Bonville International Golf Resort

 
 

Bonville GC- 15th Hole

Bonville Golf Course - 15th Hole

 
Bonville International Golf Resort is a fully contained golf resort located near Coff's Harbour in northern New South Wales.
Coffs Harbour has it's own airport and accomodates direct flights from the major cities including Sydney & Melbourne, making it a perfect destination for a short golf trip
 
The Resort is home to a spectacular championship golf course and has comfortable accommodation and dining on site
The golf course was designed by Terry Watson & Ted Stirling, and completed in 1992 .
The story goes that the design brief was to develop Australia's answer to Augusta National - home of The Masters...

 

Bonville- Australia's answer to Augusta?Bonville- Australia's answer to Augusta?

 

The property was previously a eucalyptus plantation, providing the opportunity to cut a swathe through the vegetation without recourse to conversationalist issues AND providing
a stunning backdrop to the variety of holes winding their way through the lush vegetation.

 

Bonville Resort- hole 17Bonville Resort- hole 17 

 

Coffs Harbour has a real tropical climate with plenty of precipitation, providing a thick verdant frame to each picture book hole.
The routing is somewhat unique in that it winds beautifully through the hills - one could easily lose direction- and there is significant elevation change on a regular basis .
This is not a course to walk- it is basically a cart only course with the longest distance between green and tee of any course I can remember. For me the length between green and tee at Bonville is the major knock on the course
Did I mention water?
Well.. there is plenty of it, used beautifully on most par 5's, the stunning short 15th ,and the all world par 3 17th...

 

Bonville GC- hole 18Bonville GC- hole 18

The bunkering is understated, but strategically placed. The greens are quite severe, in keeping with the severe elevation change of the setting. Originally pent-cross greens they were converted to Bermuda grass in 1999 - and therein lays a problem....
The bermuda grass may be more suitable to the Coff Harbour climate, but the combination of the bermuda grain, and the movement in the greens make putting challenging for some...
Perhaps the green contours were more suited to the original surfaces?
 
Some of the more difficult holes require long uphill approaches to greens set high, and protected by front bunkers. The combination of slope, damp surrounds, and broad leave grasses with the front bunkers- sometimes both sides- means only a player who can carry the ball can reach the putting surface. Older players with slower swing speeds may struggle
There are a number of holes which require a strong uphill approach - 1 , 2, 6 , 9 , 13 & 15 being the most obvious.
 
I thought the par 5's were outstanding with a variety of holes which used both the elevation change, and the ever present water hazards to create really interesting tests of golf...
Holes 7, 10, & 18 were favourites
And I thought the all world par 3 17th would fit in nicely in many championship courses around the world, as would the teasing, tempting short par 4 fifteenth with creek, dogleg, and double water carry..
 
Bonville is a spectacular course that all will enjoy, and few will forget.
And it is a wonderful place for a couple or a group to stay with accommodation on course ,and first class hospitality
Just don™'t expect to shoot low!
 

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