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KING ISLAND WONDER COURSES OPEN FOR BUSINESS
december 2015 ISSUE #322
TRIUMPH & TRAGEDY THE STORY OF YOUNG TOM MORRIS
McILROY EXCLUSIVE
RORY’S
SCORING SECRETS THE WORLD NO.3 REVEALS HIS KEYS TO FIRING LOWER SCORES
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AUSTRALIAN PGA PREVIEW
STARS READY TO SHINE AT ROYAL PINES
T R AVE L S P E C I A L
TUCKED AWAY IN FORMIDABLE AND SOMETIMES VOLATILE BASS STRAIT, KING ISLAND HAS JUST BECOME THE HOTTEST NEW DESTINATION IN GOLF. WORDS: STEVE KEIPERT & BRENDAN JAMES COURSE PHOTOGRAPHY: BRENDAN JAMES
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HE wait is over. The long-anticipated opening of two world-class links on Tasmania’s King Island has now officially been conducted with the curtain pulled back on two courses that promise great theatre and a lot of fun. Enthused and inspired by the quality of the seaside golf land the island possesses, course developers turned their focus towards the small island, located off the north-western tip of Tasmania in the middle of Bass Strait, a handful of years ago. Once approval was granted for the two courses – Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes – the anticipation of how great these layouts could be has been growing. This buzz has been fuelled with photos of construction and completed holes appearing on social media during the past 18 months. With the world such a small place these days, golfers across the globe have been following the progress of both layouts and have ultimately added King Island to their ‘bucket lists’. Even before the official opening of its 18 holes on October 30, Cape Wickham received nearly 3,000 advanced teetime bookings for this summer from as far afield as the United States, New Zealand, Germany and Sweden. Most, if not all, of these players will also tee it up at Ocean Dunes, which opened its first nine holes on the same day and is expected to have the back nine in play in February. Ocean Dunes director and course architect Graeme Grant has compared
King Island’s new courses to the famous layouts of California’s Monterey Peninsula. “I think we’ve got the opportunity to produce something like Cypress Point and Pebble Beach in the two courses down here,” Grant said. “With such spectacular links land and the opportunity to play so close to the coast, we have something reminiscent of what I’ve seen and played on over there.” Golf Australia chief executive Stephen Pitt said the flow-on effect from King Island’s emergence as a golf hotspot will be felt nationally. “They will be absolutely must-play destinations and I think that’s important in terms of golf tourism,” Pitt said. “I think it offers benefits for the whole of the country. Often those top-end courses are the hook that gets people over but they play a whole range of courses while they’re here.” Grant has been living on King Island for two-and-a-half years and echoed Pitt’s sentiments about the island’s golf potential. “Maybe it won’t happen in my lifetime, but this has got to open up and become some sort of a Mecca for links golf in this country,” Grant said. “As people come down here and see the dunes, they’ve got to be encouraged to do something with them. “I’ve been involved in golf for more than 50 years and came down here about four-and-a-half years ago. When I got off the plane, all I could see was Scottish and Irish links land and it just kept going, and it goes from the
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north-west tip to the south-west tip of the island. It really is incredible to think that people in Australia know so little about the potential of it for golf.” The emergence of Ocean Dunes and Cape Wickham has some in the golf industry predicting Tasmania will surpass Melbourne’s famed Sandbelt as Australia’s premier golf destination. Golf Australia editor Brendan James and deputy editor Steve Keipert recently travelled to King Island to play the courses and see if they lived up to the hype. In short … they did.
