The story of Curlewis should give hope to any Australian course that feels underappreciated or too hidden from view. It took the Bellarine Peninsula layout 48 years and the input of four separate course architects to break into the Top 100 ranking, finally doing so in 2018. Blessed with sandy terrain and shapes resembling the Melbourne Sandbelt, Curlewis calls upon its rippled fairways and natural bunkering throughout. Vern Morcom was the original course architect in 1970 before Kevin Hartley stepped in six years later to augment the course. Throughout this century, the layout has sat under the watchful gaze of Mike Clayton and his design firm, which has realised the site’s considerable potential.
The driveable par-4 12th (which, until early 2022, was the third hole) is Curlewis’ best. Low handicappers see an opportunity to drive along the left side of the fairway and allow the ball to feed down towards the green, while the novice sees it as a good chance to make par on a short hole with a wide fairway. Higher handicappers appreciate that the par 3s at Curlewis are mostly short or mid-range, yet bunkering and blind run-off areas allow plenty of risk/reward scenarios for the better golfer.Â
Photo by Gary Lisbon
THE DETAILS:
Curlewis Golf Club
Ranking in 2022: 69th
Prior rankings: 69th (2020), 77th (2018)
Where: Portarlington Rd, Curlewis VIC 3222
Phone: (03) 5251 1111
Web: curlewisgolf.com.au
