Holes: 18

Course length: Black: 6019m, blue:

5680m, white: 5325m, red: 4908m

Greens: Yes

Bunkers: Yes

DAUNTING in its layout and punishing by its surrounds, the Creswick Golf Club course at the Novotel Forest Resort is a harsh beast.

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Undulating fairways lined either side by thick forest, tricky greens and a generous sprinkling of water make this a track to approach with caution.

Take the par four 15th for example. One of the club’s feature holes starts off with an elevated tee shot down to a valley below. This stroke is fraught with danger due to the penalty area to the left and thick scrub to the right, and still leaves the golfer with a nail-biting iron over a dam onto a green guarded by bunkers.

The sixth hole - a 484m par five from the black markers - is a beauty. Another elevated tee shot to a good landing area sets up a second stroke that will worry even the most skilled of players. The trees which line the fairway close in and strangle a narrow opening to a green which is well above the golfer’s standing height.

Of the par threes, perhaps the third hole is the toughest. If the lengthy 193m iron from the black tee isn’t worrying enough, a sloped green that can funnel your ball into the pond below could have you pleading for mercy.

And how about the 18th? Surely one of the most difficult holes in the region, the par four stretches over a mammoth 418m and is a truly punishing way to complete a round.

But equal to the course’s difficulty is its enjoyment factor. The modest golfer can easily shoot over 100, and despite being short a few balls, can still return to the clubhouse with a grin.

While not boasting the big membership numbers of some rival clubs around the district, Creswick has the benefit of the resort to draw new players to the course.

Top-class hotel facilities make for the ideal holiday destination, particularly for those looking to incorporate the great game into their time away.

“It can play very differently for a beginner or a hotel guest (than) an experienced player. It’s not an overly long course, but can be demanding if you’re not straight,” Creswick Golf Club president Brian Anstey said.

“There are some fabulous views from some of the tees and some of the greens.”

Anstey said there is plenty of history in the course, which has taken on a new look in recent years.

“Probably about seven or eight years ago it was redeveloped. The front nine has been carved out of the natural virgin bush. The back nine is on the same site as the old course and that old course is 100 years old in 2016.

“The club is looking to do quite a few functions and celebrate 100 years.”

One of the crowning jewels of the club’s past was the hosting of the Victorian PGA Championship in 2012 and 2013. And while the club has since relinquished its five-year contract on the event, the four-day tournament put Creswick fairly and squarely on the golfing map.

“It’s part of our history now. We had it for two years and it’s moved on and we’ve moved on, but it taught us a lot about setting up a course for a major event. We’ve learned a lot as a club from it,” Anstey said.