When you arrive at Manly you can't help but be impressed with the beautiful old clubhouse and facilities which really are first class.

This is matched by the "new" layout which has used plenty of wetlands to take the driver out of the golfers hands and in so doing ensure the course is challenging despite its 5600m length.

They have certainly achieved that -for stronger hitters even a three wood is used sparingly with irons off the tee often the sensible option. 

Whilst I get that some golfers may have preferred some more opportunities to use driver or a bit more incentive to take the hazards on, the layout demands careful placement to avoid the hazards which makes for challenging and enjoyable shotmaking.

The condition of fairways and green surrounds was very good and the wetlands and stonework around the course make it a very attractive course.

The one area of disappointment was the quality of greens which although very nicely shaped were very wet and slow and appeared to be struggling with sour turf. 

I played at the end of a hot summer so possibly did not catch them at their best .Otherwise a high quality course with sensational facilities which would rate much higher with improvement in the putting surfaces.

The new course is a vast improvement on the old. There are various water hazards on the front 9, and accuracy of the tee is important. The greens throughout are fast and undulating, and the fairways on the new back 9 are starting to grow in well.

The new course at manly is progressing well and is almost finished. I played on a modified shorter course so we could get 18 holes in. The land which Manly GC sits on is relatively small and the designers of the new layout have man good use of the limited space. The front 9 around the wetland area holds most of the interest for the course with some nice strategic holes. Accuracy off the tee and pinpoint approaches on some of the massively undulating greens will see you post a reasonable score. As mentioned earlier this is quite a short course and you might only use the driver 3 or 4 times during the round, however the hard,fast and hilly greens ensure it is no push over. Looking forward to playing next year one the full course is in play.

The course is currently open as a 9 hole course. Still as flat as many of the other reviewers have commented (it is a flood plain) but is now completely rebuilt and is no longer boring. Some good short par 4's offer risk/reward off the tee. The par 3, 4th hole is a true test of golf. A much more open environment then the previous course it gives the impression of a links golf course and can be very difficult when windy. I would recommend waiting till all 18 is available as the course can be extremely busy with people going round twice.

Well maintained course, but very flat and very boring. Also the staff that work there are not the most friendly people.

How this course attracts golfers is beyond me – flat and boring, not a hole that you could remember as one with any character – weak 3’s and a few very ordinary par 4’s at the clubhouse end of the course. The outstanding feature is definitely the clubhouse, which is superb, but it outranks the layout by a street.