CAPE WICKHAM LINKS If you keep your head down while playing golf at Cape Wickham Links, you’re missing the best part of playing golf on King Island. The site is remote, exposed, windswept and stunningly beautiful – or, in other words, everything a truly grand golf location should be. Nearly five years after the land was first envisaged as a golf course, the Cape Wickham layout is now a reality, rewarding golfers who make the trip across Bass Strait with an unforgettable golf experience. The two Barnbougle courses now have company at the top echelon of Australian public-access golf. Cape Wickham’s back story is intriguing. Originally cattle farming land, credit for discovering the site as viable golf course land goes to Andrew Purchase, the founder and former chief of golf course construction company Programmed Turnpoint, during a trip he made to King Island in 2011. So struck by what he’d discovered, Purchase bought a parcel of land south of the Cape Wickham Lighthouse. This land was
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freehold, however, and it quickly became evident that the really perfect golf-course land along the coastline was crown land and would require some high-up persuasion in order to become a reality. Melbourne-based author and course critic Darius Oliver along with Duncan Andrews, the owner and developer of The Dunes and Thirteenth Beach, brought American course designer Mike DeVries into the mix as each began to see the site’s phenomenal potential. Andrews financed the project under the proviso that the necessary Tasmanian authorities grant a long-term lease for the most desirable land. Multiple course architects saw the jaw-dropping location over time and numerous routings were penned before the home-and-away pairing of DeVries and Oliver gelled to come up with the final layout. Work began in June 2013 and the course opened last autumn for some preview rounds before closing through the winter ahead of an official opening on October 30. A pleasant 40-minute drive north of King Island’s largest town of Currie, Cape Wickham Links lies across the northernmost part of the island and in view of the heritage-listed lighthouse of the same name. The tallest in Australia at 48 metres, Cape Wickham Lighthouse was built in 1861 in response to the sinking of the Cataraqui 16 years earlier, when 400 people lost their lives. Aside from its maritime significance, the land has more unique environmental attributes. It is home to a healthy population of short-tailed shearwaters, also known as mutton-birds, which spend their days out to sea before returning home on cue at dusk. They scurry down holes scattered in the dunes and rough within the golf course, leading to an
TRY THE FOOD A day out on the course is one sure way to work up an appetite. Food is king here, and the island’s annual Long Table Festival (April 1 to 3, 2016) puts the island’s fresh produce front and centre. The preparation and consumption of this degustation-type feast takes place over several days and features local beef, lamb, vegetables, rock lobster, oysters, octopus and even mutton-birds, all of which are dressed, adorned and flavoured with local honey, herbs, cream and garlic. If you can’t make it for this gourmet weekend, don’t worry, much of this produce is available locally and you can pick up hints and tips on preparation from some of the friendly locals. And, of course, there is the famous cheese and dairy products of the King Island dairy to sample. Currie, Grassy and Naracoopa all offer a choice of dining opportunities with menus full of the best local produce. In Currie we suggest you definitely need to take some time out to pull up a seat at the King Island Bakehouse, have a coffee and try one of their legendary pies, which are made fresh on-site daily.
advisory warning from the management to tread carefully off the fairways. Small sandstone caves dot the coastline and while most are difficult to spot, one takes prominence beside and below the 12th green, which sits on a small promontory and lures big hitters into attempting to drive the 295-metre par-4. The playing surfaces are fescue throughout, an ideal grass for not just the area but also the types of shots you’ll both need to and want to strike around the greens. As for manmade structures, a temporary – and for now more than adequate – clubhouse sits on high land overlooking the 18th hole and Victoria Cove, while 20 rooms will be built in the near future on equally enticing land near the 1st tee to cater for overnight and extended stays. That option will surely prove popular, as experiencing the Cape Wickham layout multiple times in a variety of conditions will be half the fun. And for those curious about playability in King Island’s capricious weather, microclimates exist all over the island. There’s a reason why locals refer to the northern region as “the desert”. Such is the disparity in rainfall, the area surrounding Cape Wickham often receives half the precipitation of other parts of the island. Keen eyes on-course will spot the more arid vegetation and desert-like pockets King Islanders speak of. The Bass Strait location does serve up ferocious weather on occasions but Grant, Oliver and those who have done their homework and spent time on the island during construction figure golf will be playable 300 days per year, with the bulk of the other 65 falling in July and August. It’s the trade-off with picturesque, coastal locations – Mother Nature isn’t always in the mood for golf. Yet both layouts are designed to cater for the changeable conditions, Cape Wickham in particular.
TAKE A TRAIL The King Island Grazing trails are a network of recreation and food trails covering five distinct areas around King Island. The Grazing Trails are designed to allow visitors to combine the best of King Island’s walks and sights with the most delicious food available. The isolation to be found on King Island means food is not available on many of the trails but local restaurants and supermarkets can provide packed lunches or picnic hampers with local produce. King Island also features several maritime trails where walkers can discover sites of shipwrecks, the safe havens along the coast and the lighthouses in Currie Harbour and Cape Wickham.
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The layout hits you with a couple of spectacular holes then quells the rhythm with a hole or two where the features are more subtle before ramping up the action again.
