72 (World) Barnbougle Lost Farms

May 22, 2014

After playing two rounds at Bandon Dunes the day before, I had a wonderful dinner at the restaurant at Bandon Dunes and followed it up with a terrific nights sleep that night before after playing Bandon Lost Farms today. Let's start with a little recap about my journey to the Bandon Golf Resort. This recap is from the beginning of my blog about Bandon Dunes. After playing both courses at Royal Melbourne and the course at Kingston Heath, I caught the 90 minute flight to Launceston on the island of Tasmania. I had been warned that Barnbougle Golf Resort was remote. I have been to my share of remote golf courses and thought the trip to Bandon Dunes was in the middle of nowhere. Barnbougle trumped that experience. As my arrival time was going to be approximately 11 pm, I had called the resort from the Melbourne Airport. They advised me the cottage would be unlocked and the key would be left on the counter. This was my first clue that this was a remote location.

After landing in the small city of Launceston, I picked up my rental car and headed north. Even though it is only 20-25 miles from Launceston, it is a lot of winding roads through forest and mountains. I had to drive slower than the 70 kph posted limit as there were at least 50 kangaroos that kept jumping across the road. On top of it, the sun had set a few hours prior so I didn't want to find myself in a ditch with no help for days. The drive took approximately 90 minutes to make. Just as I had been advised on the phone earlier in the day, I found cottage #20 unlocked with the foyer light on and the key on the counter.

The weather for today was a 180 degree difference from yesterday's rounds at Barnbougle Dunes. It was cloudy and overcast with thick humidity in the air. True to a links course, the weather was a factor in the round.  For the first hole, it remained overcast. On holes 2-4, the rain started. On holes 5-12, it cleared a bit. On holes 13-18, Mother Nature showed her full fury with winds of 30 mph and gusts to 40 mph, driving a downpour of rain sideways. The last eight holes were interesting to say the least!

When I just typed last eight holes, you may have said, "Wait a second. He said holes 13-18. That's only six holes." Yep, there are 20 holes on the Lost Farm Course. There is a 13a and 18a, both par 3, and they will also be included in this blog write-up.

After checking in at the proshop, buying a new logo shirt and logo golf ball, I made my way outside and picked up a pull cart. I met Abigail, one of several dogs on the course. My understanding is they keep "rodents", such as kangaroos, of the course. She was a love sponge, soaking up all the petting and attention I gave her.

Abigail the golf dog

The clubhouse is part of the same building that houses the inn. I have seen photos and it appears to be a normal hotel. I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to stay in the cottages so I don't have a first hand account of the rooms at the inn.  The restaurant, pictured in the left side of the photo below, sits at the highest point of the property. All tables have a stunning view of the ocean and the 15th green. I had both breakfast and dinner at the restaurant and recommend it for both. Lunch after my round was spent in the sports bar, having pizza and beer and watching NHL hockey playoffs at 1 pm local time.

The clubhouse, restaurant and inn are located on the highest part of the course.

Like Bandon Dunes, there are four sets of tees. They are the same color scheme as most courses in the United States but are arranged in a different order. The tips are black, the standard are red, the beginner are blue, and the ladies tees are white. I opted to play from the red tees during my round here at Lost Farm.

The first hole is a par 5 that plays to 444 meters. It starts on an elevated tee box, just below the clubhouse. The drive carries across a long stretch of scrub brush with a large landing area on a wide fairway that turns left. Bunkers to the left are almost always in play for the average drive (220 yards or so).

A look down the fairway from the 1st tee box. 

Once you clear the first set of left-side fairway bunkers, it is a fairly straight approach shot into the green. There is a large bunker on the right side of the green that should be avoided. The green is fairly flat and easy to putt in for a good score to start the round.

A look into the green from 200 yards out.

The second hole is a 304 meter, par 4. Like the first hole, it is a long straight drive followed by a straight fairway to the green.

A look down the fairway from the 2nd tee box.

There is nothing that really stands out from the tee box or along the fairway for the second hole. As you close in on the green, you do see a large, wind-blown bunker to the right. It should rarely come into play. The green is also fairly flat and unexciting, and the chance of starting birdie-birdie is fairly good.

