Today Andrew and I played at Tropics Golf Club. So that means its time for my CRAPP report and I know you’ve been eagerly waiting for another of my informative and comprehensive reports.

Before I give the ratings I have to mention that for a state which has minimum COVID cases, I can’t believe the difference each golf club has re their COVID compliance. It’s all over the place but social distancing requirements are a joke. I suppose its the same elsewhere and we shouldn’t complain as we are playing golf whereas in Melbourne its no go!

So The Tropics Golf Club is one of 3 golf courses in the Townsville area. It was previously know as the Willows Golf Club but was bought out about 18 months ago. The new owner is working hard to get it right, he has a good canvas to work with but time will tell if he’s successful. Apparently he’s employed a credentialed course superintendent so that’s a start. Of course water is a big ingredient in the recipe, so hopefully, whether by natural resources or other means, the course gets a good and regular drink over the coming years. Now for the ratings.

Design – 15 out of 20 (A very good layout, with a couple of tweaks, like reversing the front & back nines, could make it suburb)

Condition – 9 out of 20 (Unfortunately this is where the course fell away. Greens were very patchy and need a lot of work and due to lack of water the fairways were also in places sub- standard)

Cost – 17 out of 20 (Very reasonable pricing. Would have rated even higher if the course was in better nick.)

Visual Appeal – 15 out of 20 (An impressive club house greets you and there is water also in view on arrival)

Facilities – 6 out of 10 (The putting green was below par and the pro shop also needed work. Another negative was no food/bistro available)

Ambience – 5 out of 10 (Probably a bit harsh here but there just needed a more vibrant aspect to it)

So that results in an overall rating of 67. Not a bad rating, very much on par with a lot of courses I have played. I suggest it would be good to come back in a few years and play it again after the new superintendent has had sometime to put his imprimatur on the course.

Until my next CRAPP, happy golfing!