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Value Hunt: Where You Can Play Great Value Golf This Year - Australian Golf Digest Value Hunt: Where You Can Play Great Value Golf This Year - Australian Golf Digest

Looking for top-notch golf without the hefty price tag? With the cost of living soaring, we’ve rounded up the best-value courses where you can enjoy a great game without emptying your wallet.

With the cost-of-living crisis hitting Australian wallets harder than ever, golfers are searching for the best value spots that offer a fun round without an exorbitant price. It’s getting harder for the average golfer to justify green fees north of $100 when petrol, electricity and basically all your daily expenses are soaring faster than tour players’ drives. And, yes, our editors are occasionally afforded the privilege of playing some of the nation’s best courses, but far more often we are simply playing our own modest clubs or those budget-friendly courses that offer great value and an enjoyable walk. We weigh in on the best-value experiences money can buy. Just because you’re searching for a deal, doesn’t mean you need to compromise on the golf experience.

Value golf: The $50 or less club

Bondi Golf & Diggers Club, Sydney

Some of the most jaw-dropping views of any public golf course in New South Wales can be found at the charming, nine-hole Bondi Golf & Diggers Club, where golfers soak up the panoramic scenes of the Tasman Sea, Sydney skyline, and Bondi Beach. The nine-hole layout is so revered by serious and beginner golfers alike that this clifftop gem was even featured on the wildly popular golf podcast No Laying Up’s “Tourist Sauce” showcase episode on YouTube that profiled Sydney in 2024. Golf architecture buffs will appreciate the sandy, firm soil similar to links terrain in Scotland, while all players will enjoy the quirkiness of eight par 3s and one, 280-metre par 4, which requires a driver or 3-wood tee shot around a 30-metre tower vent that is heritage listed. Bondi is sensational value at $35 for 18 holes ($37 on weekends) or $30 for nine ($35 on weekends). You’ve also got to love their motto, “We’re a casual bunch, so tee-times are not required – just rock up and wait for your turn to tee off from the first.”
bondigolf.com.au

Bowral Golf Club, NSW

Bowral is a stunning, treelined country golf course that, for architecture fans, is obvious in the design features it shares with Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne. That’s because the course’s original designer, Dan Soutar, also crafted Kingston Heath, plus Elanora and Concord. Soutar laid out nine holes at Bowral while the famous Carnegie Clark completed the course. The resemblance to Kingston Heath comes via the excitement generated from the flat pieces of the property, the masterful use of the elevations it possesses and the ability to roll the ball up to many of the greens. But its sensational turf conditioning and enchanting rows of trees render Bowral’s appearance more like an overseas cousin of some of the renowned, lush, parkland resorts of Ireland, such as the K Club, than a Melbourne Sandbelt course. It’s hard to believe the green fee is just $50 for 18 holes or $30 for nine.
bowralgolfclub.com.au

Gailes Golf Club, Brisbane

The evolution of the golf course at Gailes ($50 weekends and public holidays, $40 on weekdays), which South African great Bobby Locke hailed as one of the best he’d played, continues to this day. The club has converted four of its greens from grainy 328 Bermuda to the finer texture of the TifEagle strain that has become the turf du jour in recent years. The hilly terrain of the land on which the course is laid out has always been a feature, fairways that camber left and right and putting complexes that can repel approach shots in a variety of directions place a premium
on ball control.

“This is where I learned how to truly play golf under all different conditions, environments and landscapes,” says Matthew Guyatt, who boasts top-10 finishes in both the Australian Open and Australian Masters and is one of the club’s three PGA professionals. “It’s got very challenging par 3s, it’s got ups and downs with elevation, it’s got side-slopes both left to right and right to left – ball above your feet, ball below your feet. It just forces you to play all the shot shapes.”
gailesgolf.com.au

Geelong Golf Club, VIC

Geelong is the cheapest course on our list ($23), but it is also one of two nine-holers. Still, even two loops is a sub-$40 experience ($39). Geelong Golf Club used to be 18 holes but was reduced to nine a few years ago as part of a redevelopment that sees the new holes weaving through a residential estate. Course architect Graham Papworth did a fine job intermingling golf with the home sites. When it re-opened, the club fought a stigma of being inaccessible. It was private prior to the redevelopment but is now very much open to the public. And the low-cost green fees and speed of play are welcome for golfers seeking value and quick rounds. It’s not unusual for golfers to play the nine holes in 90 minutes; plenty of golfers will tee off at 7 o’clock and be at work by 8:30am. However, for those wanting the full 18-hole experience, there’s a variety of tee options – even the par of some holes changes – between laps when playing more than nine.
geelonggolf.com.au

