TPG Golf Diaries: The National, Mornington Peninsula, Australia
The annual boys golf trip. One of my favourite things to look forward to. We’re all busy, so making time for golf trips every year is good for the soul. On this particular trip, we spent 4 days on the Mornington Peninsula after playing Commonwealth on route from the Airport.?
We found a superb house to stay in only a 5 minute walk to the beach, with a great cafe for breakfast and coffee (much needed I can assure you).? The lineup for the week looked like this:
A decent lineup to say the least. I was looking forward to playing all of them, but I had heard especially good things about The National and Sorrento. Both of them exceeded my expectations.?
The first night after playing Commonwealth, we crashed relatively early, before playing 36 at The National the next day. Getting some sleep is never a bad decision. So we were up and out the door by 7am sharp. When we arrived, the first thing that struck me was the size of the place. It’s hard to get the full picture, but you can tell that this place is vast. They have three courses down in Mornington. The Old (Robert Trent Jones Jr), Moonah (Greg Norman) and Gunnamatta (Tom Doak). Then there’s Long Island (Gordon Oliver) up in Frankston, next to Peninsula Kingswood.?
We strolled into the pro shop and were greeted by some very friendly staff. We grabbed some cards, cart keys and a marker, then spotted a La Marzocco coffee machine, so went straight for some caffeine. The clubhouse is enormous. Almost like something you'd expect in Dubai or Singapore (Laguna National springs to mind). It’s perched on top of a hill and looks out over the course and Bass Strait. It’s very grand and inspiring. The practice range was being worked on, so we chipped and putted for 30 minutes before teeing off on The Old.?
As we got close to our tee time I could feel the excitement and nerves brewing. I love this feeling… time to head to the first tee. As we drive up the hill and around the corner, we are met with a very imposing, tree lined 342 metre par 4. Yes, we played off the tips, which measures 6313 m (6903 yards). I could tell immediately that this course was something special. It’s easily one of the best golf courses I’ve ever played in the world. As Robert Trent Jones Jr said, The National was a dream come true. It was for us too. I really did feel a huge sense of gratitude to be in such a beautiful place with my dear friends. The only thing that would trump this would be playing my home course, Shiskine with my Dad.?
It was a chilly morning; chinos, shirt and jumper. I could easily have been wearing a toque. A member on the putting green said to me, this is perfect weather, with only a small breeze to keep things interesting. The course feels tucked away. It’s tree lined and weaves through the dunes. The green complexes are some of the most interesting I’ve ever experienced. They are extremely undulating, and like any good putter, getting the speed right is critical - they can easily make you look silly. The par 3, 7th hole, measuring 139 m is probably the signature hole. You hit over bush to a green which is surrounded by more bush - the Bass Strait is all the way down the left. This hole is amazing. As we played 18, I didn’t want it to end. The Old is a classic. Classy. My kind of course. Can’t wait to play it again and bring my guests.?
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We had about 90 minutes before our next tee time, so we grabbed a burger and a pint of local ale. The food is excellent, and the service equally good.?
Time for the next 18 at Moonah, which measures 6583 m (7199 yards) off the tips. Immediately, things looked different. It was still tight, but it definitely felt more open than The Old. There were many more blind tee shots as well, which having played lots of Scottish links golf, I quite like. Like with The Old, I can’t wait to go back and play Moonah again.?
The wind picked up a bit, but it was still relatively benign compared to what I imagine it can get like. The hole that stands out the most for me is the par 3, 17th. A 204 m gem of a hole. There’s a tree to the left of the green that struck me. It had a rather spiritual feeling to it. I hit my 7 wood to about 12 ft and missed the birdie putt. As we walked off 18, it was cold, getting dark and of course, I was feeling tired and ready for a glass of wine. We made it to the clubhouse and enjoyed a ‘National’ glass of Shiraz, which was wonderful. Cards were compared and dinner choices discussed. We landed on a charming Indian restaurant in Rye, which was an easy 20 minute drive away.?
My day at The National was very special. I loved every moment and was blown away by many of the holes.?
What are your thoughts on The National? Did you like this post?
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Great summary Gavin, its a magical place The National, I prefer Moonah over the Old myself, probably the tightness of the Old gets me, have yet to play Gunnamatta since its been redone , but very keen