The borders are open, and the coast is seemingly clear to resume life as a wandering golfer. Here are our picks of the destinations you need to add to your list this year, with some valuable advice thrown in.
We call it ‘avoiding the inertia trap’, a nod to how there are two types of golfers: those who seek new courses and those who don’t. Global pandemics notwithstanding, inertia is what keeps people at home. Maybe a membership has been paid for and each round increases some divisor of utility. Maybe someone in your life keeps your calendar with too sharp a pencil. Maybe you’ve found enough fascination in trying to replicate shots in a game where no two are ever quite alike.
We can almost understand not travelling to play. There’s comfort in familiarity. Yet as the saying reminds us, “A ship in a harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” Equally, golf clubs – and golfers – are designed for journeys.
Throughout the rest of this special travel section are hints, location options and stories that might inspire you to take your clubs across the world. Wherever you go, you’ll be reminded of one truth: the biggest trap in golf isn’t made of sand, it’s playing nothing but the same course over and over.
Go somewhere new
Returning to favourite destinations is comforting for golfers, creatures who by nature tend to gravitate towards what and who they know. Yet the thrill of discovering a course for the first time is one of the game’s great delights. So, make 2023 the year you aim to play more courses that are new to you than time-honoured options. By lengthening the list of places you’ve played, you’ll of course then get to feel that warm fuzzy returning feeling more frequently.
Grape escape
The Hunter Valley wine region is near the two largest cities in New South Wales and features a pair of Top 100-ranked golf courses only a few kilometres apart. The Vintage and Cypress Lakes offer a brilliant double act with complementing challenges in a setting that constantly reminds you where you are. Bold, brash and full of flavour, the two courses are reminiscent of a good Hunter shiraz, one of which you would be well recommended to sample at the end of any round at either course. In fact, part of the lore at Cypress Lakes is to offer up a bottle to your playing partners should you fail to clear the vineyard extending in front of the second tee. The golf courses at The Vintage, which turns 20 this month, and Cypress Lakes, 30 last April, are both maturing beautifully.
Take the test
Tough golf courses are a hallmark of Greg Norman’s design career, and few Norman courses are tougher than Brookwater. With 18 holes threaded between stands of native flora on the south-western outskirts of Brisbane, the supremely good – and equally treacherous – Brookwater fast earned a reputation for its difficulty. It probably sated the Great White Shark’s ego for many a day before alterations were made by Norman and his team in more recent years to lessen the severity in places. In truth, Brookwater was far from impossible. While most fairways are narrow and flanked on both sides by dense foliage, the contours of many landing areas favoured the golfer. Often high at the edges and low in the middle, the camber helped more often than it hurt. Still, the fixes were also improvements. Greens and fairways that bordered on unfair now tip the balance more towards the player. Surviving the facelift were the inherent elements that made Brookwater instantly popular when it opened in 2002: bold features, exquisite bunkering and supreme contouring.
Full of Hope
The explosion of resort courses on Queensland’s Gold Coast reached its zenith when Links Hope Island opened 30 years ago. At a time when Japanese investment, in particular, in golf here was at a frenzied pace, a truly elite course was yet to materialise from the influx of new builds. Among the public offerings, Hope Island stood tallest with Peter Thomson, Mike Wolveridge and Ross Perrett penning their best work as a trio to give the Sunshine State a little piece of British golf in a decidedly un-British environment. Pot bunkers – predictably – rule the terrain, but this time alongside the more Queensland-style hazards golfers come to expect of a more sultry location. The two worlds colliding yielded a magnificent blend of design approaches, as Hope Island quickly became a must-play course. Mobs of kangaroos scattered across the property on the northern edge of the Gold Coast only add to the allure for both interstate and international golfers.
Try a different game
Foot golf. Disc golf. Mini golf. Short courses. Pitch and putt. The sport takes many forms. If you haven’t tried a different one, well, you’re just not squeezing every drop from this game, are you?
Around the Bend
Yarra Bend Golf Course has been a fixture within the Melbourne golf landscape for more than 80 years. The course is just 10 minutes from the CBD, positioning it as a desirable location for time-conscious golfers. While the golf course is rich in heritage and widely recognised as one of Melbourne’s premier public courses, the venue has evolved substantially in the past decade.
