The Mornington Peninsula is well known for its incredible golf courses. Of all the courses found in the area, the Legends and Open layouts at Moonah Links stand with some of the best golfing experiences in Victoria. The two provide radically different experiences, with the Open course widely considered to be amongst the most difficult tests across the country.
The Legends course on the other hand, is much more relaxed, designed to provide a testing yet enjoyable stroll for any calibre of player. It provides a trip through the game’s most revered players, with each hole named after a legend of the game – more specifically, former winners of the Australian Open. It includes legends like: Tom Watson (3rd hole), Greg Norman (4th hole), the late great Arnold Palmer at the 6th, six-time champion Jack Nicklaus (7th hole) and Gary Player at the 9th. It is also the host of a regular feature each year – a fabulous Pro Am on the aptly named PGA Legends Tour, which attracts Aussie legends, the likes of Rodger Davis, Peter Senior, Mike Harwood and Peter Lonard to name a few.
The Legends course is designer Ross Perret’s first Australian work. Winding through parts of a housing estate, it is a scenic and appealing layout with some lovely links characterised areas.
With clever use of visually daunting and penal bunkering, both at greenside and on the fairway edges, Perret used the natural flow of the terrain on site which negated the need for too much earth to be shifted in its creation. The outcome is a course that gives the feeling that it has been around for vastly longer than it has.
Worthy of mention, the 11th hole honours South African great Bobby Locke – the first prominent figure in that country’s golfing heritage, although certainly not the last. The reputation is well deserved, as Locke beat Sam Snead 12 to 2 in a 1946 exhibition series. A phenomenal exponent of the short game, Mr Locke stated “The real success in golf lies in turning three shots into two.’’ Locke absolutely deserves some recognition having been the dominant links player prior to Peter Thomson with 4 victories in the Open Championship. Mr Locke’s hole is a drivable par 4 measuring 272 metres that will entice many players to take out their driver and have a lash at the putting surface surrounded by deep penal bunkering.
Make sure The Legends course is included in your Mornington itinerary, why not play it and The Open course whilst staying onsite at Peppers Moonah Links, fabulous golf, and luxury accommodation!