Warmer weather and longer days aren’t far away. Here are the places you should be planning to visit once spring arrives.
Golf in Australia is a game for all seasons, yet for some reason spring conjures up a sense of hope more palpable than the other three. Maybe it’s the feeling of renewal and the way all your long-held golf dreams receive fresh hope. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that course conditions in most parts of the country will only improve in the coming months. Or maybe it’s simply knowing we’re now entering the time of year when daylight is increasingly your friend.
Whatever spring means to you, there’s no question it’s an opportunity for more golf. We’re still fighting off the tail-end of winter, but September is on the horizon, so start planning that much-anticipated spring golf break. We’ll get you underway with some suggestions.
Ocean Dunes
Tasmania in September doesn’t exactly scream amazing golf weather, King Island perhaps less so. But stay with us here. Or, more’s the point, stay with Ocean Dunes – because that’s what you’ll be able to do from early 2026. The first wave of what will eventually be 64 new rooms plus a 110-seat restaurant and bar are set to open at the King Island property in February, adding a crucial new dimension to the phenomenal seaside layout that is nearing its 10th birthday. If you can’t wait for that to happen, playing the golf course gets easier in spring when the weather calms down and the days grow longer. If a spot of links golf in Bass Strait has you salivating, short-notice bookings can certainly be made if you spot a stretch of agreeable days.
Rosebud
Once arguably hidden in plain sight, Rosebud Country Club is very much in the must-play category today when it comes to golf courses on Victoria’s storied Mornington Peninsula. With the North course fully renovated by architects OCM and the South course undergoing the same treatment, it’s a 36-hole excursion that simply should not be bypassed. And anyone who has attended the Webex Players Series tournament at Rosebud each January will attest to the vibrancy the club oozes when it comes to non-golf attractions. It’s on the course, though, where Rosebud truly shines. With towering pines defining the playing corridors and Sandbelt-style bunkering to evade, your shot-making skills need to be at their peak in order to compile a solid score.
Noosa Springs
Early spring in a winterless place like Queensland showcases the Sunshine State at its best, the Sunshine Coast perhaps more so. So if you’ve never played and stayed at Noosa Springs, now is a good time to make enquiries. With no real cold season to recover from, spring is usually all about pristine playing surfaces and warm weather. It’s also one of those exceptional places where you don’t need to leave if you don’t want to. With a restaurant, spa and a variety of accommodation options – including permanent play-and-stay packages – Noosa Springs can be your one-stop-shop spring getaway option.
Nudgee
The modern iteration of Nudgee Golf Club adds an important dimension to the Brisbane golf scene. With two renovated courses – one of which (the Kurrai) hosts the Queensland PGA Championship each spring – and a handy location, Nudgee should be squarely on the radar of any golfers visiting the Queensland capital. In saying that, there’s a touch of the Melbourne Sandbelt at play at Nudgee, while one of the clever aspects of James Wilcher’s redesign is the way he uses bunker lips to ‘hide’ space. Often from the fairway, sand will appear to be butting right up to the front of the green, only for the golfer to discover there’s 30 or so paces of clear ground between the bunker and the target. It’s a genius way of revealing character in a mostly flat site.
Bonville
For all that Bonville Golf Resort possesses, a peak time of year is not one of them. It’s truly a place for all seasons, and golfer visitation confirms it. September, however, is traditionally the driest month of the year in a region known for its downpours, making Bonville a prime contender for your upcoming sojourn. Known for a stellar layout where most holes offer total seclusion between the stands of famed flooded gums, Bonville melds tranquillity with the chance to test you golf game. It’s also another high-calibre, one-stop-shop where the only time you’ll see the front gate after arriving should be as you depart. Accommodation lining the first fairway and a restaurant and bar within the clubhouse makes for an easy and comfortable stay.
Calderwood Valley
In the modern golf landscape where access to tee-times is becoming increasingly problematic amid ‘the golf boom’, Calderwood Valley near Wollongong is a haven for those golfers seeking to play at peak times. Why? There are no members to clog up timesheets, leaving the general public to call the shots. They layout is a scenic design beside the Illawarra Escarpment that mixes open areas with hidden pockets and is a course that’s unlikely to see you burning through sleeve after sleeve of golf balls. Calderwood also allows golfers to pay for their round after they finish, meaning you won’t be shortchanged should bad weather close in and cut your round short.
