Our editors looked across our vast continent and detailed experiences and courses emblematic of our outback and inland heritage.
Fans of both major professional golf tours and destination courses will often picture a familiar handful of clubs across the globe when they hear the words “desert golf”. For some Australian golfers – not all, but some – the courses we’d name first are not even in our own backyard. The host of the Dubai Desert Classic – the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club – is arguably the most famous desert course given it plays host to the world’s best golfers kicking off their season each January among the contrasting sandy rock and towering skyscrapers in the distance. Perhaps TPC Scottsdale is the other, given it hosts one of the biggest parties in tournament golf, the Phoenix Open, where green fairways meander through the cacti and desert rock of Arizona.
But right here, in this great southern land, we have some of the most unique desert, outback and inland courses on the planet. Sure, we’re internationally renowned for our coastal masterpieces like Cape Wickham, Barnbougle and New South Wales Golf Club, as well as the Melbourne Sandbelt, but Australia is home to some of the most unique layouts. Courses that are as quintessentially Australian as our recognisable coastline.
Arguably, the greatest story of them all can be found in the red heart of South Australia, where the mercury regularly outdrives 45 degrees and plenty of people live underground. Coober Pedy Opal Fields Golf Club is one of the most fascinating courses in the world. There isn’t a single blade of grass in sight. Not here. Yet this sand-scrape course in the opal mining capital of the world holds a unique claim to fame – it’s the only known club in the world to have reciprocal rights with St Andrews in Scotland, the Home of Golf.
Built in 1976 in a town of just 1,700 people, Opal Fields’ story truly kicked off in 2003 when a visiting television producer – filming a documentary about opal mining – scheduled a satellite interview between then-club president Kim Kelly and St Andrews Links Trust’s then-general manager Alan McGregor. A lighthearted chat turned legendary when McGregor joked they’d consider reciprocals in exchange for an opal mine. Soon after, a package arrived in Scotland containing a mine claim (a hole dug in the soil) and a few opals. The gesture was so cheeky and charming, St Andrews responded with a letter granting limited playing rights on the Balgove course – two rounds per day (adding up to 18 holes) in the winter chill of January, for up to eight Opal Fields members.
“We have the letter from the St Andrews board on the wall in the clubhouse,” club captain Stephen Borrett told Australian Golf Digest. “It’s talked about quite a bit, and if I’m out there when tourists show up and hear about the connection, I try to play a round with them.”
Despite the connection, only a handful of Aussies have made the pilgrimage to Scotland, but no Scots
are known to have made the reverse journey – probably put off by Coober Pedy’s scorching summer temperatures and 16,000 kilometres of travel.
Back home, the course itself is a true outback original. Tees are artificial turf, greens are oil-slick “scrapes” of quarry dust, and players carry around a six-inch strip of synthetic turf to hit shots from the bare, rocky fairways. There’s even a standing local rule for “rock relief” plus a hilariously ironic sign on site: “Keep Off the Grass” (cooberpedygolfclub.com.au).
The World’s Longest Course? Welcome to Nullarbor Links
Stretching across 1,365 kilometres of iconic Australian outback, Nullarbor Links is not just a golf course – it’s an odyssey. Billed as the longest golf course in the world, this par-72 journey spans Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to Ceduna in South Australia, with each of its 18 holes embedded in a participating roadhouse or town along the remote Eyre Highway. This is Aussie golf stripped back to its raw, red-dirt essence. Each hole features a tee and green, while the fairways – often rugged and untamed – cut through the type of terrain you’d expect to find on a cross-country rally. That’s what makes it extraordinary.
The concept behind Nullarbor Links was as much about tourism as it was about giving long-haul truckers and road-trippers a reason to stop and stretch their legs. For Oliver Horovitz, author of An American Caddie in St Andrews, the journey was unforgettable. “The adventure is magnificent,” Horovitz wrote in a 2017 travel feature. “At Nullarbor (hole #4), we play right across an active airplane runway. Before Border Village (hole #6), we stop to see the Great Australian Bight – majestic cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean clear to the South Pole. In Eucla (hole #7, population: 368), we play beside a shooting range.”
Horovitz’s experience captures the essence of Nullarbor Links: a cultural experience dug out of the Australian landscape. It’s an epic road trip with golf clubs in the boot, a scorecard on the dash and stories that will last a lifetime (nullarborlinks.com).
Kalgoorlie: Our version of true desert golf
At No.57, Kalgoorlie Golf Course, perhaps Australia’s most eye-catching desert layout, reached its highest mark yet in our most recent Top 100 Courses ranking. Golf has been played in Kalgoorlie as far back as 1899, but it wasn’t until 2010 that Kalgoorlie’s own – legendary golf course designer and tour player, Graham Marsh – crafted the Kalgoorlie Golf Course out of the famed red sands. “Fortunately, I had become very familiar with desert golf, as I had played in a number of tournaments in Arizona, Nevada and California; my victory at the Senior Players Championship came on one of Jack Nicklaus’ six courses at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona,” Marsh once told this magazine.
Kalgoorlie is a unique desert golf experience, featuring lush green fairways set against the striking red sands and native bushland of the outback. The eighth hole is known as “The Super Pit” and provides golfers with an unforgettable view of the adjacent gold mining operations, especially each October during the WA PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia (kalgoorliegolfcourse.com).
Mt Isa: Where the legend of Greg Norman began
In the far reaches of north-western Queensland lies one of Australian golf’s most surprising gems. Just six kilometres from the red-dust heartbeat of Mt Isa – a town known more for mining than manicured fairways – is an 18-hole course that redefines expectations of outback golf.
