I really wanted to play on a course with kangaroos roaming around the fairways. Initial checks with the web sites were not encouraging. The course at Wanneroo as recommended by Norm earlier is a private club. Wangaroo did not look attractive enough. So I decided to head to the beach to test a links course.
The Club HouseKennedy Bay was voted as Australia’s No. 1 Public Access Course, so I thought it made the right candidate for my last golf round in Perth. Burswood was a letdown. The GPS took me from Perth to Rockingham. Without it, I would not have found the way to the place.
The CourseThe clubhouse did not look like much. I was getting a bit apprehensive. The sun was at its peak. It was getting very hot. The clear blue sky that Perth is famous for did not help. I chose to walk the course. The links course meant there were no trees for shades. There was no protection from the blazing sun. I was excited to play on a links course for the first time and at the same time I knew I was in for a tough game.
Typical Links Course with small, deep bunkersThe course plays 6,144 metres from blue tees. All the holes carry nicknames like Sunrise (1st Hole) and Sunset (18th Hole). The 497-metre par 5 hle number 5 is called Hell. I was curious about Hell expecting all sorts of troubles. However, I managed a good tee shot and my second took me to about 50 metre to the green. I thought Hell was not that bad. Then, all hell broke loose when my lob shot to the green found the bunker. It took me 3 times to get out. Kennedy Bay’s bunkers were design to mirror Saint Andrews; small deep with steep slope facing the greens.
I was having good long drive, poor approach shots and surprisingly better than average putting. I had 8 one-putts for my round. The score remained disappointing with only 2 pars to show.
The wind began to pick up when I was at the back nine. Then, I began to understand the difficulty of playing on a links course. I had to use my iron wood for a 154 metre par-3 because of the strong wind. Normally my 6 iron would be the preferred club.
The wind began to pick up when I was at the back nine. Then, I began to understand the difficulty of playing on a links course. I had to use my iron wood for a 154 metre par-3 because of the strong wind. Normally my 6 iron would be the preferred club.
The kangaroos having a good time on the fairwaysOn the back nine my luck changed. There were kangaroos running all over the fairways. I saw a couple mating on the fairways of Hole 15. Then again, I saw more kangaroos on Hole 17. My wish to play on a course where kangaroos roam was granted.
More kangaroosIt was a slow and tedious game. There was a flight of 4 golfers in front walking. They offered me to overtake but I stayed behind to take pictures of the course. Walking while pulling golf cart in a hot sun was a real test of a golfer's stamina.
That was a memorable links course experience.
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