Australia’s oldest golf course apparently, and oldest in the southern hemisphere I see after googling for confirmation. BGC is a links course with a difference, located on the Ratho property (a working sheep farm) and was first played in 1822. The course has square greens, which are fenced to keep the resident lawnmowers (sheep) off and are excellent to putt on.
It’s a 9 hole course and only one hole has different tees for the second time around (the 6th is a 160m par 3, but as the 15th it’s a 220m par 4!). Quite open, but miss the fairway and chances are you’re in thick and tall grass. Course is par 67 but ACR 63 mainly due to the short length and lack of specific hazards.
It’s a bit out of the way, but for a look at Australian golfing history, it’s worth playing the links and then checking out the Golf Museum in town.
Oh yeah, check out local rule 6 on the card, can’t say I’ve seen that one before.
Played there 2nd Jan with my girlfriend and a mate. A taste of golf from the 1800's. Fences around the greens to keep the sheep off them. A number of interesting holes in a flat & open area within a valley. During our round it was both quite blowy & dead calm at various times. The rough was quite lengthy and a quite wayward shot can demand a hell of a whack to get it out again. If your ball strikes the fences around the greens you can replay it or play from where it finishes. The greens were in decent nick for what I suspect is a rarely visited course for non locals. Only 70kms North/East of Hobart off the Midland Hwy. Unlike just about any other course you will play.