11 of Our Favourite Par 3’s in Australia

By Quantum, March 22

2. Yarra Yarra – 11th Hole11 of 13

Yarra Yarra GC 11th – Melbourne, Victoria.

Yarra’s 11th hole measures 165 metres to the centre of the green, with 149m needed to clear the front bunker. Sporting just one teeing ground for both sexes – at nearly fifty paces, among the longest in Melbourne – the hole plays at 135m for women. Due to the green being orientated on a left to right axis, the tee shot must be airborne for 158m to make it over the right rear bunker, where any ball not shaped right to left will surely be devoured by sand.

In total, the treacherous three-tiered green is 32m in length and barely 15m at its widest, tapering down to around 10m at the front. Since its institution, one thing has never changed on the tee – any celebrations following a well-struck iron must be held in check. This green is notoriously difficult to hold.

When discussing their favourite or ‘best’ hole in Melbourne, social grace dictates that golfers will normally ‘agree to disagree’. However, in 1991 a large group of leading Australian and New Zealand golf professionals were asked directly to nominate the best hole in the state of Victoria. Interestingly, the hole selected and publicised in Melbourne’s “Sunday Age” newspaper was not one of a dozen possibilities on the Royal Melbourne complex, nor the awe-inspiring 15th hole at Kingston Heath, nor Victoria’s, Metropolitan’s, Woodland’s, Commonwealth’s or Huntingdale’s finest. Indeed, you’ve guessed it – it was Yarra Yarra’s 11th. Trumping that collection of wonderful holes is high praise indeed!

Extract by Paul Daley, courtesy of the Golf Architecture Magazine.

Image credit to The Brendan James from ExploreAustralia.net.au.