A look into the second green from 100 yards out.

The third hole is where the course starts to get interesting in my opinion. It is a short par 4, playing to 232 meters. The challenge comes from a complete uphill fairway to an elevated, two-tier green. The fairway is fairly narrow in comparison to the first two holes, with unforgiving rough on both sides. If you hit your ball into the rough, it will be a tough task to find it.

A look down the fairway from the 3rd tee box.

The green is two-tiers and sloped right to left to coax your ball to roll down hill and back onto he fairway or into the green-side bunkers. The scrub brush that surrounds the backside of the green severely punishes any shot that travels past the green.

A look into the 3rd green from 75 yards out.

The fourth hole is special. After walking uphill over a dune from the third green, the ocean comes into view. The tee box is one of the highest on the course, with ocean along the right as far as you can see.  It looks downhill to a short, 112 meter par 3. It is one of those holes that give you a view that reminds you of why you play golf. I sat on the bench, located behind the tee box, for about 10 minutes to just take in the full scene.

The green slopes down to center from both sides. The pin placement on this day was to the right, making it very tough to stick the ball. I landed within 3 feet of the hole but the ball rolled down to the center of the green, leaving me a 15 foot putt.

A look into the green from the 4th tee box.

The fifth hole, a 400 meter par 4, turns away from the ocean and plays back inland. It is one of the most difficult tee shots on the course from an elevated tee that plays through a narrow valley.

A view down the fairway from the 5th tee box.

After driving past a 60 foot tall dune on the right and a 30 foot dune on the left, you find the fairway in a valley that turns right and uphill towards the green. There is a barely visible sand trap on the right side of the fairway that is mostly obscured by the dune on the right. It sits at around 180 yards and is approximately 40 yards long so care should be taking to try to stay on the left side of the fairway.

A look towards the green from just beside the right-side fairway bunker.

After landing in the valley, you find yourself 150 meters or so away from the uphill green. It is a fairly straight shot to the green, with nothing but the rough on both sides to worry about.

A look into the green from 150 yards out.

The green is an undulating green, rolling several different directions. This is the toughest green experienced thus far and you want to get as close as possible to the pin to avoid having a putt hat will break three different ways on the way to the hole.

A look into the green from 75 yards out.

The sixth hole is a 147 meter par 3. An elevated tee gives a good look to the green that is guarded by a large, wind-blown trap found on the front right. If the winds are up, then they are likely to be blowing directly into your face as the dunes seen in the photo below are all that is between the course and the ocean. If that is the case, expect to have to use 2 or 3 extra clubs to get to the green.

A look into the green from the 6th tee box.

The seventh hole is a par 4 that plays to 363 meters. Around the 180 yard mark is a large dune that crosses the fairway and gives you an option to take your drive left or right.

A look down the fairway from the 7th tee box.

If your drive goes straight down the middle, and you can't clear the dune, your approach shot will be a blind one over the dune. If that is the situation you find yourself in, you will want to hit over the right center of the dune as the fairway turns slightly to the right and uphill. Just don't go too far right as you will find one of the numerous traps on that side of the green.

A closer look at the large dune that crosses the fairway.

If you opted to drive right, you will have a shorter, but more difficult, approach shot to the green. There are several bunkers you will have to cross, and the green slopes down hill from left to right.

A view into the 7th green from the right side of the center dune.

If your drive has found the left side of the fairway, your approach shot is fairly straight onto the green. It does slope back towards you so you don't want to come up short.

A view into the 7th green from the left side of the center dune.

Just past the center dune is a hidden trap (see below). You can just make it out on the left side of the photo above. The architect must have had a sense of humor placing it here. A golfer feels good about driving straight and long over the center dune only to find their shot is likely in a moderately deep trap.

A closer look at the trap hidden behind the center dune.

As long as the approach shot clears the traps on either side and the sloped front, the green is fairly flat and level. After all the decisions you had to make to get here, a nice easy putt is definitely a worthy pay off.

