Under plans drawn up by renowned golf course architect Ross Perrett, work to improve the visual aspects of three holes started yesterday. 

Substantial earth works are to be carried out on three par-fours, the fourth, the signature fifth and the 14th holes.

Perrett said the works aimed to restore natural, sandy wasteland-type areas off the fairways that once existed before being overgrown by grass. Tussock plantings would be added to ensure rain and wind did not erode the sandy areas. The fifth hole, which has sea and sand dune views from the tee, will have a sandy area added to the left of a grassy mound near the green. It blends in with the sand dune in the background and a sandy patch on top of a hill near the tee.

“It will give the hole a foreground, a middle and a long-distance aspect,” he said.

Perrett said the change was designed to bring the course closer to its coastal surrounds.

The fourth hole had a fairway bunker down the right side against a hill removed, and sandy areas exposed on the side of the hill. The bunker has been replaced with fairway. Perrett, who has been working with the club for more than 20 years, said the changes were subtle but significant.

“We are trying to make it more natural looking,” he said.

“It’s all about exposing sand. I’m not keen on exposing sandy areas in Melbourne’s sandbelt courses but in coastal areas it is very visually pleasing.”

Perrett said his firm had been involved with the club’s first plans in the late 1980s and early 1990s to transform the course into a 36-hole country club.

“It is the oldest job number in our files,” he said.

“This is the first time we’ve done anything to the course in more than 25 years. It’s quite exciting to be up here doing something.”

Warrnambool Golf Club president Yani Marris said the changes were part of a broader masterplan to improve the course.

“These changes are fantastic,” he said overseeing works on the fourth hole yesterday.

Marris said the club needed to continually improve.

“You have to keep moving,” he said.

Marris said further works were planned to the front of the third green, a bunker on the left side of the par-three 15th would be filled in and the most expensive project would be building a new women’s tee on the eighth hole.

“We are not spending a massive amount of money,” he said.

Course superintendent David Warnaar, who was overseeing the works, said the changes were important but they were relatively inexpensive, estimating the bill would be between $10,000 and $12,000.

He said he and his staff would be able to implement many of the masterplan’s improvements. But yesterday they needed expert help from Perrett and excavator contractor Warwick Taylor.

Part of the changes to the fifth were finished yesterday but more work will be done later this week.

grbest@fairfaxmedia.com.au