Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula offers everything you’d want in a weekend golf escape, on and off the course.
When booking a golf holiday, working out what to do with your off-course time can often cause a headache or two.
When planning a Mornington Peninsula getaway, deciding what to leave out is where it gets tricky. Come to this iconic stretch of Victorian coastline for the world-class golf, stay for the luxury accommodation, world-class food, wine and tranquil wellness retreats.
Regarded by many as Australia’s No.1 golf destination, the Mornington Peninsula boasts a dozen of the 100 best golf courses in Australia. Among them, The Dunes, ranked No.24 in Australian Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses. With new accommodation on site and close to everything, this Tony Cashmore design takes fun to a whole new level with historic touches throughout, including an old kiln beside the second hole.
Five minutes down the road sits St Andrews Beach Golf Course – one of Australia’s best public-access layouts, ranked 25th in the country. An 18-hole pursuit packed with endless highlights, it’s the blowout bunkers and funky green entries that will have you talking about your round long into the night.
Another 10-minute commute will have you arriving at Moonah Links. Home to not one but two incredible courses, staying and playing here comes with a guarantee of enjoyment. The Open course, featuring a natural stadium layout and wide undulating fairways, was designed by champion Australian golfer Peter Thomson and is the first ever 18 holes built and prepared for a national championship – having hosted the Australian Open in 2003 and 2005.
The Legends course, designed by Ross Perrett, is more resort-like in style, taking players on a scenic journey through the moonah trees and onto vast open fairways. Together, they deliver a 1-2 punch that captures everything that is special about playing golf in this part of the world.
When you want to replace the tees with some tipples, take full advantage of the 200 small-scale wineries, 50 cellar doors, top cider producers and world-class distilleries nearby.
Montalto Winery prides itself on creating wines of exemplary quality and character, while its award-winning restaurant presents an ever-changing set menu showcasing a seasonal celebration of its estate-grown heirloom produce, alongside the very best locally sourced ingredients from across the Mornington Peninsula (montalto.com.au).
The Alba Thermal Springs & Spa is the region’s newest upscale wellness offering. Complete with spa and top-notch restaurant, let the natural thermal springs do their thing to have you refreshed and reinvigorated for your next activity (albathermalsprings.com.au).
The Intercontinental, Sorrento offers five-star accommodation with a distinct Italian flavour. Its dynamic, terrazzo-style heated pool deck is available to guests to dive in and soak up the stunning views of the Sorrento foreshore or if you prefer, simply lounge by its side and work your way through the rooftop bar’s drink list (sorrento.intercontinental.com).
That’s the thing about the Mornington Peninsula: the many incredible choices are yours!
For more help on making those decisions, visit visitvictoria.com/golf