In 2010, an injection of new investment was underpinned by an ownership group with a vision to create a high-quality, community-focused, public golf destination in Melbourne’s north. The addition of a 58-bay indoor/outdoor driving range, a 36-hole mini-golf course and the BannLynchMcDade Golf Coaching Academy (Australia’s most successful coaching group) has broadened the venue’s appeal and positioned Yarra Bend as one of Australia’s most successful public golf facilities.
Go short, go long
Some golf locations work for a hit-and-run weekend or long-weekend explore; others warrant a week or more to fully absorb. Making the duration fit the destination is an underrated aspect of golf travel planning. One of the best pieces of advice we’ve heard when it comes to organising golf getaways is to schedule two per year, one short and one long. The quick one might pair a couple of courses in a location close to home, with the longer one a full-blown expedition to a hot golf hub. For genuinely eager travellers, why not add a tasty mid-length option to your travel calendar for a trio of getaways?
Twin Links
A golf course devised with a ‘Home of Australian Golf’ and the Australian Open in mind, Peter Thomson’s Open course at Moonah Links is a supremely difficult test of execution. Immensely long, vulnerable to the winds whipping off nearby Bass Strait and cratered by innumerate pot bunkers, the Open course is about as tough as the game becomes. Two Australian Opens illustrated its ferocity, especially the 2005 edition when Robert Allenby bookmarked his victory with rounds of 63 and 77. Among the attributes Thomson got right was variety in the tee options. The back tees make the course brutal, but the forward set or two still showcase the course’s best elements to players of lesser ability and the strategy required. However, the essence of the Open course lies in the bunkering. Depending on the conditions, many pots won’t be a factor on some days but almost certainly every full shot a golfer faces at Moonah Links will need to dodge bunkers – and potentially dozens of them.
Good things often come in pairs in golf, and the opening of the Legends course at Moonah Links added to that legacy. Three years younger than its sister course, the Legends is far less severe while remaining a stout examination. Also designed by Thomson Perrett (although Ross Perrett was the primary designer), the Legends works as a perfect companion layout in that it is markedly different to the Open course but in a complementary fashion. It visits more enclosed valleys within the terrain before unfolding in open spaces more indicative of the Cups region of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. The bunkering is a highlight of Perrett’s work on the Legends. Not pot-style in nature like next door, the sand instead takes on a more rugged, wild and eye-catching look – with smart strategy to their placement, which is one way the two courses do overlap. Within less than 200 hectares of space sit two exceptional but different golf courses.
Latitude thinking
No other top-tier course in Australia is on the same latitude as Bonville, which sits in a part of northern, coastal NSW that often can’t decide if it is rural or tropical. Once an old plantation forest for paper milling, Bonville mixes scenic splendour, solitude and smart design in one of the country’s most popular golf destinations. The layout feels almost like 18 separate holes as the magnificent, fulsome treelines give privacy to most fairways. Famously, there’s even a couple of lengthy cart rides between holes. Bonville is known for its majestic beauty, but in the past the towering flooded gums have presented a blessing and a curse for the course. The huge trees give the place its unique calling card, but the same attributes have also made turf maintenance challenging, while the region’s heavy rainfalls have wreaked havoc on the bunkers. Over time, however, Bonville’s managers have worked through the issues, learnt from them and made the changes necessary to present the course in peak condition year-round.
Think public
There are degrees of privacy when it comes to exclusive golf clubs. Some are untouchable, while others are more accessible than many golfers realise – which makes it difficult to know which ones you can approach. Public golf courses, on the other hand, require no such navigation. Afterall, there can be no misinterpretation. One of the newest offerings is Fremantle Public Golf Course (we love the fact the word “Public” is even right there in the name), which re-opened last February after a significant renovation. The redesigned nine-hole, par-34 layout includes three completely new holes – including a par 5 for the first time – and new bunkers, tees and greens. The best news? There was no hike in the green fees, which remain $17-$20 (or $10 after 2:30pm).
Nine is fine
Better by half? Sometimes. Time is a vital factor in golf and the adage that playing nine holes is better than none holds true. It’s a game that welcomes halves – half swings, half tees, halved holes – so why not half a round?
