time�?� because it�??s a place I�??ll most certainly make the effort to revisit �?? hopefully next time in more windy conditions!

The Bledisloe, by the way, went to the Kiwis, 3&2.  

JP