Several golf courses caught our course-ranking panellists’ attention despite not making the final Top 100 list.
The notion of anything being underrated is a curious concept. What, exactly, makes something underrated when, by definition, you’re rating it? It’s quite the paradox – but most people get the point, including our Top 100 Golf Courses panellists.
This is the issue everyone holds out for, the biennial Top 100 Golf Courses issue. Further into this magazine, you’ll read which courses made the grade for 2026-2027 and which didn’t. But for now we’ll give you a little teaser by omission.
In providing their evaluations for this year’s ranking, we asked our panellists to provide their personal selections for what they considered to be “the most underrated” golf course(s) they saw this ranking cycle. Exactly how they interpreted “underrated” was entirely up to them, so much so that some chose courses that made the Top 100 but they felt should have ranked higher.
Across their selections, a dozen courses stood out: Anglesea (Vic), Araluen (WA), Ballarat (Vic), Duntryleague (NSW), Eynesbury (Vic), Kooralbyn Valley (Qld), Lakes Entrance (Vic). Lang Lang (Vic), Lynwood (NSW), Maleny (Qld), Queenscliff (Vic) [right], Ulverstone (Tas).
About which they had this to say:
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“Queenscliff, VIC. Really nice track where you feel like there is no one around, apart from the occasional army guy appearing out of the swamp. Beautiful layout and usually in great condition.” – Nick Welsh
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“RACV Healesville, VIC. Length should not the most important aspect of new golf courses, as fun, variety and providing the player with options are more appealing. More courses should be built like it.” – Kevin Pallier
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“Shoalhaven Heads, NSW. Always improving, now has many good holes and is a South Coast gem.” – Jamie Woodhill
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“Ulverstone, TAS. The phrase ‘hidden gem’ gets thrown around plenty, but Ulverstone is literally hidden away and the course is an absolute gem. Tough enough to test the best golfers, but enjoyable and playable for all levels.” – Drew Hallam
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“Lakes Entrance, VIC. Ocean and river frontage – it’s the Port Fairy of eastern Victoria/Gippsland and designed by the famous Vern Morcom.” – Doug Turek
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“Albany, WA. Floats between the Top 100 and is often overlooked because of its distance from Perth, but its traditional ‘out and back’ links layout offers a unique challenge. The course features tricky greens, coastal views and tough winds that make it a fun, underrated experience despite the kikuyu grass.” – Heath Okely
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“Kooralbyn Valley, QLD. An iconic Australiana bush setting not in mint condition, but a must-play.” – Selwyn Berg
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“Sun City, WA. I would love to be a member. Has the real feel of something special happening. Feels a bit Sandbelt-y.” – Jonathan Roennfeldt
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“Maleny, QLD. While it might not earn a Top 100 spot, I’m kind of glad it doesn’t because part of its charm is that it’s tucked away high in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, so it doesn’t get crowded. But it has so much charm and such a lovely feel that I’d rather play it than many of the courses in the Top 100.”– John Brugman
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“Oberon, NSW. Incredibly interesting layout that tests you off every tee, elevation changes are a feature and picturesque views of Oberon Dam. They have recently done some work to open up the course more and it has dramatically improved the visual impact.” – Joe Khan
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“Duntryleague, NSW. Duntryleague in Orange is severely underrated. It is a very testing layout that needs you to shape your shots and think about where you need to hit it. Course is generally always in good condition.” – Basil Hourmouzis
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“Anglesea, VIC. Always a course I feel gets less recognition than it deserves. A quintessentially Australian experience with the magnitude of eucalypts and kangaroos that line the fairways, the course is always presented nicely with some of the trickiest greens you will find anywhere.” – Ben Martin
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“Horsham, VIC. A classic example of understated excellence, with firm surfaces, clever bunkering and a layout that consistently asks strategic questions. The conditioning and playability elevate it well beyond what you might expect from a regional centre. Living in Horsham, you’d quickly realise how lucky you are to have access to a course of genuine Top 100 calibre.” – Wayne Moriarty
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“Ballarat, VIC. This one I feel must be one of the best member-focused designs over the past 20 years. Course sets up great for all levels of golfer with the risk and reward options to match all skill levels. Doesn’t get enough credit for the design as it’s not tour length but an enjoyable-for-everyone kinda place.” – Nick Welsh