DeVries and Oliver offer golfers broad playing corridors and holes that provide fair strategies regardless of the wind strength and direction. A pod of fairway bunkers that is scarcely in play one day will move squarely into the frame the next. Lost balls will happen but in sleeves not boxes. Instead, the focus is on playability and variety through multiple playing lines and numerous shot options. Oliver in particular is in favour of fun golf over penal golf, a fact not lost on the project’s financer. “My primary ambition was for DeVries and Oliver to create a course where the focus was on joy or pleasure for all levels of golfer,” says Andrews. “On land like that my personal desire was for everyone to walk off the course just bubbling with pleasure from the experience. This was essential to justify the inherent risk in building a course in such a remote location. “Every golf architect says that is what they do, but very few get there. It is easy to say but extremely difficult to achieve in practice. The balance between a good test for the good golfer and avoiding a torture test for the bad golfer is very fine line indeed. Too frequently, new courses in my opinion err towards the latter (a torture test) as the architect tries to impress the elite and forgets the rest of us. It is always about some compromise or balance.” Likewise, there’s a distinct pace and a flow to the 6,150-metre Cape Wickham routing. Just as a magician reveals his best tricks slowly and methodically, the layout hits you with a couple of spectacular holes then quells the rhythm with a hole or two where the features are more subtle before ramping up the action again. Cape Wickham shows off its best natural assets immediately with the cliffside first three holes but play moves nearer to Bass Strait later in the round in more dramatic fashion. A string of fine inland holes displays the site’s versatility before the water comes firstly back into view and then into play. It’s
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the same with the closing four holes that occupy the land north of the clubhouse. The 14th and 15th holes offer challenges without using the sea or coves before a closing run of holes that does. The bunkering is selective rather than excessive and most bunkers are small but not so small that they don’t catch the eye while assessing a shot. Occasionally, the sand will be the better place to miss a shot as some bunkers prevent balls from slipping into the ocean or from scurrying into a patch of snarly marram grass or up a sand dune. The dunes are a feature of the inland holes. It’s a credit to the design duo that, for such an extraordinarily eye-catching piece of golf land, the best holes might just be those away from the sea. The run begins with the 4th and 5th holes but really gains momentum from the 6th and onto the 9th, two par-5s with different but complementary qualities. The ‘show’ begins with two shortish par-4s along a rocky shelf of Cape Farewell with the ocean hugging the right side of the spacious fairways. The 3rd turns with the coastline for a par-3 that is more open than is apparent at first glance – providing you favour the left side. Superficially, the par-4 4th seems unspectacular and it is visually
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It’s a credit to the design duo that, for such an eyecatching piece of golf land, the best holes might just be those away from the sea.
compared to the opening trio, but holes like this demonstrate Cape Wickham’s subtleties. A blind drive over a rise with the lighthouse in the distance, there is no indicator where to aim yet golfer’s intuition almost compels you to aim at the shiny white tower. Take that line and you will be rewarded with the preferred path into the green from the left half of the fairway, although once again there is ample space up the right but the approach from there becomes a little more complicated. The 5th runs parallel with a fairway pinched in the driving zone by bunkers and dunes before a wonderfully nuanced green complex with the ocean behind. The 6th is a reachable dogleg-right par-5 for almost anyone but the rippled green is a menace if your ball finishes in the wrong portion relative to the cup. The seaside par-3s at the 3rd, 11th and 17th will catch photographers’ lenses, although arguably the best of all to play is the 7th. The hole climbs slightly during its 137 metres to a green angled from front left to back right with a giant swale capturing any shot coming up short or right. A hump short and left and a dune hugging the left edge provide the key contours and will allow canny shots to feed close to certain pin positions. It’s a genius short hole where the correct strategy might only become clear in hindsight. The 8th offers another blind drive over a saddle formed by two dunes from a location that was screaming out to be a tee. The rest of
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the hole reveals itself after the dunes have been traversed and once again the cut grass is far wider than the surrounding terrain indicates. The 9th is a rolling downhill par-5 to one of the best green sites at Cape Wickham. Whether it’s your second shot, third shot or more, entry to the green is over or around a deep sandy gorge on the left from where escapes will be limited and to the left of a pimple-like mound with a bunker set into it. The ocean again forms the distant backdrop to a green that appears to slide into oblivion over the back edge. A chipping depression right of the green is disguised from view for much of the journey and offers the best bail-out option, but that’s a relative term. The 327-metre par-4 10th tumbles downhill through a natural valley towards the ocean to one of the coolest greens on the course. A raised back-right shelf houses a pin position that changes the hole markedly, while other hole locations allow for rolling approach shots to use the contours to find their target. The short 11th features two tees – one high atop a dune, one low and hard beside the sea – before the aforementioned 12th, with its green-on-a-ledge, caps a remarkable run of holes. The par-5 13th is one of the course’s ‘quieter’ holes as play returns to the clubhouse precinct. The final five holes utilise the northernmost reaches of the site, beginning with a par-4 at 14 with numerous angles
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Vehicles are available by booking and can be collected from King Island Airport. From $73 per day Toyota vehicles, iMax 8 seater, Air Con, touring guide. GST and Comprehensive Insurance included in Price. Minimum age 25 years. To Book: Address: 2 Meech St, CURRIE Telephone : 1800 777 282 Email: kicars2@bigpond.com Online: www.kingisland.org.au Hours: Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm Bookings with less than 72 hours notice are available only on request- Phone 1800 777 282
KING ISLAND
RACING CLUB Inc. Restaurant & Accommodation
“Where Surf meets the Turf” The King Island Racing Club Inc. Holds seven race meetings each Session at the North Road Racecourse Complex at Currie. December - January period with a field of approx 40 gallopers & 25 harness horses. It is a unique day of racing having both codes running on the same day. Race Days are relaxed community gatherings with refreshments and food readily available.
Stay, Play, Wine, Dine, Relax & Enjoy Restaurant overlooks King Island Golf Course Escape to Boomerang by the Sea - the perfect tranquil getaway framed by King Island’s rugged coastline and awe-inspiring sunsets
Packages can be arranged to include transfers (airport - motel; motel - golf courses), meals and accommodation The perfect place for your next function, party or wedding.
