Royal Adelaide Review
When it comes to making a fair and equitable analysis of the Royal Adelaide Golf Club, a fitting analogy is a good place to start. Today’s analogy is between the makeup of a golf course and the selection of an Australian Rules football team. A football team consists of 18 players at a time on the field, with a steady balance of offensive and defensive players, in the correct position to achieve a competitive team. With 18 holes being the makeup of a championship golf course, understanding the dynamics of individual holes as positions in a football team is a compelling way to understand the true competitiveness of a great golf course.
Royal Adelaide is rightly touted as one of Australia’s best golf courses, but deemed not good enough to be number one or in Australian Rules football terms a “Premiership Team.” A premiership winning football team tends to feature 3 or 4 All Australian players (The Best Players for their position in the competition), half a dozen match winners and the rest is made up of quality role players that play above their pay grade. The current “Premiership Team” in Australian Golf is respectfully Royal Melbourne’s West Course. Holes 3, 5, 7 & 10 are All Australian candidates. Holes 1, 4, 6, 14, 16 & 17 are match winners on their day and the remaining 8 holes are quality role players that would stand out if they hypothetically existed on another golfing property. The backbone of a Premiership Team is measured by the quality of teams role players like Royal Melbourne. That is where my critical focus of Royal Adelaide lies and why it should believe it has the potential to be a Premiership Team.
The current makeup of Royal Adelaide has one of the star players in the competition in the 3rd hole. Truthfully one of the best par 4’s in Australia. It has a dozen or so match winners, with some of those holes being elevated to a potential All Australian standard. But the greatest improvement can be made with the course's role players. Some of these holes have been let down by poor architectural decisions in the past and others may be playing out of position, if you catch my drift…
Royal Adelaide is a unique site and masterful layout that creates a strong foundation for success. It is currently a Golf Course that would hypothetically win many games of football against other derived Golf Course ‘teams,’ but I firmly believe that Royal Adelaide has the potential to be a Premiership winning team or in golfing terms, the best golf course in Australia.
BELOW IS MY HOLE BY HOLE REVIEW
Hole One: (Half Forward) Match Winner
A gentle opening hole with the train line running down the left hand side,that’s only in play for the overly ambitious driver missing left. A great opening tee shot that tempts you with a line of charm towards the green but the smart play is to the right hand side of the fairway to open up the approach to the green. Donald Ross was known for creating the ‘firm handshake’ starting hole, this greeting is more of a warm hug. The half forward position I believe is fitting, because it is a difficult position to play on the football field and designing an opening hole can be difficult to do also. With it being an early birdie opportunity a position in the forward line is fitting.
Two Cents: The green shaping itself is solid with many pin locations, but the broader complex could be better, with some slight adjustments. Expanding the fairway surrounding the green would make a substantial benefit to the first hole. The bunker is located in a good strategic position, but not complimentary in its aesthetic design. A common theme throughout the course.
Hole Two: (Half Back) Role Player
A swift greeting of a three shot hole early into the round makes you feel you need to cash your cheques in early. A strategically well placed bunker on the left is the only key that visually grabs your attention from what is an unremarkable drive. Unless you’re attacking the green under regulation, then another unremarkable second shot. The green complex is in a neat location perched atop of a small ridgeline. I consider this to be a solid role player and again with a helping breeze a birdie opportunity awaits, so the second hole works as an attacking defender. Dynamic in its ability to work up and down the field, but is at its best going forward. In golfing terms, this hole is at its most interesting when there is a decision to go for the green or lay up.
Two Cents: The green could do with a slight expansion on the back left of the green, creating additional pin locations and strategic variety.
Hole Three: (Centre) All Australian
A world class short par four and the undisputed Captain of the team. The hole strategically complements the natural terrain and has the principles of a great golf hole. Providing shot options off the tee and a variety of score outcomes depending on how well or poorly you attack the hole. One of the most charming elements is the level of restraint shown with a simple but effective green complex and a hole that features no bunkers. If this hole was a player, its versatility to and simplistic ease in execution is reminiscent of the ever reliable Scott Pendlebury. Primed to be positioned in the middle of the football ground setting the tone.
Two Cents: If this hole becomes irrelevant, so does golf.
Hole Four: (Ruck Rover) Match Winner
Another fascinating blind tee shot over a small Kettle hole towards a slight dogleg to the left. The Tee shot is actually quite disorienting and you need to play further left than you originally estimated. There is a tree guarding the ideal play line and if anything could be a safety hazard in forcing play out right towards the second green. The approach to a solid green complex makes for a pleasant hide and reveal. This hole currently sits within being a match winner, but I believe could be an All Australian hole if it can fully master the hide and reveal.
