A new era beckons: This Greg Norman design in the Yarra Valley is bouncing back after fire destroyed its state-of-the-art clubhouse
It’s an eerie coincidence. Eight years to the day after it opened, fire engulfed the clubhouse at Eastern Golf Club – the club that relocated in 2015 from suburban Doncaster to a spacious site at Yering in the Yarra Valley. The blaze originated from an electrical fault and destroyed the entire structure.
That was October 16, 2023. This October – quite possibly on the 16th – the club will unveil its rebuilt clubhouse, closing an unwanted chapter in its brief history. The occasion will be momentous, marking both the club’s 10th anniversary at its current site and the opening of the rebuilt clubhouse.
A new era beckons for Eastern, which features 36 holes designed by Greg Norman – 27 holes plus the nine-hole Shark Waters par-3 course. After a much-publicised move from its original home to the new, bucolic location, it became a beacon of sorts for other suburban golf clubs that have moved to a new location since Eastern did.

Those who know the Norman style of architecture will recognise his fingerprints all over Eastern. With a largely treeless site and room to play with, the Shark weaved three nine-hole loops with poise and precision. The result is a primary 27-hole course that won’t overly tax the novice golfer but will repeatedly challenge good players in a variety of ways.
The course is anything but confronting off the tee, yet is subtly intricate. Most of the golf course occupies flat, wetlands-style land, although the opening nine and parts of the third loop make good use of the modest undulations. Wide open spaces dominate the tee shots on almost every hole, but the task becomes one of choosing the correct option. The more daring line usually leaves the best angle to the green, or to the flag, while the alternate path delivers the opposite outcome. In short, you can make Eastern as difficult as you like off the tee, but the difficulty of the second shot will be in direct proportion to the risk you took from the tee.
The bunkering style is a mix of target-style obstacles, fairway-splitting pots, a network of traps to avoid when taking the aggressive line from the tee and greenside guardians. While the fairways are wide, on numerous occasions the short grass is split in two by a central bunker that asks the golfer to decide standing on the tee: left or right? On an exposed site where the two predominant winds tend to be direct opposites, the answer to that question is likely to be different each day.

And then there’s Shark Waters, which acts as an ideal complement to the primary layout. Its holes aren’t dinky, pitch-and-putt par 3s. Some measure into the 160 and 170-metre range and the full nine requires most irons in the bag to complete. What the Shark Waters course does, though, is provide an alternative playing option for members and visitors, as well as enhancing the family friendly aspect of Eastern’s location.
Completing the picture at Eastern is Yering Gorge Cottages, a smattering of modern and luxurious cottages on a hillside overlooking the golf course and adjoining the nearby Yarra River. The cottages allow complete freedom to roam the property in this delightful corner of the Yarra Valley, making the notion of letting a weekend slip away without leaving the premises both real and inviting.
A special time awaits as the club enters its next era. The future is bright at Eastern, with plenty to look forward to for members and guests alike.
THE DETAILS
The Eastern Golf Club
Where: 215 Victoria Rd, Yering VIC 3770
Phone: (03) 9739 0110
Web: easterngolfclub.com.au
Photos by:Â Gary Lisbon