Mt Isa Golf Club is the only course in the region boasting grass greens, making it a rare find for golfers willing to venture off the beaten track. This is not your standard resort layout; it’s a place of rugged charm, where harsh desert conditions meet determined greenkeeping, and where each hole feels like a triumph over the elements.
The town has a fun historical link to Australian golf royalty – Greg Norman was born there in 1955. Set against a backdrop of sweeping ochre hills and dusty ridgelines, the course carves a striking contrast with its surprising bursts of green. What was once almost entirely dirt and rock has, in recent years, undergone a quiet transformation. A major investment in irrigation has seen tees, greens and most fairways now proudly grassed.
“Our rocks are our bunkers,” laughs secretary-manager Margie McDonald, who has witnessed the evolution of the course first-hand. “We’ve now got very distinctive fairways and a little bit of
a rough and then the ‘rough’ rough,”
she adds.
The quality of the layout and the warm hospitality keep Mt Isa guests coming back. “They’re quite surprised we’ve got such a well-kept course – grass on it out in the Outback,” McDonald says (mountisagolfclub.com.au).
cluBarham: All in one
Positioned ideally along the Murray River at Barham, NSW, cluBarham Golf & Sports is one of the standout destinations on Australia’s celebrated Murray River golf trail. Surrounded by native bushland and steeped in more than a century of history, the 18-hole championship course delivers a scenic yet strategic experience for golfers of all levels. It’s also a club that is constantly investing in itself and evolving.
cluBarham Golf & Sports falls under the umbrella of the cluBarham group that also includes the Barham Services Club and Comfort Suites cluBarham Golf Resort. Barham began as a sandscapes course more than 100 years ago but has never looked better in its history, thanks to an 18-month period of redevelopment at the first and the third holes, while the nines have been masterfully switched make the more challenging loop the back nine, and it’s a thrilling finish. cluBarham has also earmarked a re-development of the clubhouse during the next two years, while the pro shop is fully stocked with the latest apparel via a range of leading brands. cluBarham also has plenty to offer outside the course, including undercover bowling greens, two restaurants and a championship golf course (clubarham.com.au).
Young: All heart
Set in the heart of New South Wales’ Hilltops region, Young Services Club Golf Course is a proud blend of country tradition and contemporary appeal. This is obvious from the first hole where clever use of the topography allowed for a thrilling par-5 opener measuring only 403 metres but requiring a strong tee shot uphill and around a sharp dogleg to a sloping fairway. Second shots then need to carry several eye-catching rock features to allow an easier third shot to the green, with golfers left with the feeling it is going to be an exciting, unique and fun round of golf.
Young Services Golf Club was created in 1906, and the club has since held a respected place in regional Australian golf. It’s framed beautifully by the rolling landscapes of Young, and the 18-hole layout offers an engaging mix of Australiana beauty and strategic challenge. Each hole reveals a distinct character – elevated tees, treelined fairways and well-guarded greens keep golfers thinking from start to finish. Suitable for all ability levels, the course rewards smart shot-making while remaining accessible to casual players.
Off the course, the facilities impress just as much. The clubhouse is a warm, welcoming hub featuring a fully stocked pro shop, a stylish lounge area and quality dining options. Young is a wholesome country golf experience (younggolfclub.com.au/course).
Harden: Signature country charm
Nestled in the heart of rural New South Wales, Harden Country Club offers a wonderfully authentic golf experience just three-and-a-half hours from Sydney and 90 minutes from Canberra. Set on the outskirts of the small town of Harden, population 2,000, the club is home to a lush, 18-hole course that surprises and delights at every turn.
At first glance, the relaxed setting, affordable green fees and modest facilities suggest a quiet, low-key day on the fairways. But Harden quickly reveals its true character – a cleverly designed layout that demands creativity, strategy, and shot-making skill. No two holes are the same, with a perfect blend of uphill, downhill, left-to-right and right-to-left challenges. Shorter par 4s and 5s feature smaller, well-defended greens, asking for precision iron play. While the course isn’t overly long or punishing, it gives the thoughtful player a distinct edge, making it a true shot-maker’s course. Among the standout holes are the third (a 410-metre, par 4), which is a gentle downhill drive bending slightly right-to-left towards a generous two-tiered green; the fifth (172-metre, par 3), with its scenic downhill tee shot to a tight green tucked among towering pines; and the 13th (339-metre, par 4), a visually stunning hole with a downhill tee shot into a gully, followed by a sharp left turn and an uphill climb to a raised green, framed beautifully by the rolling land. Adding to its charm, Harden hosts several competitions throughout the year, including the celebrated Australian Two-Man Ambrose (hardencountryclub.com.au).
A grand finale for the Outback Queensland Masters
Golf Australia revealed that 2025 will be the final year of the Outback Queensland Masters, and the grand finale of the iconic event sold out four months ahead of tee-off. Spanning more than 1,900 kilometres across six consecutive weekends from June 21 to July 27, competitors will hit their opening drives in Mitchell before travelling to Augathella, Blackall, Alpha, Richmond and Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Luke Bates, Golf Australia’s manager for Queensland and Northern Territory, said: “We want to give the event a huge send-off for its grand finale, giving those who have experienced it the chance to do it again, and those who have always wanted to do it the opportunity to experience a unique golf trip. The Outback Queensland Masters has accomplished the goals we set out to achieve in the beginning, highlighting the unique experience of playing golf in the Outback and showcasing the towns on our annual journey.”