Leura
Owning undoubtedly the preeminent nine-hole stretch in the region, Leura Golf Club showcases the best of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. While the back nine rightfully receives all the plaudits – it’s a thrill-ride run of holes even without the amazing scenery of the adjoining Jamison Valley – the entire course presents a fun test. But beware the obvious distraction. The views at Leura are so powerful, they prompted popular American YouTube golfer Zac Radford to declare, “I travelled 9,000 miles just for this view,” during his visit. With the Fairmont Resort right next door, there’s a convenient and luxurious option for an overnight stay.
Narooma
If popularity were the sole measure, Narooma Golf Club would surely crack the top 10 courses in Australia. Few regional clubs draw such high repeat visitation as this time-honoured gem on the NSW South Coast. The reason golfers keep coming back is simple – Narooma combines a sparkling coastal layout with a vast, friendly clubhouse where size doesn’t detract from its soul, plus ample accommodation options, many of which are walking distance from the first tee. Add the collection of tourist attractions in and around the town and you have a recipe for a golf getaway that’s high on appeal, golfer satisfaction and value. On the course, one of the drawcards is the dual settings. Narooma offers a series of holes against or near the coast to begin and end the round, while in between is a run of holes that meanders across undulating ground in a forest setting.
Pacific Dunes
Now 20 years old, Pacific Dunes has matured into a vital piece of the fabric of Port Stephens golf. Known for its twin ‘personalities’ – a heavily wooded front nine and an open, water-laden inward half – the layout has captivated and challenged golfers throughout its first two decades. Any golfer who betters their handicap, especially from the back tees, has truly achieved something special. Not that difficulty is the only trump card Pacific Dunes holds; it is a strategic test as well as being a stern one. As for being a spring golf destination, the obvious answer is: absolutely. The temperate climes of the Port Stephens region make it a tremendous location at all times of year, but it perhaps shines most in spring.
The Vintage
Steve Harris, the long-time former course superintendent at The Vintage, always said September is the best month for golf in the NSW Hunter Valley. While winter can be cold in the valley, it’s far from ferocious, which means spring strikes quickly and the playing surfaces respond in kind. This November’s NSW Open venue is also set to be in peak shape with the tournament’s return on the horizon. The Greg Norman/Bob Harrison design is bolder than a Hunter shiraz, testing the bravery and skills of even the most accomplished player. Meanwhile, it should still be cool enough at night in spring for a fire to still be roaring in the clubhouse – a perfect environment to down a glass or two of your chosen vino.
Spring across to New Zealand
Auckland also warms up in spring, with two courses in particular a drawcard for golfers who find themselves in the City of Sails.
The outstanding Titirangi Golf Club makes a point of staying true to its Alister MacKenzie roots (it’s the only course in New Zealand the good doctor visited in his storied 1926-1927 trip). Recent renovation work at the 13th hole, like all course changes through the years at Titirangi, was undertaken with MacKenzie’s design foremost in mind. When your correspondent visited in February, course architect Clyde Johnson (who interned under Tom Doak) was literally getting his hands dirty in a bid to stay meticulous to MacKenzie.
In its early days, Titirangi was rural, treeless and bisected by a mere cattle track. Now, it’s ringed by suburbia, a haven for trees and that cattle path today is a suburban road crossed multiple times during a round. Yet the legacy endures. The club has spent the past dozen years removing selected trees and vegetation to better reveal its features, while an ongoing restoration of MacKenzie’s recommendations continues.
Across town, Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club is a place you hope will see greater global attention, because it deserves to. After the two entities amalgamated and a major redesign of the golf course took place under architect Chris Cochran from Nicklaus Design, there’s a distinct ‘tournament-venue feel’ to the place. Which isn’t to downplay the design features across the 27 holes, which are special – particularly for a mostly flat site.
The modest undulations are highlighted by astute design, with oodles of built-in flexibility via six different tees and numerous holes where the teeing grounds alter the angles. That combined with some challenging pin positions makes for a high degree of variety. Meanwhile, the playing surfaces are of exceptional quality, including perfectly firm greens.
The amalgamated club might have a new facility, but inside the Royal Auckland & Grange clubhouse are nods to the respective club’s decorated histories, which last year tallied a combined 230 years. – Steve Keipert
Meander along the Murray
If you’ve decided to tackle the Murray River – another fine spring golf option – you will need somewhere central to base yourself. One convenient place to stay is Barooga Hotel, located in the town of the same name and walking distance from Cobram Barooga Golf Club. With play-and-stay options that can be tailored to suit any golf getaway, packages include up to four Murray golf courses as well as multiple play-and-stay possibilities. The accommodation consists of five brand-new, two-bedroom, luxury-styled cabins, each catering for up to four people.
The Barooga Hotel is a gathering place for locals and visitors alike, offering good times, great food and friendly faces. Visit baroogahotel.com.au/golf-packages/ for more information.
