Barnbougle Links Golf Resort - The Dunes Course

The Dunes is the course that put Tasmania on the world map for golfers. It's everything a Top 50 course in the world should be - beautiful, difficult, engaging, inspiring. Doak's short par 4 game is always on point, and the fourth and 12th rank among his best efforts. The wide fairways are offset by perplexing greens. If you do happen to put a golf ball in the tall stuff, don't go looking for it. Golfers should never mess with the snakes Down Under. Take double bogey and enjoy the glorious walk.

It has been a bucket list goal of mine to play at the Barnbugle Resort in Northern Tasmania. Recently with the Presidents Cup in Melbourne, these courses have been given some great publicity with several American media outlets (Barstool Sports, Erik Anders Lang, etc) giving this complex plenty of exposure on social media. This only served to whet my appetite for playing here.

I played The Dunes twice, the first time on a ridiculously windy Saturday, and the second time on a calm Sunday. I shot my all time best outward 9 holes of golf on the Sunday, but somehow lost all composure and cooked it up on the way back home. A blow to my pride, but the overall experience was truly ,magnificent.

On the true Links layout, with undulating, hard greens, my favourite holes are:

17. Wind off Bass Strait forces may force you to take your tee shot at the beach and have the ball drift over to the fairway

3. A shortish par 4 dogleg right, but a blind downhill tee shot over the top of some large dunes jangles the neres.

4. A giant bunker right faces you off the tee. Half of green nestles into a small hill. Depending on the wind the hole is driveable, or layup short of the bunker for a pitching wedge to the green. The walk up from the green up the hill to the next hole past Reg's hut gives you a beautiful view of Bass Strait.

8. Wonderful hole - split fairway - go the high road, or the low road?

7. 94 yard par 3. Will you need a 6 iron or a lob wedge? Who knows with the wind!

12. A short par 4 depending on the wind. The green is at the highest point on the course and offers wonderful views of the complex. Space left if you want to try to drive the green. Or do you lay up?

13. Par 3 with a triple ridge Green. Wonderful high point views.

Don't be afraid to use the slopes on the greens!

The course is walking only. Practice facilities are good, with a huge putting/short game area and a wild and wooly driving range. Had a lovely toasted sandwich and cold aussie draft beer in the clubhouse.

Arguably the best links style Golfing Experience in Australia. Great value at $85 USD for this standard of golf course. Loved it.

This course and its neighbour (Lost Farm) are spectacular Crafted from sand dunes right next to a large beach the course requires shot making with thought on every shot.Add wind which is often present and the equation becomes even more involved. Access to the course could not be easier and with excellent facilities and staff there is nothing to add. Play off season and there is a good chance you will see few other golfers in your round.The best golf experience I have has in Australia