As part of an annual pilgrimage back to Australia for the festive season, I always book in time to play NSW with my old man. This was exciting to share a round with him, but I was also keen to see the recent renovation work. I'll get the "rude" shock out of the way: 18 has now jumped to $450 AUD per player walking. Want a cart? You'll need a medical certificate.

Now for the "good" shock—NSW has used this not only as a renovation but also as a rebrand. The new logo and pro-shop merch are sharp and on point. All players receive a leather course-guide holder with a course guide, which was a class touch.

The practice facilities have everything you need, so get there early and enjoy them. The overarching theme is that the layout itself hasn't changed, but the strategy has. We played in December and some of the fairways were GUR (still growing in) and the greens were softer than usual. My suggestion would be to book a late-summer 2026 tee time when it’ll be firm AF.

The first noticeable difference came on the 3rd, with the trees down the left removed and the greenside bunkers replaced by a centreline bunker. It makes the approach enticing and removes some of the "visual" fear, but make no mistake, it still demands the right shot. The 5th remains largely untouched (thank goodness), while the 6th has seen an increase in green size. It’s always a tough shot, but the changes make it more playable than the previous iteration.

The 9th and 10th now feature more trouble off the tee, requiring a very specific shot shape. The 10th green has also been updated to be more playable with the removal of the front bunker, which now allows for run-up shots.

The green and surrounding complexes got better as we moved into the back nine, which makes me excited to return in late 2026. We did, however, get to play the spare hole—90m of pure terror that wouldn't look out of place in a video game. However, the biggest change was on the 18th. The addition of a rock wall (marking the boundary of the driving range/OB on the left) and bunkers added up the right side make this a very intimidating hole from the tee. It’s gettable, but it now asks for two very, very good shots with penalties lurking everywhere.