Magazine - Spring Valley Golf Club at the VIC Open

By Rob Jenkins in Golf on 10th Jan 2010 16:20

Located in the heart of the Melbourne sandbelt, Spring Valley Golf Club is a fine example of the work of Vern Morcom the son of Mick, the famous constructor who put all of Alister Mackenzie's work on the ground in Melbourne.

For those who relish the topography at Royal Melbourne, they will find Spring Valley to be a flatter course much like Kingston Heath which is just down the road. Morcom crafted some of his finest bunkers and greens here. Ben Crenshaw, himself, is an admirer of Morcom's work at Spring Valley and made a special trip to see the course and to study his work. The holes demand well shaped shots from the tees and the irons to the flags must be played with precision.

Spring Valley is what would be referred to as a traditional course. That is something very much back in fashion and a characteristic to be admired.

From the website: www.springvalleygolf.com.au

Although next door to its famous big brothers Kingston Heath and Metropolitan, Spring Valley can often be forgotten, but with the Victorian Open on around the corner, it was an ideal time for me to head down, have a browse around the sandbelt course while it’s at its best.

Spring Valley has been around since 1948, when 33 foundation members formed the Spring Valley Golf Club. Recently revamped the course now measures 6161 metres with a par of 71, making it a stern test for any modern day golfer.

The first thing that strikes me when walking in the gates is the fantastic new clubhouse and just how great the bunkering is. The bunkers and greens look very much like the work of the great Alister Mackenzie himself. The way they set off a hole and blend into the greens allowing holes to be short yet challenging, are a feat not easily accomplished.

Every hole on the course has a unique design from tricky dog legs to the beautiful natural bush and of course the superb bunkering.

Hayden Mead and his team have had testing weather during the event with the mercury nudging 40 on Saturday and again mid 30’s on the final day. The course has held up remarkably well however and the couch was thriving.

The gums are a feature of the course, lovely mature tree line the holes giving the course a natural feel, although many will consider themselves lucky to escape injury after a huge limb dropped next to the 4th tee. Although not a windy day the gums made me think twice about where I stood for shade.

One thing about smaller tournaments such as the Vic Open is you get much closer to the action, and allowed to walk over a lot more of the course. It’s a great opportunity for the public to catch the golfing bug. With all the hype golf has received since the masters at Kingston Heath, it wasn’t a surprise to see a great turn out to watch the leading groups on the final day.

I found the fairways to be quite forgiving, most were a large enough area to aim for and the grass around the greens was cut at the same height. On most holes the rough was kept at a neat height except for the par 3’s which were natural heath and bracken.

The greens were quick but not lightening quick. They have enough natural shape and undulations to make them tricky enough. Most of the greens were medium size. This meant you needed to be accurate in your approach especially as they were all protected by bunkers.



The bunkers where getting a good work out on every hole. The pots were a hazard the way they were intended to be, with a few golfers taking two shots to get out. Although a hazard they still looked fantastic. The edges were neat and sharp, faces smooth and always rolling the ball back into the base, but choosing a low iron from a fairway trap will always be a risk. One aspect that makes Melbourne’s famous sandbelt is the natural heath, and Spring Valley is no exception with plenty on show.

The 10th a tricky par 3 next to the clubhouse was a great screening on what you want the natural heath to look like. Although designed to look untouched and wild, rest assured plenty of work still goes into keeping areas like this looking a million dollars.

Spring Valley will have done its reputation no harm in hosting the Vic Open for the past two years. Being able to showcase this under rated layout to the public will no doubt do wonders and give the course some of the hype it richly deserves.

Well done to all involved in another successful tournament. It’s sure to have given the club a lot of proud moments.

Read more articles in Golf, by Rob Jenkins or from January 2010.