Barnbougle Lost Farm, Bridport, Tasmania

https://barnbougle.com.au

Mens' Terracotta (Boobyalla) par 78 (20 holes), SSS 71 (18 holes), 6102 metres
Ladies' Blue (Melaleuca) par 79 (20 holes), SSS72 (18 holes), 5338 metres

Take a flight from Melbourne to Launceston in Tasmania and then drive for about one and a half hours north and you will arrive at the golfing haven of Barnbougle.  Set on the north east coast of Tasmania there are two beautiful true links courses, Barnbougle Dunes and Barnbougle Lost Farm.  The complex, although smaller, is reminiscent of Bandon Dunes in Oregon which is testament to the fact that the developer Richard Sattler had advice from the Bandon Dunes founder Mike Keiser.  Barnbougle is named after Barnbougle Castle on the shores of the river Forth near Edinburgh, the home of the original owners.  The second of the two courses,  Lost Farm was named after a portion of the original farming land which became surrounded by sand dunes and was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the architects of Bandon Trails.

The 3rd hole at Lost farm

We played Lost Farm on a warm, calm but wet day  The course is on classic links land, with large sand dunes reminiscent of many British or Irish courses but only a few glimpses of the sea or of adjacent holes.  The fairways were wide but the rough was suicidal marram grass, guaranteed to swallow up a stray ball. The greens were less fast than they appeared, possibly because of the rain, but all of them were sloping making many putts very difficult to read.  With a total of 20 holes this is an unusual course.


The first memorable hole is the 3rd which is a short par 4 on the side of a sand dune with a large bunker threatening the drive in the middle of the fairway.  The green is steeply contoured so it is essential to keep the ball below the pin, as in most of the greens.  With a lovely view from an elevated tee overlooking the dunes to Barnbougle Dunes the 4th is the first of the strong well bunkered par 3s on this course,  Hidden behind a huge sand dune with a bunker at its base, the drive at the 5th is blind to a curving fairway leading to an elevated green.  The 6th is another par 3 with a long carry to the green and some impossible pin positions, especially behind the bunker guarding the right side.  The next few holes were pleasant but not really memorable until the 11th where there appears to be a wall of bunkers awaiting the drive.  The 12th is a par 5 which doglegs to the left, followed by the 13th with its green nestled in a hollow between sand dunes.

The 4th is guarded by a large bunker short

13a, one of the extra holes

Then comes the first of the extra holes, 13a which is another well bunkered par 3 from an elevated tee.  Another big carry faces the player at the 14th tee which is a short par 4 with a green protected by runoffs.  The 15th is a par 3 sheltered in the dunes but with great views of the beach and overlooked by the restaurant at Lost Farm which must be one of the most scenic golf club restaurants in the world with a wall of glass overlooking the course and Anderson Bay.  Do not be distracted by the views as the green is a tricky back to front sloping one where a 3 putt is easily achieved.  The 16th and 18th are long par 4s, separated by another strong par 3.  The final extra hole is 18a which is a par 3 with lots of bunkers and a viciously sloping green.

                                                                         

                              

                      The clubhouse has magnificent views

Worth playing?  A long way for us Scots to travel but worth every mile.