The King Island Club boasts:FULL TOTE - SKY CHANNEL BOOKMAKER - RACE BROADCASTER Contact Secretary Peter Jakowenko 0427 125 677 E: info@kiracing.com.au W: www.kiracing.com.au Postal Address KIRC, PO Box 257 CURRIE, King island, Tasmania, 7256
Open Mon to Sat nights from 6pm P (03) 6462 1288 FREE CALL 1800 221 288 E sales@boomerangbythesea.com.au W www.boomerangbythesea.com.au golf australia | DECEMBER 2015 107
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of attack available to a green set in a natural bowl at the base of a huge dune. Vigilant golfers will spot the pin position while driving along the course’s entrance road as that, combined with the wind direction, will often dictate the best way to access the flag. The long 15th takes play towards the lighthouse and an understated green before golfers turn for home with a par-4, par-3, par-4 finish with the coastline omnipresent to the right. The 16th rightfully carries the No.1 index, a 377-metre par-4 with a terraced fairway that kicks everything towards the rocks and shore on the right and a hard-to-hit green with trouble all around. The short 17th is no picnic with a lump in the centre of the green to repel shots lacking the required shape. The 18th is the ultimate crescendo. A crescent-shaped dogleg-right, it curls around Victoria Cove from a variety of tee blocks. The beach and lapping waves are very much in play (so much so, the owners added two staircases in order for golfers to safely walk down and attempt recoveries from the shoreline) and the high dune flanking the left side often shields balls from the wind, which can add to the intricacy of the finish. A lone bunker short and left of the green asks golfers to hug the dangerous right edge from the tee in order to set up the ideal angle in, but taking that line requires considerable bravery. Not every course can build to such a demanding and exciting closer, yet Cape Wickham does it admirably.
OCEAN DUNES Ocean Dunes covers idyllic golf terrain with fairways that weave over and between sand dunes, and feature several holes on its two-kilometre stretch of ocean frontage. Located just north of Currie and less than five minutes’ drive from the airport, Ocean Dunes is the brainchild and passion of Graeme
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Grant, who has been around golf all his life – starting as a caddie, then as a greenkeeper, course superintendent and an acclaimed course designer. More than 40 years of experience working on and seeing golf courses around the world, Grant probably thought he had seen it all. Then, four-and-a-half years ago, he arrived on King Island. He originally looked at the Cape Wickham site but figured it was going to be beyond his budget to make a world-class course work on the site. When he was outbid for that site, he looked for another highquality location along the west coast of the island. “When I was shown this site I couldn’t believe how good it was,” Grant said. “There were golf holes to be found everywhere, not just along the shoreline but through the wide natural valleys created by the dunes. There are some very spectacular ocean holes and then you go inland to the dunes and then there’s a creek that flows through the course, so there’s a plenty of variety. The quality of the land away from the ocean is such that we haven’t had to move a lot of earth to create some memorable holes.” Despite his four decades of experience, building Ocean Dunes from scratch has been a steep learning curve for Grant, who owns the course with three other investors, including golf-course builder Bernie McMahon.
more than just food SPECIAL TOURS on KING ISLAND
FOODWORKS KING ISLAND
We can cater for groups of 4, 8, 16 or 20+; Play and Stay, we handle all transfers from Airport, Personal Drop-Offs & Shuttle.
Order one of our delicious hampers today! eLocated in Netherby Road
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Choose from Picnic, BBQ, or Cheese & Fruit hampers for two. You can even add a crayfish or a bottle of bubbles!
½ Day, 1 Day & 2 Day Tours
Licensed venue, able to cater for all occasions. Visitors are extremely welcome and encouraged to use the clubs facilities, and take advantage of the warm country atmosphere. The bistro offers a very attractive menu with local choice cuts and seafood, combined with a windswept roaring forties flavour. The large function room has the capacity to seat 150 plus for any special occasions.
6 Main Street, King Island P (03) 6462 11 44 F (03) 6462 1008 E kingisland@stores.foodworks.com.au OPEN: 7AM – 6PM DAILY
Other features include
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Sky Racing and TOTE ● Free pool tables ● Free Tea & coffee ● Carpet bowls
We use as much King Island product as possible, depending on availability.
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All hampers come with King Island Cloud Juice in an insulated reusable bag (so you can refill it with your King Island goodies to take home).
