ONLY 10 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD, Latrobe Golf Club needs little introduction.
Many will know it for its challenging 18-hole championship layout, tight driving holes that are full of energy, intelligence and wonder.
Now the club boasts an additional five holes – albeit a par-3 short course that was designed and built to further grow the game of golf.
Of course, being a golf course so close to the city adds a wealth of value to the area – a greenbelt, wildlife sanctuary and accessibility.
Latrobe GC is such a course. It is situated in the leafy suburb of Alphington, east of the city centre, and is nestled among a number of other golfing facilities. It is the closest private golf club to the CBD.
Established in 1948, Latrobe GC has a proud history and aims to continue the tradition by providing a vibrant, progressive hub for excellence in golf development, playing facilities and hospitality.
Visitors to the club can expect a friendly and inquisitive welcome from staff and club members.
General manager Bill Papadimitriou said one of the features of the club was its friendliness.
“We are a very welcoming, social and friendly club,” he told Inside Golf.
Meanwhile, course improvements and maintenance programs have moved to the forefront of the club’s agenda with irrigation upgrades on the drawing board.
And new course superintendent Nathan Turner has done an amazing job since taking on the role in September.
“When Nathan arrived he hit the ground running,” Papadimitriou said. “He jumped straight into renovations and has made some amazing improvements around the course.”
In 2017, Latrobe modernised its clubhouse and now members and guests enjoy the facilities in comfortable surrounds.
“The club’s function facilities are available for business conferences and corporate golf days,” Papadimitriou said. “And the clubhouse is open for lunch seven days a week.
“We have our upstairs members’ area which overlooks the 18th and 1st holes. It’s very well patronised by the members.
“We are now in the process of updating all the wet areas in the changing rooms and bathrooms and plan to do that within the next six months.”
Membership is available in all categories except for five-day membership.
Like most golf clubs, Latrobe has enjoyed a spike in membership post-Covid and is in a strong financial position.
“The club operates in a strong an efficient manner and that has translated to a strong membership base,” Papadimitriou added.
“We have benefited from good management, good operation and strong membership.”
The golf course
Latrobe is a parkland golf course surrounded on two sides by the Yarra River. There are five billabongs on the course, which means plenty of water can come into play.
And then there are the tight fairways lined with Red River Gum trees.
If you think you can ease your way into your round, think again. The opening hole is a 165m par-3 (153m for women).
The second hole is a demanding 482m (433m for women) par-5 that sees the Yarra River hugs the left side of the fairway all the way to the green.
If you negotiate the two opening holes successfully your task doesn’t getting any easier, according to the club’s head professional, Tony Craswell.
“The third and fourth are two of the hardest holes on the course,” he warned. “The course’s strength is its group of par-4s, which are really strong holes.
“So holes three and four are strong par-4s and so are holes six and seven and 14 and 15. If you get through those strong par-4s there are some par-3s and par-5s to give the layout some variety.
“Latrobe is a really picturesque course. It’s a flat easy walk, but it challenges all levels of players. It’s an interesting course to play because it has a wonderful mixture of easy and difficult holes.
“The golf course is always in good condition and the greens are smooth and true. It’s just a great golf course.”
Craswell rates the 395m par-4 fourth hole the toughest on the course.
“It asks some questions because it has a small green surrounded by bunkers and river gums and a billabong encroaches the left side of the fairway about 230m from the tee. You can take it on with driver to a narrow fairway and have an 8-iron into the green or you can lay-up and have a mid- to long-iron to a small green.”
“The seventh”, says Craswell, “is our postcard hole and it offers the best birdie opportunity.
“It’s down near our English Oak tree, which was planted 180 years ago and is on the National Trust. It’s a majestic beast and looks absolutely magnificent. That is why it’s on the club’s emblem.
“Another feature of the course is the stone rock walls dotted around the course. They are really striking.”
The Island par-3 short course
What many of Latrobe Golf Club’s 1300+ members find attractive is its excellent practice facilities that have been enhanced by a five-hole par-3 short course designed by OCM.
“The short course is completely enclosed by the Yarra River,” Craswell explained. “It’s absolutely beautiful out there.”
