Fascinating history and facts about Dent Island and the 18-hole championship Golf Club by club super

A challenging concept from the beginning

The Hamilton Island Golf Club on the island’s neighbouring Dent Island was a very tough course to build, as it is a designated national park, within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Its island location meant there were very strict environmental guidelines to follow. Twenty-four environmental-impact statements were completed, covering vegetation, water, the reef, wildlife and birds, before any land was turned. 

The Designers

Peter Thomson's Thomson Perrett golf course architects designed the challenging but spectacular Hamilton Island Golf Club course. They have been involved in more than 250 projects worldwide, headed by the now late legendary golfer Peter Thomson, five-time British Open winner. One of the design parameters set out at the time by the island's owner, Bob Oatley, was that the course couldn’t be visible except from Hamilton Island. Even if you sail around Dent Island itself, you wouldn’t know there was a world class golf course right here. Chris Beckingham is the man behind the design of the stunning golf Clubhouse, and has designed Hamilton Island's luxury resort qualia, as well as many of the island's private residences. 

Head designer Ross Perrett reveals

"Before work began there were two goats and a lighthouse [on Dent Island], and that was about it... Peter introduced me with his enthusiasm to walk around the site, he was dodging rocks bigger than footballs that were hidden in the high grass.  But he was so keen to see how the course was going to take shape."  Work began in 2006, transforming the scrub covered island that rises steeply to about 145 metres from the Coral Sea below. The entire build was fully completed in 2009. “Many people would have given up, but Bob Oatley had the belief that it could be done,” Perrett says, "He was patient and willing to tick the boxes to get it done." 

Finding 18 holes was tough 

"The first nine is in and around a valley and has a dam, which we raised by about two metres, and that solved the water problem," says Perrett. "The first four holes go out and then you loop back to finish the nine. The second nine was much more difficult to design. There's a ‘razorback’ - shaped ridge running south. The course runs along the ridge but then there’s no way back, which is why there is a one-kilometer track between the 17th green and 18th tee. That also had advantages, because you get that beautiful view from the 18th tee to end the round." 

Breaking Ground

Once a construction date was set, a major hurdle was getting all the machinery onto the island – no simple task given the steep cliffs, rocky shorelines and coral reefs that ring the island. When it came to sand-capping the course, the cost to barge sand in from the mainland would have been prohibitive, so seven crushing machines were used on the island to crush hundreds of tonnes of rock. The resulting sand formed the course’s foundations on which the TifEagle Bermuda grass and couch playing surfaces now grow.  

The Heritage

Dent Island is also home to the only west facing lighthouse on Australia’s east coast. It was built in 1879, converted to solar power in 1981 and manned until 1987. Supplies were delivered fortnightly, weather depending; a doctor used to visit every six months to check on the keeper’s families. Two cottages built in the 1950s replaced the original lighthouse-kepper's cottages from the 1880s. The Dent Island lighthouse is still in operation and maintained by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Hamilton Island oversees the cottages, winch house and lighthouse grounds, maintaining them to their original design and condition. The lighthouse is relatively tucked away and cannot be seen or accessed from the course and is not open to visitors. Make sure to keep an eye out for a glimpse when taking to the water on a tour or charter, or adventuring on a scenic flight. 

Protecting the environment

The dam on Dent Island holds 150 megalitres of water, which is enough if the team on the ground are careful with how they use it. During the wet season, water is collected from the front nine holes of the golf course that runs into and fills the dam. There is an irrigation system covering the entire course with more than 800 sprinklers and four separate pump stations to deliver the water across the 30-hectare site, Computers control the irrigation system so that there is non runoff from the golf course into the ocean. It does this by watering in small doses with breaks in-between, allowing the water to soak into the soil instead of puddling and running off.  

Not just for golfers

It is only a short ferry from the island, but Hamilton Island Golf Club feels like a change pace. Arriving at Dent Island, you'll be whisked up the hill by buggy to the Clubhouse, which is perfectly perched to catch the breezes and sea view. The restaurant is relaxed and the perfect place for lunch. 

The Stats

Luke Bulleid, Hamilton Island Golf Club manager, has seen plenty of action on the course. He concedes that while every hole is "tough to play, perhaps the most testing technically is the long par 5, 11th hole”. Bulleid recommends 12 balls per player per round and when pushed says the average score is 90-120, although this really depends on the individual player. 

Sporting Stars

Should you choose to play a round, you'll be following in the footsteps of the sport’s elite who have played the course, including Adam Scott and Karrie Webb. Ash Barty has played a round and former Australian cricket captain Alan Border has a hole in one on the 16th