Design Influences at Sea Temple - No. 1 'Punchbowl'

The 1st green at Sea Temple would have to rate as one of the great greens in Australia with its size and contouring. Any misplaced second, or third, shot can result in quite a difficult putt depending on where the pin location is for the day. The golf course architect, Mr Micheal Wolveridge, has kindly penned a few words about the design process behind the 1st, 'Punchbowl'.

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Opening holes have their own special place in the golfing pantheon. Always considered ideal, the 1^st hole on the Old Course at St.Andrews offers a wide open tee shot down a fairway 150 yards across. There are no bunkers yet immediately before the green, there runs across a small stream, Alas! too wide to bounce across, the Swilcan Burn formerly acting as a town sewer is now a babbling brook. This was most certainly the first water hazard in golf. The putting green is a large affair, simple and inviting just beyond the burn, it becomes devilishly difficult towards the rear as it disappears into a series of small humps reminding the unwary of the importance of clearing the burn by the very least amount. The real pressure for the visitor however is the very act of teeing off to the booming voice of the Starter from his little hut, “Play Away Sorr”. There you are, no practice, excited, tired and immediately in front of the imposing windows of the Royal & Ancient clubhouse, with God knows who staring out at you! Your caddie calls across..."Ye’ll be needin’ a ba’ to hit". Oh, where to hide!

A classic beginning hole in Australia is the 1^st at Sorrento Golf Club...quite my favourite! Most revered opening holes allow room for manoeuvre off the tee and often save the ‘shock treatment’ for the vicinity of the green....it’s the very best way to clear one’s head, or so thought I at the Links when due to the necessity of the clubhouse siting near to the road, the links aspect of the golf does not occur until players have reached the corner of the dog-leg at the first. At that point the essence of links golf takes over - open ground, a fresh southerly breeze at your face and that splendid sight of the hills and Black Mountain beyond. I wanted to make a huge green that might be easy to hit but somehow, it needed ‘livening up’ in the centre, a little hollow perhaps? Thus we settled upon a delightful punchbowl to split it in two portions with room for one pin spot only in the bowl, offering some old fashioned golfing entertainment and a positive announcement that says: “Wake up, we have arrived at the Links”.