A look into the 7th green from 60 yards out.

The eighth hole is a par 5 that plays to 525 meters. After a sizable drive over scrub brush, the fairway turns left and is sloped from right to left. The road follows the left side of the fairway so the proper play is to drive to the right side of the fairway and let the natural slope lead the ball back to center.

A look down the fairway from the 8th tee box. 

A look down the fairway from the center where the drive will likely land.

After you clear the scrub brush, the next obstacle you will find is a large trap on the left side of the fairway. It likely won't come into play except for the longest of drives or a mishit on the second shot.

A closer look at the mid fairway sand trap.

The likely third shot is going to be across a series of smaller traps and onto the green. There is a large, sandy, waste area down the right side of the last two-thirds of the fairway. The green slopes away from that area to assist the mind in staying away from it. If you find yourself down there, not only do you have to contend with sand, but also a tall edge and likely blind shot onto the green.

A look into the 8th green from 100 yards out. 

The ninth is a 291 meter par 4 that plays back towards the clubhouse. The drive is through a narrow opening but to a large, two-tiered fairway. A mishit on the drive can send it down into a small valley of scrub brush to the right.

A look down the fairway from the 9th tee box.

The drive can place you in a good or bad spot. I stood in both and found the easier of the two shots is the upper tier of the fairway. There is a better view of the green from up top, and depending on where you find yourself on the lower tier, could possibly be a blind approach shot.

A good view of the two-tiered, 9th fairway.

 The straight on shot has very few hazards to worry about. The green slopes to center from both side, and when the pin is on one side or the other, it can make for a difficult approach shot. There are several green-side bunkers to contend with if you don't find the green.

A look into the green from the upper tier of the fairway at approximately 120 yards out.

Just like the front nine, you start the back nine with a par 5. The 10th plays to 512 meters and is a dogleg left.  The narrow opening you see from the tee box is actually not as bad as it looks. The fairway is fairly wide and turns left just past the left dune in the photo below.

A look down the fairway from the 10th tee box.

After clearing the dune and turning at the dogleg, you find a fairly straight shot to the green, with only a large dune and trap on the right and a small trap on the left.

A look down the fairway from the turn of the dogleg.

The approach shot into the green finds the green guarded by a large, left-side trap. As the green slopes away from that trap, hitting out and stopping the ball close to the flag is going to be a tough task since the ball will likely roll quickly downhill.

A look into the 10th green from 120 yards out.

The par 4, 390 meter eleventh hole is a blind tee shot over traps and a hill, followed by a downward slope towards the green. Even though the green is off to the right, you want to keep your drive to the left side as there is a trap on the right side of the fairway just over the hill.

A look down the fairway from the 11th tee box.

Once you clear the hill, the green is still hidden from view but the tip of the flag can barely be seen. It is down and to the right, so a slight left to right fade is a perfect approach.

A look down the fairway after clearing the hill.

Once you start down the hill, the green comes into view. It is a fairly flat green, guarded on the right by a sand trap.  Hit it to the center of the green and you should have a good shot at par or birdie.

A look into the green from 120 yards.

The 12th hole is a long and fairly straight par 5 that plays to 466 meters. In the photo below, the fairway turns slightly left just past the left-side trap. A shot to the left center of the fairway will shorten your second shot towards the green, but there is plenty of room for the ball to roll if it is struck down the center or right side of the fairway.

A look down the fairway from the 12th tee box.

If you hit long drives, you will want to stay away from the right side. The ball can come to rest in a position that forces a blind second shot.

A look towards the green from 175 meters out.

If your drive was left center, when you get up to the ball for your next shot, you will find a long straight approach to the green. There are a series of traps dotting the fairway to avoid.

A look down the fairway from 200 meters out.

Once you're finally near the green, you will find it is guarded by a few, steep-sloped bunkers. The green is fairly flat and should make for easy work on the putt.

A look into the green from 75 yards out. 

The 13th is a 360 meter, Par 4. It is a dogleg left that plays fairly straight forward. The drive has 220 yards or so to play with before the turn so a three wood is advisable off of the tee.

