Course
The Vines Golf Club of Reynella has a delightfully picturesque 18-hole course that provides a true test for experienced players without being too daunting for the beginner or social golfer.
With its lush, carpet-like, tree-lined Santa Ana Couch fairways and true-rolling, fast-paced pure Bent grass greens, the course invariably looks a picture. The course is flanked on three sides by native bush reserves and in this peaceful location it is hard to imagine that the centre of Adelaide is just 30 minutes away.
The immaculate condition of the course as a whole is a tribute to the dedication and tireless efforts of the hard-working greenkeeping team. An abundant supply of water ensures superior course condition all year round.
So much do members love their course that there is even a volunteer crew who go out in their spare time and add a few finishing aesthetic touches to complement the magnificent day-to-day work of the greenkeeping staff. It’s a wonderful team effort and such dedication from all concerned is one of the reasons The Vines Golf Club of Reynella is so special.
Men enjoy a 6,031-metre par-71 layout from the from the black championship tees (slope rating 126). Women play a par-72 course measuring 5,186 metres from the red tees (slope rating 121). With Scratch Scores of 72 and 73 respectively (both one-over-par), this is a true test of golf.
Changes in undulation and contoured fairways will exercise skill and technique. Good golfers will appreciate being rewarded for the ability to shape their shots on some holes, while everyone will have their short game tested should they miss the greens, with chipping skills and imagination to the fore. Driver is far from the automatic choice on every hole; instead the golfer must make a strategic choice and then execute their chosen shot to be rewarded.
The layout complements its natural surroundings rather than being at odds with them and offers a visual treat to the golfer and nature lover in equal measure.
Water features and many magnificent mature specimen trees including majestic 100-year-old red gums provide a feast for the senses. Nesting boxes have encouraged an abundance of bird life, with the colourful Adelaide and Eastern rosellas very prominent. A family of tawny frogmouths visit each year and the delightful blue wren is a common sight.
Koalas are regular visitors and a colony of kangaroos can often be seen lounging about the fairways. There are ducks and cackling kookaburras, who you may hear laughing from the trees at any poorly-struck shots!
Brendan James, the widely-respected and much-travelled editor of Golf Australia, was particularly impressed with the pure rolling nature of the greens and said they were “generally regarded as some of the best you will find in South Australia, outside the metropolitan area.”
ProjectGOLF described the layout at The Vines “a must-play course in Adelaide” and added: “If you’re looking for somewhere to play within Adelaide’s southern city rim, you won’t find anywhere better than The Vines of Reynella Golf Club.”
Indeed you won’t. Not content to rest on its laurels, The Vines sought the advice of Ryan van der Veen, one of the country’s most respected course designers, on a course enhancement strategy. The next exciting stage of the club’s evolution will see a significant upgrade of the course over the next few years, beginning with the replacement of the irrigation system.
The aim is to steadily improve the playing experience yet further, confirming the Vines Golf Club of Reynella as a standout golf destination and one of the leading courses in the region.