RIVERSIDE OAKS – ‘Bungool’

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Sydney, New South Wales

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New Design

Our new ‘Bungool’ Course at Riverside Oaks Golf Resort opened for play in October 2014. Located less than an hour north-west of Sydney, the new course will be Riverside Oaks’ second 18 hole course, and is set on a beautiful site with spectacular riverfront views of the Hawkesbury River.

The site has many natural advantages which made it possible to develop an outstanding golf course for a comparatively very low cost. During construction, our focus was on the golfing features of the course (ie. greens, bunkers, tees). The fields where the holes were built were covered with a natural couch grass, meaning extensive planting during construction was not necessary.

The emphasis was on refining and finessing the natural shapes to produce beautiful and strategically-interesting holes. Even greater emphasis was placed on the shapes of greens surfaces and the immediate surrounds of the greens. These have been developed to favour different types of shots – both running shots and through-the-air – and to favour approach shots to particular pin spots from the particular angles on the fairways.

The landscape where the course lies is spectacular in places and has a certain ruggedness to it. This suggested a style for bunkers which is still oriented to attractive patterns of shape in the bunker faces – but without pristine edges or finishes. The bunkers have a certain wildness which fits the overall appearance of the course.

In a recent article for Planet Golf, Darius Oliver has described the course as “…what may become the best new course to open in Sydney for 20 years.”

CLICK BELOW FOR BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FIRST 9 HOLES