Evaluation: The Heritage Golf & Nation Membership

In actual fact, the previous trainer would introduce himself as ‘DGI’ – Rattling Good Concepts.

Inglis, who sadly handed away in 2003 from Motor Neurone Illness, was one of many nice movers and shakers in Australian golf for practically twenty years.

He was the driving pressure alongside Frank Williams in founding the Australian Masters event in 1979, and later the Johnnie Walker Basic. He was additionally instrumental in establishing The Nationwide Golf Membership on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

I first met Inglis in late 1996 throughout a go to to the Yarra Valley and the location of the proposed The Heritage Golf & Nation Membership. Inglis had simply gone into partnership with Dr John Tickell – a physician, best-selling creator and businessman – who had earlier developed the Hyatt Regency Coolum Resort on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Over the following few hours Inglis outlined his bold plan.

Integral to the early success of The Heritage was signing Jack Nicklaus to create two signature programs throughout the 730-acre property dominated by river flats on each side of the Yarra River. One course would lie south of the meandering river, whereas the second can be to the north and enterprise into extra dramatic terrain. Off target, high-end residential estates can be constructed, a formidable clubhouse and spa in addition to a boutique lodge would characteristic.

On the time of our assembly, Inglis had been promoting memberships to the non-public membership for practically a yr however it might be one other 4 years earlier than the brand new nation membership members would get to strike a blow on what is called the St Johns Course – named after the Order of St John of God Catholic spiritual order that previously owned the land.

Nicklaus’ St John format was a tricky and sluggish building with tens of tonnes of sand required to cap the fairways and greens above the clay base of the flats. However because the saying goes “all good issues take time.”

St John opened for play in 2000 and Nicklaus’ first non-public ‘Signature’ course design in Australia has been critically acclaimed ever since.

Nicklaus was famend as essentially the most highly effective participant of his technology however he was additionally its most interesting strategist. He might win a event primarily based on sensible play and, at different occasions, on pure heroics. Nicklaus, the course architect, incorporates these identical attributes into his creations. The St John format rewards gamers who assume their manner across the course and know precisely when they are often aggressive in chasing a superb rating. The Golden Bear as soon as mentioned that to make your greatest rating you could “map after which play your manner via every gap most intelligently.”

“For a few years now, that’s how I’ve designed my programs,” he added. “My primary purpose, then, by way of creating particular person shot values, is to make the participant use his thoughts forward of his muscle tissues.” Technique is the order of the day at The Heritage. However it will be significant that you simply deal with the course from the suitable tee to completely perceive the problem Nicklaus was creating with every gap.

The examination of talent begins on the 2nd after a delicate opening par-4. At 380 metres (from the Blue tees), this par-4 requires an correct drive to a fairway that lies diagonally to the tee. The additional proper the tee shot is positioned on the golf green, the shorter the strategy to the inexperienced. There’s a catch although as this a part of the golf green slopes markedly into tough bordering a big lake. The lake additionally cuts the golf green in two wanting the inexperienced, which is angled to your strategy and guarded by six sprawling bunkers. The great participant searching for a birdie right here ideally requires a left-to-right formed drive and a right-to-left formed strategy shot to even entertain breaking par right here.

Water can also be a significant characteristic of St John’s greatest par-5, the 468-metre ninth. A powerful drive right here actually brings the inexperienced into attain for 2 pictures, however provided that you danger hitting your tee shot into water or sand down the left fringe of the sweeping dogleg left gap. Ideally, in case you take your drive over the large fairway lure, your ball will get a pleasant kick ahead, from a downslope, and into the go-zone. The vast, angled inexperienced options 4 bunkers – two quick proper in addition to one other two lengthy and left – guaranteeing the most effective strategy into the placing floor is from near the water.

Arguably the most effective par-3 on the St John course is its penultimate gap. The 153-metre seventeenth is perched excessive above a number of again 9 holes, simply contained in the boundary of the very best residential viewing factors over the course. The participant with the power to hit a excessive left-to-right tee shot can eradicate the deep scheme of bunkers quick and left of the inexperienced, which – like so many on Nicklaus’ course – is angled to your tee shot.

Nicklaus proposed a routing for the second format, referred to as The Henley Course, which is north of the Yarra and effectively away from the residential growth. Inglis died earlier than the Federal Authorities lastly, in 2003, authorised the development of the format underneath its environmental dwelling pointers.

