Bankstown Golf Club

Few things could be worse for a golf course than a major problem with greens. If there’s one thing golfers, be they members or social players, almost universally demand it is putting surfaces of at least moderate quality. Which is why Bankstown Golf Club was devastated towards the end of 2005 when a combination of factors conspired to reduce the club’s greens to an unplayable condition.

The impact was far reaching but, to the club’s credit, management and greens staff have worked hard to get the course back to tip top condition and they have been extremely successful. To look at and play the course today, the uninformed player would have no idea the disaster that beset the popular Sydney layout just two and a bit years ago. A tight, tree lined layout, Bankstown is a pleasure to play and the “new” greens excellent to putt on.

With its central location to every part of the city it’s not hard to understand why Bankstown is again becoming the course of choice for corporate days and green fee players alike. For good quality golf less than 20 minutes from the CBD and Parramatta, it would be almost impossible to go past Bankstown.

Rod Morri
I reckon it might have been 15 years since I’d played at Bankstown Golf Club and with a dodgy memory at the best of times I was unsure what to expect as I pulled into the car park. As it turns out, there have been a few changes at the course in that time so whatever I could remember was no longer relevant.

Probably best described as a thinker’s layout, Bankstown demands the player figure out the right places to miss and if you can do that, pars and bogies should be reasonably easily achieved. Miss in the wrong spots and you’ll have a job on your hands to save double.

The par-5 2nd is a prime example of this. At 495 metres it’s only in range for the longest of hitters but because it’s a par-5 most of us (me included) automatically reach for the driver on the tee. The problem is there is a fairway bunker within reach on the right and a large dam left which pinches the fairway to a narrow gap in the driving area. After employing the “don’t hit it left” swing to avoid the water I took two to get out of the trees and another two to find the green.

As I dutifully recorded seven on the scorecard it dawned on me that a three wood or even long iron from the tee might have been the more sensible option. With a combination of decent length (five of the par-4s measure over 370 metres from the plates) and tight driving areas you’ll need to be hitting the ball solid AND playing smart to give your handicap a scare.

Having said that, the challenge is a pleasure rather than a slog and good shots and smart play are rewarded. The greens are firm and true and reward a good putting stroke (if anybody knows where I can get one of those let me know) while the green surrounds allow the competent chipper to recover from poor iron play if they’ve missed in the right spot. The par-3s are a highlight and test everything from the long to medium irons in the bag.

Finally, commiserations and thanks to my playing partner Andrew Stewart. Commiserations because he is tragically suffering a bout of the shanks but thanks for showing me a shot I have never seen before: a hosel rocket on a chip shot from two metres short of the 18th green. You really do learn something new every day! To summarise, Bankstown is a solid test of golf and well worth a visit for our Sydney readers.

Dax de Traubenberg
Located less than half an hour from Sydney and Parramatta cbd’s, Bankstown golf club is confidently located for the majority of Sydney golfers. However, you could be forgiven for having almost no idea the course was a stone’s throw, (or a well timed Andrew Stewart shank) away from Canterbury road and Henry Lawson drive. This is largely due to the six to seven million or so trees the course features.

While Bankstown could probably be described as a bit of an up and down style track, do your best to hit the fairway at all costs. I’m reasonably sure Ned Kelly has descendants that still control an area between the 4th and 7th fairways that I unfortunately visited. For those of you who have the ability to hit the occasional fairway, you should find Bankstown an enjoyable yet challenging layout. There have been some redevelopments of some of the greens in recent years as well as the addition of some tricky greenside bunkering. The fifth hole is probably the feature hole for me as it gives golfers several choices off the tee.

Although it measures a modest 324 meters, a bunker placed in the middle of the fairway, about 120 out from the green, and a moat style bunker surrounding the green make high numbers very realistic when playing the hole. I was also impressed with the design of the par 3 holes as the four of them face different points of the compass. This ensures you’ll be playing at least one of them into the breeze. The last tip I’ll give anyone heading to Bankstown Golf Club is do not leave without visiting the half way house at the south west corner of the club house. A great feed and a nice place to ponder your round over a stubbie of Byron Bay Premium Ale.

Andrew Stewart
I had never played at Bankstown and when the boys from Inside Social Golf asked me if I’d like to have a hit there to do this course review I was keen. I’d heard from mates that the course was tight and you have to hit it well to make a good score and now that I’ve played there I definitely agree with that.

As has already been mentioned I’ve been having a bit of trouble with the shanks lately (thanks for your compassion guys) but I was confident the challenge of a narrow course where I’d really have to focus would do me good. While it didn’t work completely, I still had a great day out.

Bankstown is the sort of course I really like. It looks really tight off the tee because a lot of the holes have trees down each side but if you look carefully it’s not as narrow as it first seems. I found on most holes there was enough room to hit driver (as long as you kept that visual deception in mind) and those that were narrow were generally short enough that you could get away with hitting something less off the tee to keep the ball in play. Having said that, though, if you did miss the fairway you were in trouble.There weren’t too many places where you could try to fashion a shot out of the trees and if you did, and got it wrong, the penalty was at least another shot.

The lesson was pretty simple: take your medicine if you make a mistake. I thought the par 3s were all particularly good holes because they forced you to play a range of different clubs. Even though a couple of them were similar distance they all face different directions so the wind was always a factor to be considered.

There are enough bunkers on the course to keep you on your toes but if you play smart you can avoid most of them without too much trouble. I think I only hit it in two bunkers all day. Around the greens I found the course to be pretty fair if you had a reasonable chipping game.

I wouldn’t call it easy but there weren’t too many impossible shots out there and only a few spots called for really fancy shots. I thought one of the highlights of the course was the greens and really found them a pleasure to putt on.They weren’t as fast as they looked which took a bit of getting used to but if you stroked the ball well it held its line (which unfortunately wasn’t the right one in my case a few too many times.)

All in all I really enjoyed the course and am keen to go back and have another crack at it.

NEED TO KNOW

Bankstown Golf Club
feed and a nice place to ponder your round over a stubbie of Byron Bay Premium Ale.

Par: 71 Men, 73 Ladies Length: Men: 6.025 metres; Ladies: 5,293 metres Green Fees: Weekdays: Nine holes $28, 18 holes $44; Weekends: Nine holes $33, 18 holes $55. Carts: Nine holes $22, 18 holes $38 Designer: Original unknown, re-design work Peter Williams Address: 70 Ashford Ave, Milperra NSW Phone: (02) 9773 0628 Website: www.bankstowngolf.com.au