The impact turned out to be immediate. Storied Huntingdale – arguably the most visible of Melbourne’s Sandbelt courses, thanks to its years of hosting the Australian Masters – is back. A widely praised renovation of the vaunted layout by OCM Golf has revived a Sandbelt favourite and brought the course to its highest position on our biennial ranking since the much-less-competitive 1990s.
Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead’s firm re-routed several holes on the back nine and ‘discovered’ a cheeky little par 3 that is now the eighth hole, all while transforming the layout and opening the vistas across the site. Much of the course feels familiar as many existing playing corridors from the Charles H. Alison layout remain, yet gone are the old 15th and 16th holes, while the former 17th (now the 11th) occupies a new green site. The new 12th and 18th share an expansive twin-green complex but present subtly different examinations from the tee for two fairways that sit side by side.
Also now gone are the assorted tweaks of several architects, as OCM has re-established Huntingdale’s identity via a single fingerprint. Another striking aspect of the rebirth is the way the whole property now breathes far more cleanly thanks to a clever approach to the site’s trees and ground-level vegetation.
For the golfer, flora removal – when performed judiciously – can play tricks on the eye. For instance, the green at the down-then-up, par-5 seventh hole wasn’t raised in the renovation, yet it appears to now sit higher thanks to the uncluttered backdrop. Nuances like that highlight the new-look Huntingdale.
Huntingdale Golf Club
Ranking for 2026-2027: 18th
Prior rankings: Omitted (2024), 53rd (2022), 50th (2020), 40th (2018), 34th (2016), 33rd (2014), 38th (2012), 36th (2010), 28th (2008), 33rd (2006), 38th (2004), 41st (2002), 26th (2000), 16th (1998), 16th (1996), 15th (1994), 14th (1991), 19th (1989),
First Ten (1986)
Where: Windsor Ave, Oakleigh South VIC 3167
Phone: (03) 9579 4622
Web: huntingdalegolf.com.au
Photograph by Gary Lisbon