Bring a friend
An experience shared is an experience doubled, right? Who wants to shoot a low round or notch a hole-in-one while playing alone? Solo travel has its place, but rarely for golf, where half the fun lies in the company. Which is why all golf travel needs companionship as much as it needs tee-times. Even if none of your golf-playing friends can join you for a getaway, rope in a non-golfer. Sell them on the travel, the food, the accommodation, the sight-seeing – all the off-course stuff. Chances are a curiosity for the game will emerge at some stage during the trip and you might just find yourself with a brand new golf friend.
Bright Belles
For many years Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula sat in the shadow of its cross-bay sister peninsula, the Mornington, when it comes to golf. However, the emergence in 2001 of the first course at 13th Beach drew golfers’ attention to the south-western corner of Port Phillip Bay as the golf offerings on the Bellarine began to flourish. Tony Cashmore’s Beach course was an instant hit, adding a second high-quality golf venue to accompany the long-standing Barwon Heads course next door. Cashmore used distinct pockets within the property to create loops that were reconfigured for the Victorian Opens held there. These loops give the layout subtly different settings while keeping the entire 18 seamless.
The second layout had a lot to live up to when the Creek course opened three years after the highly accoladed Beach course, yet rather than try to emulate it, the Creek instead sought to carve its own identity. While the same designer was called in – Cashmore, but this time working with six-time Major winner Nick Faldo – the duo created a complementary rather than copycat layout. The Creek course doesn’t have the seaside dunes and blowout bunkers of the Beach, but it does have spacious fairways, a little water, clever bunkering and requires a different strategy.
Down the road, the story of Curlewis should give hope to any Australian course that feels underappreciated or too hidden from view. It took the Bellarine Peninsula layout 48 years and the input of four separate course architects to break into our Top 100 Courses ranking. Blessed with sandy terrain and shapes resembling the Melbourne Sandbelt, Curlewis calls upon its rippling fairways and natural bunkering throughout. Vern Morcom was the original course architect before Kevin Hartley stepped in six years later, in 1976, to augment the course. Throughout this century, the Curlewis layout has sat under the watchful gaze of Mike Clayton and his design firm, which has realised the site’s considerable potential.
Murray magic
The Murray River golf scene owns as much might as the great watercourse itself, but if there’s a ‘hub’ along the 2,500-kilometre river, it’s the Yarrawonga region. The 45 holes on offer at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort – along with a vast array of accommodation offerings and non-golf attractions – have given it a degree of popularity that make it the envy of many other golf resorts. Whether you stay there and play only the Murray and Lake (and nine-hole Executive) courses or use it as a base to attack the rest of the Murray’s golf, Yarrawonga Mulwala is a sterling option in any circumstances.
Much newer on the Yarrawonga scene is the nearby Black Bull course and neighbouring Sebel Yarrawonga, a dynamic pairing of novelty and luxury. The golf course is novel in the sense that it’s far newer than most Murray courses and is also designed in a style that is in direct contrast to the treelined fairways of most layouts along the river. The golf course is more resort-like, which offers a welcome point of difference. The Sebel, meanwhile, added a further touch of class to Black Bull when it opened in November 2020, combining 4.5-star accommodation with numerous sumptuous dining options. Even with the vast selection of courses in the region, it’s the kind of place that’s difficult to leave.
Get down ’n dirty
Never played golf on sand greens? How un-Australian of you! It might be a foreign concept for city golfers, or you might not have a sand-green course anywhere near where you live, but as we all know, getting somewhere is half the joy. Rural road trips without golf clubs are fun, adding your sticks while heading for the sticks amps up the fun factor. So, when you’re next going bush, search for a sand-green course and revel in the joy of playing ‘scrapes’.
Find Adelaide’s G-spot
Adelaide will be in the spotlight in 2023 when LIV Golf makes its Australian debut at the city’s Grange Golf Club in April. The 36-hole club will be out of reach for regular golfers that week when Cam, ‘Leish’, Bryson, Brooks and co. descend on the City of Churches, leaving visiting golfers seeking another golf venue – possibly for morning rounds before LIV’s signature afternoon shotgun starts. One highly recommended option is Glenelg Golf Club, where the layout has never looked so good. Weaving across the mildly undulating site and dotted by eye-catching bunkering, the Glenelg layout asks for shrewd strategic choices and sharp shot-making. Oh, and the beach of the same name makes for a perfect post-round dining – or swimming – precinct.
