Day 4 The Last Leg!

After a frustrating Day 3 the end was near. Days 2 and 3 had been hot (the weather, not the golf) and another 40 degrees plus awaited. Only four holes to go.

Nundroo was first on the list. Ten o'clock in the morning and the temperature was climbing. Beth needed a little encouragement to walk the 600 metres to the tee, but the faithful photographer was still determined to see the course to the end. Up and over the hill we went - into the never never! This time there was a slight change of strategy. Beth was going to try and watch the ball as well as take photos. Clever!

The challenge here was the fairway. First the drive had to find the fairway, and then it had to bounce straight. Striding confidently to the tee I struck the ball a mighty blow. Moments later I proceeded up the fairway before turning right into the long grass to look for my ball.

My heart sank as I considered yet another lost ball. Fortunately the grass was not as thick as it appeared. Discretion was called for!

Tiger Woods might play a long iron or fairway metal (a.k.a. a fairway wood) for his second on such a hole. Not me. I played a pitching wedge.

Tiger Woods would go for the green on such a hole. Not me. I was just trying to find the fairway.

The theory on a long hole is driver, long iron, pitch then putt. My practice was becoming driver, pitch, long iron, chip, then putt. When things went bad it was driver, pitch, long iron, pitch, short iron, pitch, chip then putt, and putt again!!!!

At Nundroo I managed to finish my mixed up order with a one putt and a par 5, to my great relief. After the hotel we enjoyed great coffee in a cool roadhouse. Need to go? They have the best kept toilet facilities my caddy had seen throughout this experience.

Hole 16 (counting down here....only 2 more to go) was a short uphill par 4 with a few trees in the way. I found one tree back left of the green, but a one putt saved the day.

My course notes said that Penong hole was on the golf course. Conversation at the roadhouse confirmed that it was on the site of the golf course, which had not been visible for about 20 years.



Last stop Ceduna. This time the holes were on the local golf course and the territory looked less frightening. Two short approach shots meant a good putt was needed to save par before headed to Denial Bay, the name of my last hole.

Unfortunately it was into the wind, and my photographer captured the tragedy as it unfolded. To avoid a possible out of bounds on the right I went left... and then managed to mess up 3 of the next five shots. The last of these was only about 15 centimetres, and that I got right.

Next post - the wrap up!

Day 2 - Day of Disaster

Were it not for the Nullarbor Golf Experience we would not have gone in to Fraser Range Station.

A delightful spot about 100 kms east of Norseman this would be lovely place to stop for a few days. Their hole is short downhill par 3, and easy little hole. Warning - do not overhit! My tee shot did not go into the dry creek at the back but stayed in a pile of dirt. Once I got to the green it was easy except for the pace of the artificial green. A 1.5 metre downhill putt became a 2 metre uphill putt which I missed.

On to Balladonia with one of the more challenging par 3's you will find anywhere. The 175 metres of fairway, and then a gentle approach. Don't be too long, there's salt bush. Don't lay up (unless you are dead straight) there's dead trees and dirt. Oh- avoid being left of right there are trees and scrub there too.


Having struck my tee shot long and left the first challenge was to find the ball. Here my photographer came to the rescue, and we managed to escape with a bogey.


Caiguna offered some respite, a short par 4 dogleg left. How far to the turn? No idea. Solution, a little draw. Problem it went straight - and about 40 metres through the fairway into the scrub. At leas I found it, and managed to get closer to the hole, but not close enough. Another chip and I was on the green, but two putts was satisfactory.




Cocklebiddy looked scary, but there was little scrub, more like a runway than a fairway. The challenge was to clear the 180 plus metres of natural grasses to reach short stuff (or the absence of stuff really). At least here I avoided the long stuff and managed the fairway and my first par for the day.