Great golf is a subjective matter. A golfer’s heart wants what a golfer’s heart wants. We can all crave something different at any given time and there is certainly no right or wrong when it comes to measuring the best places to enjoy this great game.
Pure links purists are naturally going to gravitate towards Scotland and Ireland for an authentic experience on where the land meets the sea. If spectacular cliffside views and dramatic stroke-play is more to your liking, America’s Monterey Peninsula and newfound golf coastline of Oregon might scratch your itch.
If it’s warm weather and resort-style golf that gets your blood pumping, South-East Asia is your place. While those who prefer a quiet, inner-city parkland experience like no other should take the time to explore England’s incredible offering.
If you’re the greedy type, or simply can’t decide what type of golf you like best, there’s a simple solution: just head to Victoria and experience the lot.
When you break it down, using the five key metrics of quality, quantity, variety, affordability and memorability, golf in Victoria has no peer.
QUALITY 10/10
SHINING EXAMPLE: Melbourne Sandbelt
We can talk about its architectural brilliance until the cows come home, but resident expert Geoff Ogilvy summed it up best when he told Australian Golf Digest that Sandbelt golf represents the best of both worlds.
“If you put seaside British links golf and American parkland golf into a blender, the combination of them is better than each one of the ingredients,” Ogilvy said in a 2022 interview. “It’s got the ground game, but it’s got the incredible conditioning. It’s firm. The sand is unique. The greens right up to the bunker edge – and they’re really sharp, razor-edge bunkers. Great vegetation and a 12-month climate.”
It’s no secret Tiger Woods is also a huge advocate for an area that has inspired his own course design portfolio. “It’s firm, it’s fast, it’s hard and the ball bounces forward. You have to think about what you’re going to do and how the ball is going to bounce. Too often in the States, we put the ball straight up in the air and let it plug. [In Melbourne], you have to chase the ball and anticipate whether it’s going to take a big hop when it gets to the green. That to me is fun and is how the game of golf should be played.”
While Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath and Victoria have long been the heroes of this world-renowned golf region, Peninsula Kingswood is likely to be a big mover in global course ranking lists in the coming years. Then, of course, there are timeless favourites like Huntingdale, Yarra Yarra, Metropolitan and Commonwealth that most countries would give up a kidney to call their own. It’s an embarrassment of golf riches that poses a strong argument to be labelled the world’s best golf destination.
QUANTITY 10/10
SHINING EXAMPLE: Mornington Peninsula
Is there a better collection of golf courses in one region, for quality and quantity? Before you answer, contemplate this: 10 of the 100 best golf courses in Australia sit on this 723 square-kilometre parcel of land. Among them, The National (all three of its Cape Schanck-based courses rank inside the top 20 in Australian Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses), The Dunes (24), St Andrews Beach (25), Moonah Links’ Legends and Open courses (43 and 47), Portsea (49), Sorrento (61) and Rosebud (84) provide a bucket-list itinerary every golfer should tick off.
VARIETY 10/10
SHINING EXAMPLE: Yarra Valley
If you set your compass for the Yarra Valley and the Yarra Valley alone, you wouldn’t feel the same golf experience twice within a week-long stay. In the wine region to Melbourne’s scenic north-east sits a wide variety of courses – some even offering differences within the same property. Indeed, the Heritage Golf & Country Club’s two 18-hole courses present golfers with vastly different challenges. The Jack Nicklaus-designed St John course is a distinctly American-style parkland layout where water and sprawling bunkers repeatedly catch the eye. Across on the Tony Cashmore-designed Henley course, rounds are enveloped by far more undulating terrain and a quintessential Aussie bushland setting.
Elsewhere is the short, quirky but magnificent RACV Healesville layout, with green contouring that’s wilder than John Daly at a bucks party, while the 27-hole Eastern Golf Club (plus nine-hole par-3 course) yields even more variety. Throw in Yering Meadows Golf Club and Gardiners Run – which are ultra-close to Eastern – and you have a compact destination oozing variety.
AFFORDABILITY 10/10
SHINING EXAMPLE: Murray River
Kick off your 2024 golf holiday in the endless sunshine of the Murray region. Between Albury and Mildura, links-style resorts right through to smaller local resorts are blessed with lush fairways, slick greens and views of the iconic Murray River red gums. In terms of the golf, it’s understated and so very under-priced! Stay and play at golf resorts like Black Bull (The Sebel Yarrawonga), Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort and Rich River Golf Club for a fraction of the cost of similar facilities across the country. You can even venture to Cohuna Golf Course and play a round where hometown hero Stuart Appleby spent his early years perfecting his swing. A round of 18 holes here costs $40 ($15 for juniors). With the cost savings from all the golf, you can afford to be a little carefree at one of the many award-winning wineries, restaurants and hotels that litter this iconic stretch of water. Sample the region’s famous shiraz and chardonnay, savour meals created from fresh local ingredients, and talk over the day’s highlights at the many welcoming country pubs.
MEMORABILITY 10/10
SHINING EXAMPLE: Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula
Throw your clubs in the boot and make your way around the bay to one of Victoria’s most jaw-dropping golf destinations. From Geelong to Queenscliff, Portarlington to the famous fairways of Barwon Heads, you can revel in the stunning coastal views, crisp sea air and friendly wildlife when you test your skills on one of the renowned courses at Barwon Heads. This coastal village is home to three of the top-50 Australian public-access courses: Lonsdale Links, 13th Beach Golf Links and Barwon Heads Golf Club.
Tee off at 13th Beach on Nick Faldo’s Creek course or trust your day to the design by Tony Cashmore at the Beach course. The revitalised Lonsdale Links offers a new look and feel for visitors, while other memorable golf hot spots include the very friendly Curlewis Golf Club and Queenscliff Golf Club’s island course.Â
Top Victorian courses
The following Victorian golf courses were ranked in Australia’s Top 100 Courses for 2022-2023 by Australian Golf Digest.
1. Royal Melbourne GC (West)
2. Kingston Heath GC
5. Peninsula Kingswood GC (North)
8. Royal Melbourne GC (East)
9. Victoria GC
11. The National GC (Moonah)
12. Metropolitan GC
14. Cathedral L&GC
15. The National GC (Gunnamatta)
16. Peninsula Kingswood CGC (South)
22. Woodlands GC
23. Barwon Heads GC
24. The Dunes GL
25. St Andrews Beach GC
27. Yarra Yarra GC
31. Commonwealth GC
32. Thirteenth Beach (Beach)
37. Lonsdale Links
43. Moonah Links GC (Legends)
47. Moonah Links GC
49. Portsea GC
53. Huntingdale GC
54. Spring Valley GC
55. Port Fairy GC
56. The Grange GC (East)
57. The National GC (Long Island)
58. Sandy Golf Links
61. Sorrento GC
69. Curlewis GC
71. Thirteenth Beach Golf Links (Creek)
72. RACV Cape Schanck
73. Black Bull GC
79. Cranbourne GC
81. RACV Healesville
84. Rosebud GC (North)
86. Settlers Run G&CC
88. Sanctuary Lakes GCC
91. Riversdale GC
95. Warrnambool GC
97. The Heritage G&CC (St John)
100. Kew GC
