Length – 6,319 Metres / Par 72
Signature Hole – Par 5, 18th
Course Highlight – The spectacular 18th and the bunkers, alone provide a reason to head north of the boarder.
Palm Meadows is a typical resort style course with concrete cart paths, a quality club house, driving range, and 5-star facilities. The course was a regular "big time" venue in the 80’s on the Australian PGA Tour, but seems to have slipped off the radar in the last decade. Bogey returned a decade later, and realised that the layout and design are still first rate, with carefully positioned bunkers, and water coming into play on a number of holes. For all the good, a few things are missing.
The first hole at Palm Meadows is unique to say the least. With water along the left, and a huge thicket of bamboo approximately 100 meters off the tee in the middle of the fairway, making for a challenging first drive. The bamboo is unique to the Palm Meadows layout and is never too far away for the entire round. It adds another dimension to the fairways and is always ready to collect any stray tee shot that gets too close, usually resulting in a lost ball. Needless to say, Palm Meadows rewards accurate driving, and has the typical Australian feel, with large bunkers, fairway ponds and lakes. The greens are top notch, with true roll and read, however, the fairways lacked the maintenance that you would expect, with high grass and a distinctly unkempt appearance. This was disappointing, and reminded me of the gimmicky "been there, got the t-shirt" apparel found in souvenir shops. Could it be the effort is gone, after being at the forefront of Australian Golf for so many years? The course highlight at Palm Meadows was without a doubt, the 18th, and could be regarded as one of Australia’s most iconic golf holes. It’s a par 5 with water all the way to the green. Success relies on how much water your talent can handle or your ego wants to take on. Once you reach the green on this mighty hole, you’re confronted with a two tiered ripper, with a bamboo bush the size of a three-storey condo on the right - what a hole!
In summary, the Palm Meadows layout and design are pretty exciting, but the course feels tired, and somewhat dated. Maintenance is lacking, and the quality of the accommodation and hotel that adjoin the course were disappointing. Some of the layout looks unchanged from Bogey's journey back in the 1980’s. Regardless, its still a pretty enjoyable and nostalgic round, and definitely worth the hit if you're on the Gold Coast!
In summary, the Palm Meadows layout and design are pretty exciting, but the course feels tired, and somewhat dated. Maintenance is lacking, and the quality of the accommodation and hotel that adjoin the course were disappointing. Some of the layout looks unchanged from Bogey's journey back in the 1980’s. Regardless, its still a pretty enjoyable and nostalgic round, and definitely worth the hit if you're on the Gold Coast!
Bogey's Ratings
Greens – 8/10 – Challenging, interesting, and in pretty good nick.
Fairways – 7/10 – Overall in good condition, but lacked care.
Bunkers – 8/10 – Well positioned and in great shape.
Customer Service – 6/10 – Nothing to write home about. Bogey was just another number in a long line of bookings.
Value – 8/10 - At $69 bucks inclusive of cart, it's pretty damn good for such an iconic course!
Overall Rating - 7.4/10 flags
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