It’s no secret the Gold Coast is home to more than its fair share of top resort courses but don’t be fooled into thinking high green fees and a bag drop area is a prerequisite to a good golf experience. For all the things they have to offer there is one element no fancy resort course can recreate: the atmosphere of a traditional golf club.

Coolangatta Tweed Heads is probably overlooked by a lot of golfers because of its more famous neighbours but if you’re one of those who has always passed over this border town gem you’ve made a mistake.

This is a proper golf club where real members play real competitions on a daily basis. With 36 quality holes at their disposal and all year round Gold Coast weather, the members here have to be among the luckiest in the country.

Inside Social Golf reviewed the club’s River Course some time ago but on a recent trip north decided it was time to finish the job with a tour around the West Course. It was a good decision. We joined regular ISG contributor, golf analyst and Gold Coast resident Bruce Young, golf course architect Richard Chamberlain and the course’s Superintendent Peter Lonergan for 18 holes. Lonergan and myself aside (he’s biased and I’m a pushover) the other two are tough - but fair - markers and both came away pretty impressed. For the record, so did I.

When it comes to value for money golf, this place would have to be near the top of the list.

Bruce Young
Inside Social Golf
Handicap 7

When offered the opportunity to have a game at Coolangatta Tweed Heads with Inside Social Golf Editor, Rod Morri, my old workmate at Graham Marsh’s company, Richard Chamberlain, and the Course Superintendent Peter Lonergan, I jumped at the chance.

Despite being in the golf industry, it had been several years since I had played at the almost iconic Gold Coast facility, much of that because of the perception that it was too far to travel and with so many other quality options closer to home I just hadn’t made the time.

The first excuse was blown out of the water by the much improved access to the course brought about by the new Tugun bypass. It speeds up the trip from my home in the central Gold Coast by as much as ten minutes but importantly it takes away the potential congestion the old Tugun road presented.

The new road will provide a great boost to the Coolangatta Golf Club as several of the higher profile courses on the Gold Coast privatise and the 36 holes is viewed increasingly as tremendous value for money especially given its improved accessibility.

We played the West Course (one of two at the facility) on the day we played in late August and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The greens were just recovering from late winter maintenance work but were good enough that day to enjoy.The fairways were in very good shape and there was no real excuse for the quality (or lack of it) golf I played.

While the West course has no real standout or feature holes as such, there were several holes that I particularly enjoyed and looking back a couple of weeks after our game two par threes on the front nine still stand out: the par three 6th and 8th are certainly not long par threes but demanding all the same.

Despite an ordinary playing performance, I came away that day thinking it will be nowhere near as long before I again play Coolangatta and that people on the Gold Coast could do a lot worse than take advantage of the substantial facilities available there.

OVERALL RATING: 8 /10

Richard Chamberlain
RossWatson Golf Course Architecture
Handicap:What are we playing for?

Call me old fashioned but I love a long driveway to the clubhouse when you can pass a bunch of golf holes and take note of a few of the pin positions out there. Call me a tightwad but I love a pro shop absolutely jam packed with stuff, particularly when a few red hot specials are on offer. Call me a short game demon but I’d much prefer a quick practice of my dinky 30m chips before the game than smashing the driver. I can get all of that here at Tweed.

When on the course the first hole, a double dog-leg Par 5, pretty much sets the strategy theme for the day. KEEP YOUR BALL OUT OF THE TREES! Whilst it presents a narrow fairway to begin with, it’s virtually halved by the fact that the left side blocks out the landing zone for the second shot. Often throttling back from driver just to keep your ball in play is the smartest play here. The greens are simple, with no double or triple decker levels but get on the wrong side of the hole and your putting will need to be spot on.

If you’re playing a big hitter with a dodgy short game, double the bets on the first tee, as they will most probably struggle here. The blokes collecting the cash here will be the smart ones hitting hybrids into the right places and scrambling pars on the pure bent greens on the West course.

The highlights for me are the Par 5’s. For a bloke that can’t hit it past 220m all of the long holes give a sniff of a birdie. Of course if I do happen to crank one out there and get tempted to get home in two there are also plenty of opportunities for doubles and triples if I make a mistake.

The neat little short Par 4-7th is also a wee ripper. You need to thread the needle with the tee shot (most probably a long iron or hybrid) between a ton of sand and then get the distance right with your short approach shot.

I hadn’t been to Tweed for ages until a few months ago but once I found the love for the old girl again, and the waived entrance fee, I joined. For a place with 36 holes, one with bent greens and one with pure couch greens, and a truckload of other first class facilities, it’s a winner.

OVERALL RATING: 8 /10

Rod Morri
Inside Social Golf
Handicap:Whatever Chamberlain’s claiming plus two more

Good company and a good course: two of the most vital elements of an enjoyable day’s golf and both fulfilled on the day we took to Coolangatta Tweed Heads’ West Course. Once Chamberlain had sorted out the bets on the first tee (I’m still not entirely sure what we played for but apparently we won something and lost something else so I suppose I can’t complain) it was time to enjoy the layout.

Most of you will be familiar with the term “Signature Hole” and its proliferation over the last 20 years but I’m happy to say no such marketing guff pervades Coolangatta Tweed heads. Instead of one or two spectacular views which make for pretty photos this course instead offers up something far more palatable: 18 solid golf holes, each a pleasure to play in its own right.

It’s good old fashioned honest golf with decisions required on every shot. Careless and foolhardy golf is punished, as it should be, while smart play is rewarded with par and birdie opportunities aplenty. The par-5 4th is a prime example: take on a long water carry with your second, fail and take seven (me), or play smart up the left with your second, wedge on and take a two putt par for the win (Chamberlain).

As Richard mentioned trees are a constant at CoolangattaTweed with little chance for recovery from wide of the fairways. Given the course is not overly long, though, there is no need to try and bust the driver on every hole but if you’re reasonably proficient with the big dog it will see plenty of action on the day.

Overall Coolangatta Tweed is a laid back members club with heaps of facilities and an ideal destination for small or large groups with its proximity to the Gold Coast and all its attractions. If you’re a regular visitor up this way and haven’t made the effort to sample Coolangatta Tweed do yourself a favour and give it a try. It’s well worth the effort.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5 /10

NEED TO KNOW

Coolangatta Tweed Heads Golf Club

Par: 72, ACR 72 Length: Men: 6,007 metres. Women: 5,412 metres
Green Fees: Visitor 18 holes (7 Days) $40; nine holes (7 Days) $25; after 2pm EST or 3pm DST: $25; Group bookings of 20 players or more (7 Days) $35pp. Juniors Social (visitors) $11; Gold Coast District $25; Northern Rivers District $25.

Hire prices: Motorised Cart $38, pull buggies $4; club hire $25 (Full set).
Designer: Various, recent re-design work Peter Williams
Address: Soorley Street, Tweed Heads South
Golf Bookings: Individual: (07) 5524 5545; Group: (07) 5524 4544.

HOW TO GET THERE

From either north or south take the Minjungbal Drive exit from the Pacific Highway, turn right into Shallow Bay Drive, left into Eastlakes Drive and right into Soorley Street..