Two Cents: Besides the obvious slight tree management needed, if the course was to become an All Australian an improved green complex would be needed. It’s located at the foot of the main ridgeline and in what I would regard the centre stage, particularly for early in the round. It is where you see holes that you’ve played and holes that you are about to play, a prime opportunity to cement into peoples minds early in the round that this course is the best in the country.
Hole Five: (Forward Pocket) Role Player
The weakest hole so far, but that doesn’t mean it’s a poor hole, reminds me of the 4th hole at Kingston Heath. The routing of the fifth hole takes you back to the North East corner of the property. The green complex is unremarkable, but not every hole needs to be a world beater right? This is what I would consider a role player, a forward pocket that isn’t known for flashy goals, but known for its defensive pressure in the forward line.
Two Cents: It’s the fourth par four out of five and different to all the holes prior. It's original, but it’s like having a bag of salt chips. It’s not the best flavour but you’ll still enjoy it.
Hole Six: (Centre Half Back) Match Winner
A strong par 4 that demands two of your best shots. This is the tall defender that you would put directly against the opposition's best forward and expect to get the job done. Architecturally speaking the elevated green complex and rolling dune in the middle of the fairway play a visual effect of the folding of the landscape. Drawing the green closer to you than what is actually measured from the tee with great effect.
Two Cents: This would be on the low side of holes needing a help to elevate, only aesthetic changes to the bunkers would be needed to this solid hole.
Hole Seven: (Rover) Potential All Australian
This should be Royal Adelaide's signature par 3, but I don’t think time has been kind to this hole. The bunker shaping is alarmingly generic and doesn't naturally tie in well with the site. An unrelenting 1 shot hole that demands you get the ball airborne or you will perish in the native orange sand. It is reminiscent of a champion footballer that needs reinvigorating with making a switch and returning home. A sore point for some Adelaidians but a player like Patrick Dangerfield who made the difficult decision to leave Adelaide to forge a career at Geelong and did so in the end with great success. The same difficult decision needs to be made on the 7th.
Two Cents: Like the Par 3 8th at St.George’s Hill, this seems like a whack interpretation of its original intention. Feels like when an older celebrity is trying to remain youthful through the use of prosthetics and now looks alien to its former self. You know what I mean…
Hole 8: (Forward Pocket) Potential Match Winner
This hole caught me by surprise and might be the gem worth unearthing. A tight drive from the top of the properties main ridgeline The walls of trees are as inviting as a dark alley at midnight, but do add an element of safety for holes 6 and 9. Two bunkers guard the line of charm and it is questionable if the first bunker on the right is too penal for high markers and not much of a hazard for the skilled golfers. The second bunker on the other hand is well placed and the hole features one of the better greens on the front nine. This hole’s natural position could be the flashy goal scoring forward with many tricks in the book.
Two Cents: This may be my hottest take, but I believe that the remnants of Victorian styled trench bunkers exist just to the right of the second bunker. I’m in favour of restoring the bunker into something that resembles its trenchy friends on the right as a homage to past designs. Similar to the first hole, fairway expansions around the greens would help the hole breathe.
Hole 9: (Full Forward) Match Winner
The second par 5 on the front 9 has all the grand scale trademarks similar to its Victorian cousin Royal Melbourne. The hole plays along the Northern perimeter of the property gradually climbing to the high corner of the course. It currently lacks a bit of polish to be considered a match winner now, like a full forward that has become a little inaccurate in front of goal, but a good footballer exists.
Two Cents: Like holes 2, 4 and 7 , some of its parts are there, it would be great to see its full potential realised and again could be completed with the correct tie-ins and sweating over the small stuff.
Hole 10: (Wing) Match Winner
This hole completely slipped my mind from the previous times playing, which to my defence was several years ago. So the tenth came as such a pleasant surprise. The routing turns South and the tee shot drives back towards the dune which is hiding yet another surprising new reveal. A forced layup and carry is in place and a drive to the right hand side of the fairway is encouraged. I’ve put this hole on the Wing because it reminds of a player that works hard back in defence to help out the backline. I feel the same way about this hole, it's not an easy hole to score on when requiring two accurate shots.
Two Cents: This hole would hypothetically be better if it had NSW’s fifth green.
Hole 11: (Wing) All Australian
When one forced carry was not enough, the eleventh comes with Australia's hell's half acre. The tee shot requires an accurate line and length. This sets up the ultimate approach shot over the half acre of ‘natural’ vegetation into a green complex situated at the bottom of a bowl and another wonderful par 4. Playing on the opposite wing to the 10th, they're the same type of player but yet are so different in the way they play. The more you understand the hole the more comfortable you’ll become with scoring on it.