A look down the fairway from the 13th tee box.

After the turn in the dogleg, the fairway is straight to a relatively flat green, with little challenge in the way of hazards.. This is the most mundane hole of the entire course.

A look into the 13th green from 200 yards out.

Hole 13a is a nice little par 3 that plays across a valley of scrub brush to the green 110 meters away. The green slopes downhill so a short tee shot can have you playing a second shot from down in the valley, 60 yards away from the pin.

A look into the green from the 13a tee box.

A weather shelter and outhouse are located on the walk between holes 13a and 14.

You get another spectacular view on the 14th tee box. After transitioning up the dines from 13 to 13a to 14, you come to the top of the rise where the ocean comes back into view. The tee shot for the 251 meter par 4 is downhill to a fairway that turns back right and uphill to the green. If you are a long hitter, you can drive down the right side to make very short work of this hole. For most players, the drive is best hit to the large landing area on the left and a hybrid or low iron into the green.

 A view down the fairway from the 14th tee box.

Once you clear the dogleg, the work has only begun. A rolling fairway leads uphill towards an undulating green. A steep drop off to the right will make you want to place your approach shot to the right side of the green. But, don't go too far right as the scrub brush and rough will almost always lead to a penalty.

A look into the 14th green from 120 yards out.

The walk from the 14th to the 15th is similar to the awesome views at Barnbougle Dunes' walk from from the 4th to the 5th holes.  The path leads across the top of the dunes with an ocean as far as the eye can see on your right.

A look back down the trail towards the 14th green.

A look up the trail towards the 15th tee box.

The spectacular view from the 14th tee box is topped by the view from the 15th tee box. It is a 164 meter par 3. The ocean is along your right, the tall dunes along your left, with the Lost Farm's restaurant on top of the hill looking over the 15th green.

The best play is just over the left side sand trap as there is a hidden slope that will allow your ball to roll down towards the flag.

A look into the green from the 15th tee box. 

The 16th is a par 4 that plays 364 meters. As the fairway turns slightly right, obscuring the green from view from the tee box.

A look down the fairway from the 16th tee box.

Ideally, you want to fly the left side traps to the center of the green. There is an opening to on the right side of the fairway to pass them, but the rough juts out into the fairway and it is best to drive it over the traps for the ideal approach shot into the green.

A look down the fairway from just behind the left side traps.

The 16th green slopes left to right and is guarded on both sides by steep, wind-blown traps.

A look into the 16th green from 75 yards out.

The 17th is a difficult par 3 that plays 150 meters. It is a steep uphill shot to the green. With the wind blowing in over the dune from the ocean at 30 mph, it took a 3 wood to get it to the green, and then my ball rolled back down the hill. There are deep bunkers to the left side and the green slopes down towards them ever so slightly. On a still day, it is a tough shot. On a windy day, such as I played, it is a difficult and almost impossible shot to land close to the hole.

A look into the 17th green from the tee box.

The walk from the 17th to the 18th is to the top of the dunes that allow you to look over a large portion of the course, as well as at the clubhouse and restaurant. The elevated tee looks out over the scrub brush to the narrow landing zone on the fairway. There are a series of traps that line the fairway, but nothing that should really come into play unless you hook or slice your shots.

A look down the fairway from the 18th tee box.

The final hole of the course, 18a is a par 3 that plays a short 113 meters. It is a slight up hill shot to a tricky green. It has sand traps all along the left and a moderately steep hill leading down hill to the right. The green also follows that slope, from left to right, with a tricky drop of on the front right of the green.

A look into the green from the 18a tee box.

The flight and drive to the course in its remote location is worth every bit of time getting here. With the only sounds present being the call of the seagulls, the sounds of the ocean, and the rustling of grasses in the rough, it is one of the most peaceful places you will find. If you are planning to stay more than a few days, there is a grocery store in the local town 10 miles away or so. Each cottage has a back deck to relax and look out over the course to reflect on the round(s) you played earlier in the day. I hope to one day take my son back for a father-son golf trip as I can't think of a better place to spend the time for the cost.