Gerringong Golf Club, NSW

As our PGA Tour editor Evin Priest often proclaims, this NSW South Coast masterpiece is among the most underrated golf courses in Australia, and certainly among the best value courses in the country. At $40 for 18 holes from Monday to Thursday ($50 from Friday to Sunday), golfers are treated to Pacific Ocean views from every single hole. There is both an understated charm in the walk from tees to fairways but also dramatic holes that conjure memories of some of the bold, unusual layouts of Scotland – such as the right-angle dogleg at the short par-4 10th hole. It’s a 4 or 5-iron from the tee and a wedge from a sidehill lie to a small green. Few golf courses in Australia offer the thrill ride, or ocean views, that Gerringong does for $50 or less.
gerringonggolf.com.au

Harden Country Club, NSW

About three-and-a-half hours’ drive south-west of Sydney, and 90 minutes from Canberra, Harden is a charming, tranquil, regional golf course befitting of its setting in the twin towns of Harden and Murrumburrah. It boasts sweeping doglegs, undulating fairways and true greens. Harden is a lush, 18-hole layout that hosts the Australian Two-Man Ambrose event. It’s also a bargain at $35 for 18 holes for visitors, or $25 for nine. Harden was originally founded during the incredibly tough times of the Great Depression – shortly after the first World War. The original clubhouse was a bench of boards nailed to a large tree before a weatherboard clubhouse was built in 1935. Today, the clubhouse is a bustling establishment with weddings a common celebration, while visitors can also play netball, squash and tennis. Harden is also set among the inviting cellar doors of the Hilltops wine region.
hardencountryclub.com.au

Mt Isa Golf Club, QLD

It’s rocky and remote, but you’ll love what you find when you get to Mt Isa. And for golfers looking for a getaway that’s far, far away, Mt Isa Golf Club ($40) is an offering in regional Queensland like no other. The 18-hole course is the only one with grass greens in the state’s north-west and is a must-play for golfers who enjoy going off the beaten track. It’s just six kilometres from the heart of town that’s famous for being the birthplace of Greg Norman. The barren landscape can only be described as a rugged beauty that is far lusher than comes to mind considering the harsh climate. Mt Isa offers a challenge and a unique experience for golfers seeking an outback adventure.  
mountisagolfclub.com.au

The Springs, NSW

Located at Peats Ridge on the NSW Central Coast, The Springs is an 18-hole, par-72 course and a first-class golf experience where the first 11 holes were designed by Al Howard and the last seven by Graham Papworth. Such a union offers delightful variety while keeping a continuity to the layout. The course features some wonderful elevation changes and provides both breathtaking views and a challenge for every level of golfer. At $49 for 18 holes Monday to Friday ($59 on weekends) it’s more than worth the one-hour drive north of Sydney. Be sure to check out the rustic, chic clubhouse and bar at the end of your round.
the-springs.com.au

Yarra Bend Golf, Melbourne

This Melbourne course with an ultra-handy location offers a range of green-fee options depending on the day and time of day, not all of which are south of $50. However, most are. In fact, you’ll pay as little as $28 midweek during the off-peak period, while even the peak rate is a moderate $58. The Yarra Bend course is a picturesque 18-hole layout benched alongside the Yarra River. Regarded for its natural beauty and tranquil surroundings, the course offers a challenging yet enjoyable experience for golfers of all handicaps. With treelined fairways, strategically placed water hazards and high-calibre greens, it’s a favourite among casual players and seasoned golfers alike.
yarrabendgolf.com

The next tier

Links Lady Bay, SA

The design trio of Jack Newton, Graeme Grant and the late John Spencer craftily wrapped the 18 holes at Links Lady Bay ($70) across a mildly furrowed parcel of land overlooking the sea but one that’s bisected by a spur. Most of the fairways flow across the seaside portion of the site, although several holes on the back nine meander around the other side and create a neat point of difference. Notable for Grant’s ambitious yet artistic green complexes, Lady Bay wears a different dress depending on the elements. It is a different golf course when firm and fast versus lush or when the winds switch from season to season.
linksladybay.com.au

Meadow Springs Golf & Country Club, WA

The area south of Perth is dotted with a rich supply of fine golf courses, few of which offer the value of Meadow Springs ($75 weekends and public holidays, $55 on weekdays). The design is spectacular – it’s Robert Trent Jones Jnr shelving his trademark wild contours to instead deliver a milder, yet just as exciting, layout – but the aesthetic factor is genuinely high. Many holes are framed by the site’s best features, whether the huge, centuries-old tuarts, the contours, bunkering or a combination of the three. Little has changed in recent times at Meadow Springs, mostly because little has needed to. Sure, a few peripheral upgrades have taken place – like the occasional new or re-aligned tee or refreshed pathing and path edges or the clearing of scrub in out-of-play areas – but the soul of the original design continues to endure.
msgcc.com.au

