Yowani Country Club

Yowani Country Club: Located 4 km north of Canberra's centre, Yowani provides not just a pleasant parkland golf outing but also comfortable accommodation in an onsite motel - laid out on relatively flat terrain, the course presents a challenging variety of well-maintained, predominantly tree-lined holes - small moguls flank some of the fairways, although it is the tree-line that make things feel relatively tight on several holes, unnervingly tight at the par-4 14th and returning par-4 15th, which has threatening cross bunkers strutting across the fairway - both nine-hole loops start with relatively tight, straight par-5s, which head out parallel to each other, separated by a single line of trees - as on many occasions, if you miss the correct fairway, there is probably an adjoining one to bail out onto - a good mix of straight and doglegging holes lead you to the often small, circular and not overly elevated greens - a bit of traffic noise can drift in from passing Barton Highway, but nothing that's too distracting - noise of a more natural variety may well be encountered at the very good par-3 16th and testing par-4 17th, both of which bring a small lake into play - on an island in the middle of the lake, a sometimes cacophonous bird colony resides.