LOST FARM FOUND
Lost Farm Found - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Lost Farm Found | |||||
| By: John Digby, Issue 46 – Autumn 11 | |||||
| (Tasmania) | |||||
| THE LATEST ADDITION TO TASMANIA’S BURGEONING TOURISM INDUSTRY OPENED RECENTLY AND IS ALREADY CREATING EXCITEMENT IN GOLF CIRCLES, REPORTS JOHN DIGBY. | |||||
| The brainchild of landholder and beef and potato farmer Richard Sattler, the Barnbougle Lost Farm golf course is set to rival its next-door neighbour Barnbougle Dunes, Australia’s top-rated public course, ranked 35 in US Golf Magazine’s top 100 courses in the world. Sattler was the driving force behind the original course, luring famous American golf architect Tom Doak and top Australian designer Mike Clayton to create one of the world’s best links courses outside Scotland. To complement the Barnbougle Dunes, Sattler secured the services of American designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to create another links course built in the dramatic sand dunes of Barnbougle that he hopes will soon start climbing the rankings lists around the world. As a golf architect, Coore has a reputation for minimalist design and has taken advantage of the natural contours of the land to build an undulating course that uses the dunes and neighbouring farmland to great effect, with wide fairways and great views facing the golfer from many of the tees. Sattler gave Coore almost carte blanche to create the new course, but emphasised his wish that it be one average handicappers (about 20), as well as low markers, would enjoy. “I want visitors to feel relaxed and create almost a wilderness retreat for golfers,” Sattler said. But he has ambitions for his new baby. He hopes it will become as well regarded as the Dunes course and, although they differ in style, Sattler hopes players will enjoy debating the merits of both. “At many resorts around the world you have one course that stands out, with others that are not so good. We wanted to change that and have two that are as good as each other,” he said. The two courses, built at a cost of about A$25million, are already attracting visitors from far and wide. The fastest growing segment of the market is for people flying in directly to the property’s airstrip from Melbourne with at least 80 flights coming in the last couple of months. Although young, Lost Farm is living up to its promise. It has 20 holes, but take out the two spare short par threes and it plays 5,745 metres from the brown tees, with two par fives of over 500 metres. The number one rated hole, the fifth, is a dog-leg par four of 380 metres where the drive calls for a fade then a long second uphill to one of the largest greens in Australia. With subtle waves, your work has only just started even if you hit the green in two. The greens at Lost Farm don’t have as many dramatic breaks as at Dunes, but they are nonetheless challenging. Like the Dunes, Lost Farm has spectacular views of the bay and Bridport from the tees along the coastline, before the start of the back nine winds its way through arable land and brings you back via the signature hole, the short par four 14, to the coast for the last few holes. And bring you back is certainly what this new course will do. If that isn’t enough, Sattler has another site close by on his 13,000 acres he thinks would make a third great course. But that’s a story for another day. | |||||
| Lost In Time | |||||
| Lost Farm derives its name from the farmland on which the course is located. It’s a strip of coastal land surrounded by dramatic dunes that hide pockets of grazing land from the main farm areas. Almost 100 years ago marram grass was planted to stabilise the dunes and stop them spreading onto arable land, but sand movement caused pockets of pasture to become hidden. Stock grazing along the coast would wander into the dunes looking for greener grass and become lost until found by stockmen. | |||||
| When To Go | |||||
| Winter can be cold and stormy, so not the best for golfing outdoors. Summer and autumn are best for warm sunny days and cool nights. | |||||
| Stay | |||||
| There are 30 new four star rooms at Lost Farm, to be followed soon by 20 more, built on the coastal dunes and overlooking either Anderson Bay or the golf course. Rooms for two to four people are from A$170 a night. The restaurant and lounge area has spectacular bay and course views. Lost Farm also has a health spa, again with great views, with three treatment rooms, two spa baths, a sauna and a gymnasium. The new clubhouse, which will include a comprehensive pro-shop, and overlooking a new driving range, is set to open early April 2011. Golf is A$98 a round. Caddies are available. For bookings phone 03 6356 1124 or email reservations@lostfarm.com.au | |||||
| barnbougledunes.com.au | |||||
| Getting There | |||||
| Barnbougle Lost Farm is about 75 minutes drive north-east of Launceston, close to Bridport along the coast of Anderson Bay. It’s about five minutes past the turning to the Dunes course. There’s also an airstrip that takes light planes. Hire cars and transfers are available from Launceston airport. info@linkstransport.com.au | |||||
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