8 Netherby Road, Currie, King Island Tel: 03 6462 1124 Fax: 03 6462 1306 Email: kingislandclub1@sctelco.com.au
Our packages available for small, medium or large group tours. * Mid Week Prices * Weekend Prices * Single or Groups *World Class Golf * Town Tours * Grazing Tours * Bird Watching * Nature Tours * Fishing * Environmental Private Nature Tours * Historic Ship Wrecks * Photography * Music GOLF TOURS, ENQUIRE NOW We arrange all ACCOMMODATION, MEALS and FLIGHTS*
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KING CRAB ORDERS OF 10KG & OVER (cooked or live & packed to travel) – 24 hrs notice required King Island Seafoods supply all King Island supermarkets and food outlets with fresh cooked Lobster. All orders under 10kg – including Picnic Hampers and take home packs available at: King island Foodworks Email: kingisland@stores.foodworks.com.au
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“We got knocked about a few times by the wind and with that came the salt from the sea,” Grant said. “We needed irrigation in the ground and we didn’t have that and it affected some early growth, but we haven’t made the same mistake twice and everything is now coming along beautifully.” Having spent 16 years as superintendent at the famed Kingston Heath and pioneered the use of Santa Ana couch grass fairways on the Melbourne Sandbelt, Grant has used fescue grass on the fairways and tees, while bentgrass covers the greens. “You worry all the time about whether or not what you’re doing is going to be accepted. I prepared Kingston Heath for three Australian Opens and I had to deal with some pretty pedantic professional golfers over the years, but nothing has prepared me for designing, building and eventually maintaining a golf course on the edge of the Southern Ocean,” he said. Grant’s passion for growing quality playing surfaces is evident the moment you walk onto the 1st tee. Even in their infancy, the fescue tees and fairways are outstanding and beautiful to hit off. The high standard of turf management doesn’t end on the greens, which are surprisingly brilliant given their age. Ocean Dunes opens with a 500-metre par-5 that rises over the crest of a hill and then turns at right angles behind a massive bunker, deep swale and tall dunes to plunge down to a green set against the edge of the rocky shoreline. Standing on the tee, elevated high above the ocean, you can see the putting surface off in the distance to the right and down by the sea. It is a terrific opener, with a big, wide fairway that
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offers several options for you to get from tee to green and, once you have reached your destination, the views up and down the coast are spectacular. The green is interesting too, as it follows the lie of the land and slopes from front to back – encouraging some thought for your approach shot and where to land it. Short par-4s excite all golfers and Ocean Dunes’ 280-metre 2nd hole will, in time, be regarded as one of the finest short two-shotters in Australia. It is a wide driving hole but the green only opens up to those players prepared to risk placing their drive near the right edge of the fairway and the ‘Kelp Track’, which weaves along the shoreline. The further left you go, the more difficult the second-shot approach becomes as it is a blind pitch over a bunker carved out of the face of a large dune. If your drive is too far left on a day when the flag is in the left half of the broad but shallow green, you will have no idea where the hole is as it will be hidden behind the dune. It is a pitch shot that is reminiscent of what golfers face on the famed ‘Dell’ hole at Lahinch in Ireland – it’s blind, over a large dune to a wide, receptive green … if the club and shot selection are spot on. The shortest of the holes at Ocean Dunes will be its most talked about and is destined to be its most photographed. The 130-metre par-3 4th hole is played across an ocean inlet with rocky edges on both sides of the water. The tee is perched just above the waves, while the expansive putting surface is very wide and features a bunker cut into the middle of the front edge. This pinches the target to its narrowest and has the effect of almost creating two greens, left and right of the bunker. A crop of pigface lying between the rocks and the grass short
more than just food LOCATION. LOCATION. George Cottage & Sandy’s Unit.
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THE GEORGE COTTAGE is a modern two bedroom cottage with a fully equipped kitchen and the ideal place to relax and unwind. SANDY’S UNIT has 2 bedrooms with fully equipped kitchen for your convenience. Both properties are centrally located and ideal for short walks around the Currie area. Perfect location for business people or weekend Golfers planning to play golf at Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes golf courses. For DAILY, WEEKENDS or WEEKLY RATES BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL For more information contact MEZ COX
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HAWKER 1000 Seats 8 passengers in excellent comfort. It has the capacity to fly from Essendon to Currie, King Island in 25 mins
PIES, PASTIES, SAUGAGE ROLLS and our FAMOUS CRAY FISH PIES made fresh daily on the premises. Turkish rolls, salad rolls, sandwiches, wraps, foccacias, shushi and salads made fresh to order. Cakes, Coffee & soft drinks also available. Dine-in or Take-Away.
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Hangar 5 Wirraway Road, ESSENDON AIRPORT, Vic. 3041 For Booking your next trip to KING ISLAND
Telephone: 03 6462 1337 Email: kibakery@bigpond.com King Island Bakehouse 5 Main St, Currie, King Island, TAS, 7256
Phone (03) 9379 9299 E: chartersales@shortstop.com.au W: www.shortstop.com.au
With Cape Wickham, King Island Golf Club & Ocean Dunes
King Island is a links golf destination like no other in Australia
Open 7 Days A Week
Three Challenging Courses on One Majestic Island Best Coffee Nutritious Home Style food using Local Produce. Crayfish Wraps Big Breakfasts daily Quiches, Salads and Cakes Scones, Muffins and Focaccia’s.