Rolling Meadows
Meadow Springs Golf & Country Club forms part of Western Australia’s ‘Golf Coast’, which is located about an hour or so by car south of Perth. Meadow Springs deserves credit for being the course that started the revolution. Course architect Robert Trent Jones Jnr is known for his love of wild contours, which are evident at most of his Australian designs. Meadow Springs, however, was more an exercise in restraint for the prolific American. Which isn’t to suggest the course is bland by comparison – far from it. Instead, the layout’s natural features are given centre stage. Combining two distinct nines, the course wends its way between stands of centuries-old tuart trees, past and over several expansive water hazards and through moderate dunes. The putting surfaces do hold some shape, but their subtlety adds to the layout’s allure.
Venture interstate
Throughout 2020 and 2021, we learned the power of a state border. Closures and restrictions confined most of us to our own state and, in some cases, a might tighter range from home than that. But those days are now gone, with all state borders open and the whole country accessible for all Australians. Which means that if you’ve been longing to try the golf courses of another state, now is as good a time as any. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so make 2023 the year you cross a border to find your chosen interstate golf destination.
Crack out the passport
Of course, if you’re going to traverse a state border, the next step is to leave the country. Our two nearest neighbours offer the closest and easiest options.
Located in the heart of Auckland is New Zealand’s only Dr Alister MacKenzie-designed golf club. After nearly a decade of renovations and millions of dollars invested, Titirangi has been faithfully restored to the good doctor’s design. With more than 70 bunkers and multi-tiered greens, the course challenges the best golfers, while treating your senses to the beauty of New Zealand at the same time. Titirangi is an absolute must if you’re ‘crossing the ditch’ to visit and play golf.
Just outside the city is Muriwai, lauded in Auckland golf circles for its ability to handle wet winters and still deliver true playing surfaces. The volcanic black sand is free draining, making the course feel dry underfoot and keeping the ball alive when it hits the ground. Muriwai is absolutely a course with a links soul, built into and around the dunes with bumpy fairways and good bunkering. The contouring appears natural and this is evident in the way it is presented, with green centrelines tapering off to brown perimeters. There is a premium in hitting the fairway, but just landing on the fairway doesn’t ensure the ball will come to rest there. The course requires players to constantly monitor their trajectory, spin and distance control.
While in New Zealand it would be criminal to not island hop down south to the golfing wonderland of Queenstown. Jack’s Point, The Hills, Millbrook Resort, Arrowtown Golf Club and Queenstown Golf Club are among the must-play courses in between all the adrenalin sports and sublime food and wine.
While you’re there, look no further than The Glebe, one of Queenstown’s most sought-after accommodations. In addition to its apartments, penthouse suites and enviable location, this place offers personalised guest services and is the perfect base to start your Queenstown adventure. Offering apartments ranging from studios to four-bedroom options and six penthouses, The Glebe can accommodate a couple’s getaway or a large family holiday, and anything in between. The Glebe’s location is also a short distance to the pick-up points for Queenstown’s most popular activities: jetboating, rafting, bungee jumping, hiking, cycling, wine tours and fly fishing.
If you’re seeking a golf destination with a genuine difference, Royal Port Moresby offers precisely that. Located about 15 minutes from the heart of the Papua New Guinean capital, the club is steeped in history and stature, a reputation only boosted by the annual arrival of PGA Tour of Australasia players for the PNG Open. For golfers who do venture across Torres Strait, the club’s 18-hole layout is complemented by an impressive 10-bay driving range and a short-game facility that includes two putting greens. The on-course kiosk offers a wide range of snacks and beverages to keep you on your game in the tropical heat. Afterwards, sit back, relax and enjoy the club’s amenities as you reflect on sampling one of the more unique golf experiences possible.
