Spending even a few hours at Barwon Heads feels like a step back in time. The golf course is short, uncomplicated and ‘old school’. The clubhouse is modern by décor, cuisine and service standards but decidedly yesteryear in feel. Its timelessness as a golf course and as a venue is perhaps the club’s greatest asset. And it’s a mood that is not contrived in any way.
The layout mixes length with finesse, mild contours with wild ones, in a combination that keeps golfers on their toes. One moment the course offers up a driveable par 4 or a reachable par 5; the next could be a long two-shotter or a taxing par 3. Barwon Heads is partway through a progressive upgrade to its green complexes, bringing a slice of the 21st century to a course that needs few modern touches in order to remain appealing. One must-do: tour the club’s delightful short course with just a putter and a few wedges. It might be the most fun you have on a golf course all year.
THE DETAILS
Barwon Heads Golf Club
Ranking in 2018: 30th
Prior rankings: 27th (2016), 25th (2014), 22nd (2012), 21st (2010), 29th (2008), 32nd (2006), 30th (2004), 37th (2002), 29th (2000), 26th (1998), 30th (1996), 32nd (1994), 20th (1991), 21st (1989), Fourth Ten (1986)
Where: Golf Links Rd, Barwon Heads VIC 3227
Phone: (03) 5255 6255
Web: www.barwonheads.golf
For more information on a Golfing Great head to Visit Victoria.