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CAPE WICKHAM, OCEAN DUNES KING ISLAND GOLF CLUB
Wine and King island Cheese Eat in or take away Enjoy Eddystone Point Pinot with your “King Island Cray” 24 Edward Street, Currie, King Island Tasmanaia 7256 Free WiFi Available Phone (03) 6462 1807 E: Harbourroadcafe@outlook.com OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Based on King Island with personalised island service Tel: 03 6462 1410 Email: renae@golfgetawaysofkingisland.com.au
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of the green flowers pink in spring and summer, adding to the beauty of this spectacular one-shotter. While the 4th hole will be reached with a short club on most days, there will be times when the elements will conspire to make this diminutive offering a real beast, which is what links golf is all about. “We’re in the middle of Bass Strait and some of the days are pretty bad, but most of the year you get great weather,” Grant says. “You get a bit of wind; it won’t be unlike Barnbougle and it won’t be unlike the Mornington Peninsula. “The encouraging thing for us is that people are travelling to play and are prepared to play in those links environments. People who go to those places really love to deal with the elements, as it was when the game started.” Grant’s design then turns away from the coast and through the beautiful dunescape with a long par-5 that climbs gradually uphill and turns gently right across rippling ground. With the prevailing wind at your back, some will entertain the idea of getting home in two shots but the ideal line for the aggressive play is from the left half of the fairway. For those laying up, the third shot is played from a valley flanked by dunes and the wide opening to the green is partial to low-running or high approach shots.
QANTAS GOLF CLUB PACKAGE Qantas Golf Club has an opening special package to help you experience King Island. The package includes three nights’ accommodation at The Island Breeze motel, hot breakfast daily and one round of golf at Cape Wickham, plus nine holes at both Ocean Dunes and the King Island Golf and Bowls Club. There is also car hire available for four days and a King Island Signature dinner, with the package starting from $750 per person and valid for travel through to March 31, 2016. For more details, call Qantas Golf Travel on 1300 742 973. To view other packages and terms and conditions, visit qantasgolfclub.com/golf-holidays
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One suspects when Grant first walked the dunes looking for golf holes, he faced the dilemma of having too many choices. Being spoilt for choice and having a desire to move as little land as possible has given rise to attractive, unique holes. Of the inland holes, the 180-metre par-3 8th is outstanding in its simplicity – the tee is perched on one dune, the green lies on another off in the distance, with two bunkers carved out of the steep slope fronting the huge green and another sand trap cut out of the dune behind the putting surface. It’s simple, stunning and that’s before you describe the views from this elevated part of the course. Two of Ocean Dunes’ most striking and challenging holes are to come when then back nine opens for play in February. The second of the par-3s that require an ocean crossing opens the back nine. The 10th hole will measure 210 metres from the back pegs and presents a daunting prospect for most. But, as is the case on each hole, there are several shorter tee options to make the layout playable for golfers of all standards. From the tee, the view to the green is over the rocky edge of the ocean and the Kelp Track. The ‘Redan’ green, which lies diagonally from right-to-left, is slightly elevated above the tee and slopes from front right to back. There are two bunkers frontleft and another to the right to complicate matters, so the ideal tee
KING ISLAND GOLF Experience the NEW world class links courses on Cape Wickham & Ocean Dunes 3 DAY GOLF and SIGHTSEEING TOURS
Jan 2016 to April 2017
Fly Melbourne to King island by spacious 52 passenger turbo prop aircraft | 2 pilots with 2 cabin crew individual, small and large group bookings | private charter arrangements available bring your own clubs | optional 3 day sightseeing tour for non-golfers
Check website or call for our 2016/17 brochure
Ph 1800 815 906 | golf@australianairholidays.com
australianairholidays/lp/king-island-golf/ Available from your local travel agent golf australia
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SURF, DIVE & FISH Depending on your preference you can either take a surfboard to British Admiral Beach (recently voted one of Australia’s Top-101 beaches), which is usually an excellent place to learn to surf. There’s also a sheltered swimming hole at the start of the beach. If you don’t want to get wet then this is also a very popular fishing beach. If you’re a keen snorkeller you might like to explore the rocky coastline north of Currie and maybe even dive for crayfish or abalone, but only if you’ve purchased a licence to do so.