Pack smarter for your next golf trip
• Bring twice as many balls as you think you’ll need. Play what you know – and avoid resort-shop pricing. Note: if you’re carrying your own bag, only keep a couple of sleeves in your bag. The rest of your balls can remain in your room.
• If travelling overseas, consider smaller tubes of sunscreen to bypass airline and border-entry liquid restrictions.
• Shoes take up baggage space and weight. Consider bringing only one pair for both on and off-course wear, which is especially useful if you favour spikeless golf shoes.
• Wear waterproof golf shoes. Don’t let weather get in the way of fun.
• Become a hat person. Invest in a visor, cap or bucket hat.
• Ladies, think golf-leisure. You might want to dress it up for the glam of a getaway, but don’t overlook the power of comfy (such as leggings and athletic tops) so that you can feel great while hitting it with the girls.
• Commit to a colour theme. This allows you to mix and match. But avoid lighter hues (unless you’re immune to sauce stains).
• A Bluetooth speaker means instant vibes on course or at the hotel.
• Foldable totes extend your carrying capacity (read: shop freely).
Travel smart
Collectively, we’ve undertaken hundreds and thousands of days of travel. Here are some additional golf travel tips based on our experiences:
• Always allow extra time. A group only moves as fast as its slowest member, and someone is always 15 minutes late. Cater for that tardiness.
• Golf bag travel covers make for ideal all-in bags to travel with. The space around the golf bag can be loaded with clothes (which have the handy side benefit of protecting your clubs) and other trip essentials. A regulation-size carry-on bag might then be all you need.
• Factor in golf bags luggage as well as the number of travellers when choosing a hire car. Bigger is probably better, however, depending on how far you have to travel each day, Ubers, taxis or a transport service might work out to be more efficient and cost-effective.
• If you need to fly and your schedule allows it, consider booking midweek flights, which can often be cheaper.
• Depending on how much golf you intend to play and how devoted to your own set of clubs you are, hiring clubs might be cheaper. Leaving your sticks at home is also much more efficient when flying and navigating busy airports.
• Top-shelf accommodation is always nice, but it might be wasted on a golf trip where you really only need a room to sleep and shower.
• Morning tee-times often yield the day’s best weather, but they usually curtail any night-time activities.
• Golf might be the focus during a trip, but don’t neglect a destination’s other attractions. One afternoon or day off might be all you need to see the best sights.
• You can never arrive at an airport or a golf course too early. Have a pre-flight drink or hit some balls to warm up. Your time won’t be wasted.
EDITORS’ CHOICE – Best Headwear (On/Off-Course)
Finally, a hat fit for packing
We get it. You want to be sun-smart – and a little stylish to boot. Your preference is to pack a versatile wide-brim hat for that next trip away, something suitable for both on and off the course. Maybe something straw style, channelling your inner Greg Norman? But you’re sick of adding it to
your luggage only for it to wind up crushed, out of shape and rendered useless. Not anymore.
Styled in the most popular shapes loved by all Australians, the new collection from ooGee is lightweight, incredibly comfortable and is Australian made for the bush, beach and beyond. Do we have to spell it out: golf course!
There are three good reasons golfers should consider ooGee headwear. First, all ooGee hats are scientifically tested to ensure they rate UPF50+. Second, the company’s ‘Flexibraid’ material allows you to conveniently pack your hat down into a bag knowing that it will return to its original shape. What a world! And finally, the fitted ComfyFit adjustment strap ensures the perfect fit for whatever the occasion. Check out the entire range at ooGee.com.au
EDITORS’ CHOICE – Best Medicinal Cream
Don’t let your trip hit a sore point
Is there anything worse than aches and pains kicking in during a golf holiday? It can be enough to kill the enjoyment of any pursuit, let alone one that requires your best self for 18 holes or more.
Fisiocrem herbal massage cream is growing in popularity thanks to its natural formula that works to support body tissue repair and relieve joint and muscle inflammation. Using naturally-sourced ingredients, the company has complete control over how it processes and extracts the oil in active ingredients like Arnica, Calendula, Melaleuca and Hypericum, the key to its effectiveness. Starting at $16.95 for a 60-gram tube, find out why this could be your scorecard saviour at fisiocrem.com.au