“It has allowed us to grow the game –especially with women and juniors.
“We collaborate with Yarra Bend juniors and with Drummond Golf and that relationship is bringing more women into the game. We have started our golf development program for women and we have 10 clinics a week.
“We already have over 130 on our data base and since opening a year ago, 40 women have joined the club.
“They (women) go and play the short course and transition to the full course when they feel they are ready rather than feeling like they are forced into it.
“I always say, ‘you learn golf on the range, but you learn to love the game on the golf course’.”
The club also has a relationship with Ivanhoe Grammar School, which allows students to play the short course.
“We have two other school groups that use the short course,” Craswell added.
“It has just opened up the game to so many more people that probably wouldn’t be exposed to the game. It’s a much more user-friendly skill-appropriate place to play. It’s really cool.”
Meanwhile, the club’s members too are enjoying playing the short course, which can accommodate 20 players who complete the course in less than 30 minutes.
Latrobe GC fact file:
Contact: Latrobe Golf Club, Farm Road, Alphington, Victoria 3078. Phone: (03) 9497-1000.
Website: www.latrobegolf.com.au
Green fees: $80 for 18 holes as a members’ guest and $45 for nine holes.
Restrictions: Latrobe GC is a private course open to members and guests. To allow non-members the chance to play, the club holds an open competition on the first Monday of the month (excluding public holidays). It allows members of other clubs who hold a valid GA handicap to play. Limited tee times for interstate visitors are available on some days.
Golf carts: Members $35 (18 holes); non-members $45.
Hire equipment: Yes.
Practice facilities: In addition to the five-hole short course, Latrobe has a 200m driving range featuring eight bays with mats and tees, chipping and putting green and practice bunker.
The one shot you need: You need to drive the ball well to be successful.
Toughest holes and why: The 395m par-4 fourth hole.
Best chance for a birdie: The par-4 seventh hole.
Ammunition quota: “That depends on your handicap,” said head pro Tony Craswell. “If you lose more than a sleeve you are probably at fault.”
Don’t leave home without it: Driver and camera.
Don’t miss: The club’s excellent five-hole short course.
Clubhouse facilities: The clubhouse was modernised in 2017 and provides all the comforts and function facilities. It is open seven days a week for lunch.
Memberships: The club has a number of membership offerings available although there is a waiting list for five-day membership (males).
Pro shop offers: The pro shop has all the offerings a golfer needs including logoed merchandise and apparel.
Club professional: Tony Craswell has been the head pro at Latrobe for 20 years and specialises in junior, introductory and women’s programs. The AAA-rated Craswell has twice been named Professional of the Year.
Latrobe’s Golf Premier League
DIEHARD Brisbane Lions supporter Tony Craswell created Golf Premier League in 2008 and says it is the lifeblood of Saturday competition golf.
How it works: “It runs like the AFL or NRL season with 16 teams of 10 players – 160 players are involved,” Craswell explained.
“We do a draw for teams and the best five of the 10 scores count and form the team’s score. And after the regular season we have the finals, a Brownlow Medal count which is the ‘Night of Nights’.
“Then there is an All-Latrobe team selected and it’s an honour to make the team. It’s great and it creates a lot of banter among the players and teams and it brings camaraderie to the club.
“The players involved are more interested in other people’s games because everyone wants to know how everyone played. It’s good for the membership’s interaction and it keeps people engaged.
“At most clubs, the members tend to play in the same group of four every week and hardly know anyone else.
“It’s a big deal for the guy who wins the Brownlow Medal and players love to make the All-Latrobe team. They see it as a great reward for a great season of golf.
Chief writer David Newbery has been living, breathing and writing and editing golf for more than 30 years. His extensive knowledge of the game comes from covering golf around the world. Hired by Inside Golf in 2009, David previously worked as the editor of The Golfer for 25 years and before that worked for numerous daily newspapers in Australia and overseas. The Brisbane-based journalist describes his golf game as “a work in progress”, but has had the privilege of playing golf with some of the game’s best players including nine-time major winner Gary Player. David enjoys travelling, reading, music, photography and spending time with family and friends – on and off the golf course. 