People are travelling to play and are prepared to play in those links environments. People who go to those places really love to deal with the elements, as it was when the game started. shot here is to find the front of the putting surface and let the ball feed towards the flag. The last of the oceanside holes – the 360-metre par-4 11th – is brilliant. Three teeing grounds are perched above the edge of the sea with a massively wide fairway laid out in front. The fairway has two distinct levels with a crop of three bunkers cut into the slope that separates the high right fairway from the low left. The high right fairway is very wide and far easier to hit than the low left, which is a narrow path between the bunkers and rough. The catch here is that hitting too far right on the high side can leave a difficult blind approach, where taking the risk of finding the left of the fairway will leave a more straightforward shot into a wide putting surface set against an ocean backdrop. Grant has admitted to feeling excited that the finish line is in sight, after spending more than two years living and working on King Island. “We’re nearing completion, with the 13th and 14th being the last to be completed … all of us are looking forward to the new year,” he said. “The natural terrain of 13 and 14 is perfect for golf, high above the coastline and so spectacular that we wouldn’t dare tamper with it.” Grant said the middle holes on the back nine, in particular the par-3 14th, offer the most magical views on the entire property. At just 105 metres in length, the 14th is far from a beast, but with a drop of close to 20 metres to the green, it promises to be a memorable downhill par-3. Comparisons between the new King Island duo and the two Barnbougle courses are inevitable, however both need to be viewed separately no matter how similar they may seem. The two courses are already a success in the sense of delivering a pair of utterly worldclass courses, but they ought to be a financial success too. Just like a well-executed punch shot under a Bass Strait breeze, the vision, investment, effort and sheer courage deserves to be rewarded.
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GET IN THE SADDLE Spend any time on King Island and you will agree the scenery is spectacular. One great way to experience more is from the saddle of a horse. King Island Trail Rides offers the chance to enjoy the scenery and pristine beaches on horseback with rides catering for beginners as well as seasoned riders.
GET OFF THE BEATEN TRACK King Island Tours takes you where others can’t in 4WD coaches, which give you the opportunity to see the hidden side of the island. There’s a fauna, flora, history, great scenery and a dining experience on every tour. There are multiple day tours as well as photography, bird, farm and fishing tours available.
d n a l s I King
Island Breeze Motel
The Island Breeze Motel has a range of accommodation options, to suit small or large groups. Including self-contained accommodation, we are centrally located to the three golf courses, dining and the airport. There are plenty of options for non-golfers as well. So bring your partner and experience King Island - pure sea air, rugged coasts, King Island cheeses and local crayfish.
Book online, or contact: Anna Malley Phone (03) 6462 1260 or Mob 0475 351 807 95 Main Road, CURRIE, King Island E: islandbreezemotel@gmail.com W: www.islandbreezemotel.com.au
Island breeze HPH king island.indd 1
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KING ISLAND GOLF TOURS
your local specialist! PLATINUM PLUS GOLF PACKAGE – GUIDED ■ Return
Airfare from Melbourne ■ All $1,795 transfers and touring ■ One nights’ PER PERSON * accommodation in a Queen ensuite room – overlooking Bass Strait ■ Breakfast ■ Playing two of the newest links golf courses touted to be in the top 50 courses around the world. The 3rd being the quirky Currie links golf course. Cape Wickham 18 holes, Ocean Dunes 9 holes, Currie King Island 9 holes. All green fees including buggy and cart hire. ■ Two morning teas ■ Two gourmet lunches – King Island Crayfish /Paddock to plate with matched wines ■ One 3-course dinner at King Island Harvest Restaurant – King Island’s newest restaurant serving King Island produce. ■ Central tour including King Island Dairy.
SELF DRIVE GOLF PACKAGE ■ Return
airfare from Melbourne ■ Two $1,190 days car hire with unlimited kilometres PER PERSON * ■ One nights’ accommodation in the lodge with shared bathroom facilities ■ Breakfast ■ Three links courses, green fees including cart hire Cape Wickham 18 holes, Ocean Dunes 9 holes, Currie King Island 9 holes ■ One 3-course dinner at Harvest Restaurant – King Island newest restaurant serving King Island produce.
ONE DAY KING ISLAND GOLF – CAPE WICKHAM $890 ■ Return airfare from Melbourne PER PERSON *
■ All transfers and touring ■ Morning tea One gourmet crayfish lunch or paddock to plate with matched wines ■ Visit to King Island Dairy ■
* Valid from 1st November 2015 – 10th December 2016 Prices are based on a minimum four
BOOKINGS 03 6461 1177 Or Mobile 0408 546 469 email bookings@kingislandgolftours.com.au
www.kingislandgolftours.com.au
golf australia
For more information contact 1800 645 014
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WHERE TO PLAY CAPE WICKHAM LINKS Green fee: $150; $195 (all-day rate). Carts $45. www.capewickham.com.au OCEAN DUNES Green fee: $65 (nine holes); $100 (all-day rate). www.oceandunes.com.au KING ISLAND GOLF & BOWLING CLUB Green fee: $25 (nine or 18 holes). www.golfkingisland.com
KING ISLAND GOLF & BOWLING CLUB While all the hype about this new golf hotspot has been focused on Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes, visiting golfers should do themselves a favour by playing the island’s original course. King Island Golf and Bowling Club was established on its current site in 1932 having moved from grazing land in Currie. The course, covering rolling seaside linksland that is fully exposed to the violent antics of the ‘Roaring Forties’ blowing across the Southern Ocean, features 12 greens as well as alternate tees for both nines. Over the years little has changed to the layout, with the exception of three new greens being added in the 1990s and several tees being moved. The opening three holes set the scene for an exciting round. The first drive is blind to a fairway angled away and off to a green set hard against the base of a long sand dune. Whoever decided to move the 1st tee next to the clubhouse and high above the fairway should be applauded. It has turned a good hole into a great hole and while it’s the most difficult par-4 you will play, it is heaps of fun. The same can be said for the 2nd/11th, which plays along the ridge of the aforementioned sand dune. The fairway is wide enough but the player who attacks too hard here can find their ball bounding off the firm fairway into the rough and be left with a difficult shot into the smallish green, which slopes markedly from left-to-right and is cut into the edge of a high dune. A short walk from the back right of the green, across the top of a sand dune, leads to the 3rd/12th tee and brings the ocean into view for the first time. From the elevated tee, the breaking waves behind the green offer an awesome view. The putting surface, ringed by five bunkers, lies at the end of a rippling fairway about 150 metres away. It is a classic links par-3 that demands a different shot with a different club each time you play the hole. Maintained by a small but passionate crew of volunteers, King Island is a gem and has genuine claims of being the best nine-hole course in Australia. When the golfing masses arrive to play Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes, the reputation of King Island’s little nine-holer will also grow.