Two Cents: Members of RA would benefit from a trip to the USA to see a variety of the ‘Hell's Half Acre’ design. Pine Valley, Baltusrol and Old Sandwich have these forced carries that would serve as a good source of inspiration for the 11th.
Hole 12: (Full Back) Role Player
One of the raunchiest traits in golf course architecture is a fabrication of a downhill par 3, the opportunity for a golfer to blast a ball high into the air creating some sense awe is an opportunity too good to refuse. The high vantage point removes any of the mystique that may lie ahead and so if you’re building a ‘reveal all’ moment in a downhill par 3, it needs to be nailed. As little as I think about the National Old Course, the signature 7th hole does a decent job of executing this ‘Reveal All’. The 12th hole naturally reaches this conclusion as you tee off on top the main ridgeline that commonly appears throughout the front Nine down into what is quite a grand space. Unfortunately the ‘reveal’ is a complete flop. It is a difficult long par 3, fitting of a grizzled fullback willing to deny you the opportunity to score.
Two Cents: New Green. New Hole. The big right miss must be in play and has to be the most hazardous part of the golf course. An improved green location should also address this issue, but keep the hole fair but difficult.
Hole 13: (Half Back) Role Player
A classic Dogleg left hole that puts the emphasis on a well placed drive so the golfer can have a view of a well placed green site with the train line running behind. This is like the ever reliable halfback and another great Role Player that the course has.
Two Cents: Tree Management is front of mind for this hole. Not to be mistaken for tree clearing, optimising vegetation would nicely compliment this hole, it is currently a little too much of a monoculture.
Hole 14: (Centre Half Forward) All Australian
My favourite hole on the back nine and again another hole I completely forgot how good it was. Similar to the 13th in that placement off the tee is critical, but this time round it's a slight dogleg to the right. The Green complex can be difficult for holding balls on, so taking on the corner to have a shorter approach is ideal for this. This hole is like a champion Centre Half Forward, akin to a Jonathon Brown and Nick Riewoldt, tough, hard, hard working and an inspiring leader.
Two Cents: Green expansion and softening of contours in the area would help what is a great hole.
Hole 15: (Back Pocket) Delisted
A par 5 that its only defence is the severe dogleg left off the tee. The water hazard/marshland along the right handside of the hole is inconsistent with the ecology that exists on site and that is ok when applied well, but its alarming to see at points the water level higher than the fairway. This hole has been figuratively hiding in the Back Pocket and it should be time to delist hole and find themselves a new backline player for the back nine.
Two Cents: A green that slowly climbs higher than the water level would be appealing. A green complex that is a focal point and dictates the strategy of the second and third shot.
Hole 16: (Half Forward) Match Winner
A solid short slight uphill par 3 where you need to hold your nerve and control your ball flight, because a missed green carries great consequence. Without doing thorough research I’m assuming that this hole has received some modifications that haven’t hindered the hole over time. Personally, I believe this plays better as a shorter par 3 and is too difficult of a green for the back tees.
Two Cents: Just a matter of having a few cosmetic adjustments and finding/promoting more teespace from a forward position.
Hole 17: (Ruckman) Role Player
A long Par 4 that feels like you’re on the home stretch and the completion of this hole cannot come soon enough, according to golfers who frequently play Royal Adelaide. The changes from a par 5 to a par 4 were to reduce the potential safety hazards and boundary issues, but as a hole it is lacking restraint. A controversial bunker situated in the middle of the fairway does make golfers think, but doesn’t provide a clear resolution unless you’re fortunate enough to blast your way over the top. The green has a soft slope that tilts from front to back which is a nice feature to have, but on a hole that is already doing a lot to penalise golfers this may be too much of a penalty for high markers. Currently playing out of position, this hole needs to strap a shin guard on and be the serviceable ruckman the team needs. There has been plenty of premiership winning Role Playing ruckman over the years, it actually might be one the keys to a teams success.
Two Cents: I don’t think there is a world where this could return to a par 5 nor does it need to be the best hole on the course. It just needs to feel like it's a par 4 that has always been.
Hole 18: (Back Pocket) Match Winner
Not a bad closing hole, there is more room than expected but with a road cutting through the middle, the train line behind the green and the clubhouse to the left its begins to feel a little tight. But like an experienced backman, it is comfortable fitting under pressure and in tight spaces. The same can be said for 18. A grandstand finish that is a fitting way to finish a round at Royal Adelaide.
Two Cents: It feels very much like a hole that is playing the role of escorting golfers to the clubhouse. I believe that it would be on brand to produce a large but understated green complex that seamlessly ties in with its immediate surroundings. Allows golfers to take in and fully appreciate the gem that is Royal Adelaide.
