Kooyonga Golf Course

1 Jan

A review of Kooyonga Golf Course in Adelaide, South Australia

We made a quick two-day trip to Adelaide in October, and took the opportunity to play two rounds of golf, kicking off with Kooyonga Golf Club on the Monday – teeing off at 3pm, one hour after landing at the airport. It was Monday, 23 October.

Designed by Club Founder H.L. “Cargie” Rymill, the course as the host of the 2018 Women’s Australian Open and is rated 20 in Australia (Golf Digest Magazine, 2022). Weather on the day was partly cloudy, no wind and a mild 26 degrees.

Course Review

The Stats

Condition: 12/20

Greens and fairways had recently been cored so probably not in best shape – but imagine they would be later in the year now with all the rain! The rough presents a hectic challenge if taken on, the trees contributing their fair share of leaves and debris.

Biodiversity: 15/20

Best part of the course for me are the huge old eucalypts, reminiscent of South Australian country. Searching in the rough, I felt I was walking amongst giants who had swallowed many a golf ball in their time! The birds are also prolific, and noisy, especially the Adelaide and eastern rosellas - magical.

Vistas: 13/20

Both nines afford lovely internal views, quite a residential area so a few houses surrounding. Finishing late in the afternoon presented twilight and moving tree shadows on fairways – magical.

Organisation: 15/20

Great staff, didn’t really meet any members. Course was nice a quiet when we played and bar/ restaurant wasn’t open. Nice looking clubhouse, quite new, and well stocked proshop.

Design: 15/20

The biggest challenge (in our opinion) are the undulating fairways, and taking a gamble on some holes – the rough can be punishing! Not too much water and the bunkers weren’t difficult to escape.