Hamilton Island

The course is not actually located on Hamilton Island; instead it’s laid out on nearby Dent Island and is accessed by ferry from the marina but, as golfers cross the short sound between the two islands, there’s very little to suggest that they’ll find 18 holes set on top of the cliffs on Dent.

All the heavy machinery involved in construction was brought across by barge in order to literally carve the fairways out of the rugged landscape and the front nine holes were routed around the centre of the island with the more dramatic back nine holes positioned along the ridges to the south.

The four par threes are the real standouts here, with two them deserving further comment. The exposed green of the 4th hole is set against the backdrop of Long Island in the distance and a rocky outcrop to the right of the target frames it. The 165-yard 14th plays to a raised green with bunkers cut into three sides of the putting surface, leaving a tiny bail out to the left for the feint hearted.

Dent Island is a fantastic setting for a golf course and the thrilling changes in fairway elevation offer some sensational 360-degree views of the surrounding Whitsunday Islands.

The following edited extract by architect Ross Perrett is from Volume Six of Golf Architecture: A Worldwide Perspective. Reproduced with kind permission. To obtain a copy of the book, email Paul Daley at fswing@bigpond.net.au.

“Hamilton Island’s course is situated on Dent Island, approximately one kilometre from the established tourist resort of Hamilton Island, which has its own airport. Dent Island is approximately 2,500 acres in area and has been unoccupied since 1987, the year the lighthouse ceased to be staffed. Unlike Hamilton Island, which boasts several stunning beaches, Dent Island is a rugged, rocky monolith. And, due to the extreme slopes of the land, initially it did not seem naturally conducive to playing golf.

Becoming better acquainted with the property – preferably, on foot with the help of accurate contour information and up-to-date aerial photography – is the starting point for any project. The more time spent on site, the better the design response will be. Further, the architect must gain an understanding of all the other constraints that will affect the design, including wind patterns, the site’s geology, soils, vegetation, season’s rainfall and temperatures.

The major design constraint with the Dent Island site was the lack of flat land suitable for fairways and, in particular, to accommodate par-5s. This dictated the use of elevated tees with large carries and the concentration of holes on ridges and in valleys. Side slopes were avoided as the slopes were too severe. The resulting routing plan responds well to the contours and creates two nines of contrasting character. The front nine is more conventional, with holes concentrated in a series of valleys, while the back nine runs generally along the island’s central ridge.

Having settled on a workable routing plan, the next challenge was to gain planning permission to build the course. This proved to be an expensive and drawn-out process that required patiently working through a raft of issues and solving myriad problems – most of which were not strictly related to golf. A series of environmental management plans were developed and worked through studiously with the appropriate planning authorities (and) a full-time environmental consultant was required to monitor and report on construction.

The construction phase proved to be even more challenging than the planning and design phase. Being a rocky island surrounded by a coral reef, the logistics required to build this course were exceptional. All heavy equipment and materials required to build the course had to be barged in at high tides to avoid damaging the reef. The equipment included bulldozers, excavators, trucks, tractors, site vehicles, crushing plants, concrete batching plants, fuels tanks and, eventually, golf maintenance equipment.

Labour was another major constraint as Hamilton Island could not accommodate the workforce that, at times, approached eighty personnel. Initially, the workforce was ferried to Hamilton Island from Airlie Beach on the mainland and then transferred by smaller craft to Dent Island. This proved to be highly inefficient so a worker’s camp was established on Dent Island. At its peak, the camp accommodated sixty-five personnel (and) it proved to be invaluable and critical to delivering the project in a realistic timeframe.

If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to play at Hamilton Island spare a thought for what has gone before you. Hopefully, it will make your golfing experience even more special.”