Ocean Shores Country Club, NSW

One of the better 18-hole rounds of golf you’ll experience at $65 for visitors can be found at Ocean Shores Country Club. The views are special, looking towards the Pacific Ocean and Byron Bay to the east, and the mountains of the Koonyum Ranges to the west. There’s history in these fairways, too, given the course was crafted in the late 1960s by the great tour pro Bruce Devlin and Robert von Hagge. The duo brilliantly used the native flora, tidal lakes and rivers to make this course feel as natural Australiana as possible while serving its purpose as a fantastic golf course.
oceanshorescc.com.au

Higher calibre, higher price

Cypress Lakes Golf & Country Club, NSW

There aren’t many better golf experiences in NSW than Cypress Lakes, where golfers play among the vineyards as part of a fantastic layout. The beloved Hunter Valley golf resort is open to the public plus resort guests seven days a week. It’s so fantastic that Cypress Lakes is enjoying its fourth consecutive stint on Australian Golf Digest’s Top 100 Golf Courses ranking. A thoughtful, well-executed course renovation highlighted the course’s clever shaping and undulations, not to mention the spectacular scenery offering Hunter views. Cypress Lakes also offers a fantastic Golf, Burger and Beer deal for $124 per person (Monday to Thursday only, bistro kitchen open 12pm-3pm). Essentially, that brings the 18-hole rate below $100 if you think about the cost of a burger and a beer. Outside that deal, it’s still cracking value at $110 for 18 holes from Monday to Thursday and $140 from Friday to Sunday.

While you’re there: The entire 120-hectare Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort caters for golfers and non-golfers, with two restaurants, two bars, three pools and two tennis courts complementing the championship course. An on-site spa – the Elysia Wellness Retreat – is considered one of Australia’s finest wellness retreats. Shall we mention the Hunter’s acclaimed wineries and attractions are also at the doorstep of Cypress Lakes?
cypresslakes.com.au

Port Fairy Golf Links, VIC

A throwback course in so many ways, Port Fairy ($80 Sunday to Friday, $90 on Saturdays) challenges golfers through its exposed location along Victoria’s south-west coastline where the wind can blow off your cap, and via a short but enchanting seaside layout. Short by modern standards, the 5,887-metre course punches far harder than its scorecard indicates, blowing many an unsuspecting golfer offline if they cannot manage their game in strong winds. The course built its reputation slowly. While the club began in 1899, the location of the course goes back to only 1962 and even then it was just nine holes. More were added during the 1970s before finally reaching 18 holes in 1985 under the architectural watch of Kevin Hartley. Its remote location meant not enough knowledgeable golfers saw Port Fairy at first, particularly in the time before the current ‘build it and they will come’ era of destination golf. It took until 2002 before the course cracked our biennial Top 100 Courses ranking and until 2020 to rank higher than 60th. Even at No.50 today, it remains underrated in the eyes of many.
portfairygolf.com.au

Rosebud Country Club, VIC

Once upon a time, Rosebud Country Club was a place you drove past on the way to the rest of the Mornington Peninsula golf courses. Not anymore. It’s now a well-deserved, top-echelon member of the peninsula’s famous set of layouts. Part of that is thanks to an artful redesign of Rosebud’s North course ($110) by the OCM architectural firm, a project that is also set to upgrade the club’s South course ($90). The North sees airtime each January when it hosts a Webex Players Series tournament on the local circuit, but it also receives high visitation the other 51 weeks by members, residents and visitors to the region.

Rosebud was formerly a pine forest, which is not difficult to tell when you tour the site. Part of OCM’s edict was to remove some pines but trim many others, particularly the branches in the 10 or so metres closest to the ground. This had dual benefits. Firstly, the vistas of the course were opened considerably by the prudent pruning. The  foliage had disguised much of the undulation within the land, which is more prevalent than first impressions reveal. So many horizontal branches were also preventing escape routes and suffocating the course, but those cavalier recovery shots are now back as an option after a wayward shot.
rosebudcountryclub.com.au

Royal Hobart Golf Club, Hobart

Tasmania’s regal club and the island state’s only Australian Open venue, Royal Hobart Golf Club ($90) has implemented the first parts of a masterplan penned by course architect Richard Chamberlain that focuses on making the layout more enjoyable, with more risk/reward shot options, a greater variety of playing surfaces – including fewer bunkers – and more features like grassy run-off areas. Additionally, the judicious removal of peripheral vegetation has created width and expanded playing line options, while reverting to vegetation types that are native to the site.

Touring the Vern Morcom-designed layout today, there’s a greater sense of space – even though 17 of the holes remain only subtly altered so far. However, the most tangible evidence of change is Chamberlain’s now four-year-old seventh hole. It’s a short, driveable and compelling par 4 that requires deep thought on each shot with every score from eagle to double-bogey on the table. The course upgrades are part of Royal Hobart’s focus on being willing to embrace change to become better.
rhgc.com.au