WHERE TO STAY OCEAN DUNES KING ISLAND HOTEL Located in the Main St of Currie, the hotel formerly known as Parers King Island Hotel was recently purchased by the Ocean Dunes course owners and all the rooms have been extensively renovated. Hotel transportation is available upon request to/from the airport and golf course. E-mail: enquiry@oceandunes.com.au ISLAND BREEZE MOTEL Situated on the west coast of King Island, the motel is fully renovated and has ten rooms and four self-contained units. The service is friendly and the beds comfortable to ensure you have a great stay. Golf and other packages available. www.islandbreezemotel.com.au BOOMERANG BY THE SEA Boasting ocean views over the old links golf course, there are 16 comfortable suites just minutes from the centre of Currie. There is also a fully licenced restaurant with delicious local foods on the menu. www.boomerangbythesea.com.au
HOW TO GET THERE King Island is a 35-minute flight from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport with Rex Airlines (regionalexpress.com.au). Sharp Airlines links King Island with Launceston and Burnie to the south, while King Island Air (kingislandair.com.au) flies daily from Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne. Vortex Air (vortexair.com.au), also operates from the same airport, and is available for charter. Vortex specialises in charters, including King Island as well as Barnbougle Dunes. Their Bass Strait Golf Triangle package includes rounds of golf at Cape Wickham, Ocean Dunes and both Barnbougle courses from $675 per person.
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Experience our reality
P&A
Sea View Cottage & Netherby Downs
Car Rental
King Island Green Ponds Guest House & Green Ponds Cottage B&B’ Green Ponds Guest House offers 4 bedrooms with 3 bathrooms and sleeps 7 people. Green Ponds Cottage has 2 bedrooms, which sleep 4 people. Accommodation is in walking distance to the beach and Currie Golf Course. We welcome you with a King Island cheese platter on your arrival.
Self Contained Coastal Cottages Imagine staying in the ideal location to rejuvenate, relax and reconnect on your King Island holiday. Our cottages offer coastal views, bush settings, fireplace, well equipped kitchen, all linen, starter breakfast pack plus lots more. Uninterrupted sea views. ●
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5 Nights (2 houses) $1500 Accommodate 4 couples or 5 Nights for $650 per couple.
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Mid size sedans, wagons & 8 seaters Auto, air-con and touring guide Holiday or business car rental Self-Drive hire cars are an ideal way to explore the Island’s roads and see the sights. Vehicles are available for pick-up and drop off at King Island Airport to arrival and departure flights.
Terms and Conditions Apply
38 Edwards Street Currie King Island, TAS 7256, Contact Sonia on 0429831047 or (03) 6462 1171 E: kigreenponds@bigpond.com www.kingislandstay.com
Civil Celebrant
For more information contact: Jim or Sharon. Phone: (03) 6462 1938 or Mobile: 0428 785 134 E: jimbenn53@hotmail.com W: www.seaviewcottages.com.au
Phone (03) 6462 1603 2a Meech Street, CURRIE Email: pacars@live.com.au Web: www.kingisland.org.au Opening Hours: Mon-Fri – 8am to 5pm
OCEAN DUNES KING ISLAND HOTEL
Newly Refurbished Rooms Only
When planning your Marriage or Renewing your Vows, King Island provides the perfect location for your Special Day
$180
9 Holes Now Open and 18 Holes Opening in Feb 2016
twin share
Enquiries & Bookings
enquiry@oceandunes.com.au KING ISLAND HOTEL - 7 Main Street, Currie, King Island, Tasmania OCEAN DUNES GOLF COURSE - 5 Minutes from the Hotel
Marriage Celebrant Anna De la Rue For further information contact: Anna De La Rue Registered Civil Celebrant A5351 anna@kingisland.net.au Mobile 0439 394 794
oceandunes.com.au Phone (03) 6462 1633
golf australia
For more information contact 1800 645 014
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