Slightly than pay the payment for one more Nicklaus signature course, Tickell opted to fee native course architect Tony Cashmore, who had earned popularity of his creations at The Dunes and the Seaside Course at Thirteenth Seaside. It was an awesome determination because the extra pure and wilder wanting links-style Henley gives a major level of distinction to the sculpted manicuring of the parkland St John Course.

As you may count on with holes laid throughout river flats, water and wetlands dominate the scene for many of the entrance 9. However Cashmore’s fairways are generously vast, whereas the greens are giant and receptive so the water hazards can simply be prevented with good ball-striking.

Like Nicklaus’ St John format, there’s loads of technique in-built to Cashmore’s creation. The par-5 2nd gap is a effective instance. At 445 metres from the blue markers, the inexperienced is definitely inside attain for the longer hitter however getting the most effective line into the placing floor requires a tee shot that skirts by the huge fairway bunker reducing into the driving zone from the left. That is the most effective place to work a shot onto the inexperienced and avoiding a pond lurking quick proper. That mentioned, membership choice – to your second or third shot – must be spot on to not solely dodge the water, but additionally keep out of the three expansive bunkers left and lengthy of the inexperienced.

The primary par-5 on the again 9 – the 470-metre thirteenth – leads you away from the river flats and into the largest elevation change to be discovered throughout The Heritage property and to the sting of the Warrandyte State Forest. The climb from the thirteenth tee takes you thru a valley in the direction of a kidney-shaped inexperienced. Once more, skirting the crop of 4 bunkers left of the quick grass will depart the most effective taking part in line up the hill to the perched inexperienced, which lies past 4 giant sandy hazards.

Maybe essentially the most memorable gap on The Henley is the 447-metre par-4 sixteenth, which performs a lot shorter than the scorecard suggests as the outlet plunges straight downhill from one of many highest factors on the format again to the river flats. Whereas it could play shorter, the true problem right here is placing a top quality strike in your strategy shot from a steep downhill lie right into a inexperienced the place deep bunkers hug the proper edge.

There is no such thing as a doubt the 2 programs at The Heritage complement each other fantastically. When you have the time to play each throughout a go to you’ll actually just like the completely different {golfing} expertise every presents, whereas additionally having fun with the widespread threads like technique and the rewards for good shot-making.

Throughout my newest go to to compile this story, some 26 years after that first assembly with Inglis, I used to be very impressed on the presentation of the taking part in surfaces of each programs. That hasn’t at all times been the case at completely different occasions in the course of the membership’s quick, and generally rocky, historical past.

Nevertheless, underneath the present proprietor – Chinese language billionaire businessman and developer, Wang Hua – there seems to have been vital funding in each programs, absolutely complementing the designs of Nicklaus and Cashmore.

Earlier than or after your spherical, take a while to drink within the view from the entrance of the spectacular clubhouse. It’s a placing vista with the completely different shades of inexperienced of Nicklaus’ course set towards the assorted shades of brown of the encompassing Yarra Valley hills.

The Heritage is a non-public member’s membership however interstate and worldwide golfers can contact the membership to rearrange a restricted tee time. Guests are additionally welcome when accompanied by a member, whereas visitors staying on the adjoining Yarra Valley Lodge can even e book tee occasions. 

FACT FILE

LOCATION: Heritage Ave, Chirnside Park, Victoria

CONTACT: (03) 9760 3200

WEBSITE: www.heritagegolfclub.com.au

DESIGNERS: Jack Nicklaus – St John Course (2000); Tony Cashmore – The Henley Course (2006).

PLAYING SURFACES: Bentgrass (greens), Santa Ana sofa (St John fairways), Wintergreen sofa (Henley fairways).

COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Jason Newman (Henley), Jordan Dunstone
(St John).

PGA PROFESSIONALS: Michael Dean (head skilled), Sean Crowe.

GREEN FEE: $100 (weekdays), $115 (weekends). The Heritage is a non-public member’s membership however interstate golfers can contact the membership to rearrange a tee time.

MEMBERSHIP: Non-public, company and junior membership is offered. Examine the membership’s web site for full particulars.

ACCOMMODATION: The four-and-a-half star Yarra Valley Lodge adjoins The Heritage and gives well-appointed visitor rooms and not less than half the rooms get pleasure from a view throughout the St John Course. Lodge visitors are welcome to e book tee occasions.