The Vintage Golf Club

Part of a huge residential development of nearly 500 homes built by Medallist Developments and Stevens Group, The Vintage course is one of five Australian courses run by the American company, Troon Golf Management.

The course at Vintage Golf Club borders the Beggars Bridge and Bimbadgen vineyards in the fertile Hunter Valley, near Cessnock and opened in 2003. Measuring 6,940 yards, with a par of 71, this Greg Norman designed course is laid out over gently undulating countryside, incorporating all manner of natural features including ravines, creeks, ridges and wetlands.

The front nine play clockwise away from the clubhouse, made up of half a dozen strong par fours, a couple of interesting par threes and a demanding par five – the 565-yard 7th hole where vineyards and out of bounds run all the way down the left of the fairway. The tee shot has a large expanse of bush to carry uphill to the fairway then from the landing area at the top of the hill, the fairway runs downhill before rising again to a green perched on a ridge.

The back nine play anti-clockwise, completing the routing of a figure of eight. Starting with the mammoth 618-yard, par five, 10th hole – which plays to a green on the top of a small cliff at the far end of a lake – and concluding with the 411-yard, par four 18th hole – played to an undulating, heavily protected, raised green, these holes will test how well you can play to your handicap.