Portsea Golf Club
Outside the United States and England, no country’s stocks of inspiring golf cuts quite as deep as Australia’s. More remarkably though, is the endless cluster of world-class layouts within a 90-minute drive of Melbourne’s CBD – by my count at least 30 are more than worthy of the travelling golfer’s attention. Though most will fly in, see the Sandbelt’s highest echelon, perhaps tag on a round at St Andrew’s Beach or The National and fly out, those willing to take time for a slight detour stand to be handsomely rewarded.
Tipping, rolling and flowing elegantly across the rolling dunescape of the Mornington Peninsula, Portsea Golf Club delivers a delightfully Australian rendition of coastal golf.
An early morning look at the third tee
Abutting the gorgeous bushlands of Point Nepean National Park and flanked by the Bass Strait and Port Phillip Bay, Portsea’s property is flooded with the same notoriously rolling dunes and tumbling terrain which houses the trio of courses at The National, St Andrew’s Beach and The Dunes. A more ideal combination of setting and grounds for golf makes for an extremely short list. Parked up on the clubhouse terrace, smothered by 270-degree coastal vistas, a relaxed, no-fuss, beachy feel oozes through the property and stamps a distinct sense of place.
Though not by definition a links, Portsea’s punchy layout presents many linksy predicaments. Heavily exposed to the coastal elements, a whipping wind is part of the furniture and when combined with crispy firm turf and tumbling landforms, the sport quickly ascends into more art and creativity than a sport of mechanics. A shotmaker’s golf course to its core, whilst there are endless ways to get the ball down at Portsea, very few are straightforward or thoughtless– just how the game should be.
Rolling terrain pours through the ti-tree
Portsea’s routing seamlessly ties together an intimate scale and a playful sense of adventure as it dives around the property, tackling the rambunctious ups and downs of the land in a thrilling range of ways. This free-spirited, reactionary approach stamps the layout’s 6,300-yards with a feeling of naturalness and an eclectic smorgasbord of shots.
In sections Portsea’s wild ride feels like a not too distant relative of the inland golf at Cape Kidnappers and New South Wales, as holes rumble fearlessly into heaving dunes and off sweeping slopes, finding its thrills and diversity in the ground. It’s this hint of aggression and edginess to its routing which makes Portsea one of Australia’s most joyful loops.
Wild slopes frequent the property - like the 6th fairway
Given Portsea’s constraints in length, the architect’s ability to carve interest and challenge into both tee shots and approaches with efficiency is one of its great achievements. From the tee, dominant fairway slopes demand thoughtful consideration as golfers are forced to embrace or avoid the contours in finding their preferred angle of approach, whilst the array of short two-shotters insert risk-reward decision making into the teeing strategy. Most memorable however, is the diverse spread of approach shots throughout the round, owing to the wonderful collection of natural green sites. At times golfers find themselves fighting a headwind to a green perched well above their heads, whilst others dive down broad slopes blinded by ridgelines – a flat lie rarely granted and no two looks the same. In combining the tumbling, bouncy terrain, constantly switching routing and natural elements at hand, Portsea has golfers constantly off balance and engaged.
Though certainly on the smaller side, Portsea’s putting surfaces are a compelling set. Bold ridges and contours are mixed in with greens defended by steep tilt, each sitting gracefully amongst the natural landforms. Greenside hazards are used sparingly, with Portsea’s greens guarded predominantly by the gravity of their surrounding mounds and vicious runoffs. Approaches constantly to and fro between encouraging creativity and presenting sheer tests of execution – this push and pull a key element to Portsea’s dynamic and varied spread of golf.
Small greens guarded by sand and tricky run-offs (11th green)
Portsea’s wild land, gorgeous setting and perfectly rustic presentation delivers a timeless rendition of seaside golf. Dynamic, flexible and above all else, fun - one could never grow tired of unpacking the countless options and thrilling puzzles found across its sub-6,500 yards. In a golfing world of excess and more, few outposts intertwine a relaxing old-world charm with a thrilling, rollercoaster of the game more admirably than Portsea.
Travelling golfers who pull themselves away from the Sandbelt will find themselves enamoured by the joys of Portsea.
The downhill, one-shot seventh
The Second
One of Portsea’s most appealing traits lies in its wonderful variety of natural green sites. Beyond a rolling section of short grass, the deep catcher’s mitt green at the second is one of its most welcoming as it gathers balls from long, left and right. Though accommodating to all shot shapes, precision, judgement and a sprinkle of luck is required to feed one in tight.
Looking back down the punchbowl second
The Sixth
At times in the round, Portsea is best described as a wild ride as it tackles the most aggressive sections of the property. Plunging blindly off a dune to a valley below, before climbing to a putting surface suspended 20-feet above, the sixth surmises the best of Portsea. Those who find the right side of the fairway leave themselves a blind approach over the greenside hazard, whilst those up the left carve a more enticing angle. Though the vicious greenside run-offs command precision from any position – success at six comes with immense satisfaction.
The sixth - One of Victoria's finest two-shot holes
The Tenth
Though short on the card at less than 260-metres, Portsea’s ‘Little Devil’ is anything but cute. Its fairway rides a narrow ridgeline, rising quickly and cambering steeply to the left. With bunkers and ti-tree smothering the target, those willing to take on the green bring countless outcomes into play – a good miss non-existent. Though the dainty pitch is no bargain, the prudent play is short-right of the surface, but like all of the world’s finest driveable par-fours, the temptation of a two brings the golfer’s ego to the forefront. The tenth is the type of hole that has golfers yearning for another crack.
The dangerous short par-four tenth
The Twelfth
The twelfth is another two-shotter across rambunctious terrain through a chute of ti-tree. A tee shot which crests the hill will find a flat lie and an approach to a dune-top green, whilst those who challenge the trouble up the right-hand side bring the backboard slope to the left of the surface into play. Portsea is a course which mixes flexibility and execution – the twelfth falls at the execution end of the scale, commanding two high-quality shots.
The rises and falls of the twelfth
The Thirteenth
Tucked into a lovely corner of the property, the front left to back right angle of the narrow, firm putting surface of the thirteenth welcomes a fade. Bunkers suffocate the right side, while the gravity of the false-front leaves anything short with a delicate chip up the slope.
Portsea's finest one-shotter
The Fourteenth
The scale of Portsea’s golf is uniquely varied, switching between quaint alleys of ti-tree and broad, open slopes. Blind from the tee, Portsea’s most grand two-shotter – the fourteenth, sweeps boldly downhill and rightward. Bunkers line the left flank of the hole and the golfer willing to bring them into play opens up the length of the putting surface and more importantly, a clear pathway for the running approach – immensely helpful from a downhill lie!
Bold, sweeping and grand in every regard