Other than a perplexing absence during the 1990s and 2000s, Avondale Golf Club has been a mainstay of our biennial ranking since the inaugural list. Even more impressive for Avondale is its centenary this month, a grand occasion for a club and course that have been an integral part of the golf scene in Sydney’s north throughout those hundred years.
Yet it’d be easy to miss Avondale if you didn’t know where to find it, which is one of the layout’s true charms. Despite a location within walking distance of the bustling Pacific Highway, the course feels like a hidden sanctuary in its suburban bushland setting. Many holes exude the same seclusion.
It holds up architecturally as well. After several tweaks made during the years, Avondale today is a fine example of modern architecture done right for a course that doesn’t boast tournament-scale length. You need to guide your ball cleverly across the Eric Apperly-designed layout (later augmented by Ross Watson then Neil Crafter). Meanwhile, at least a couple of holes could never be imitated elsewhere. Most notable is the velodrome-like 10th, where tee shots need to ride the high side of the steep ridgeline fairway to leave a clear shot to a narrow, angled green set well below fairway level. The approach is a white-knuckle moment in any round.
THE DETAILS
Avondale Golf Club
Ranking for 2026-2027: 66th
Prior rankings: 58th (2024), 64th (2022), 64th (2020), 58th (2018), 65th (2016), 66th (2014), 59th (2012), 75th (2010), 82nd (1991), 76th (1989), Seventh Ten (1986)
Where: Avon Rd, Pymble NSW 2073
Phone: (02) 9449 6455
Web: avondalegolfclub.com.au
Photograph by Gary Lisbon
