GoldRUSH!

GREAT COURSES, FINE WEATHER AND FIVE-STAR SERVICE AWAIT THE TRAVELLING GOLFER HEADING FOR QUEENSLAND’S BEAUTIFUL GOLD COAST.

WORDS and PHOTOGRAPHY by: BRENDAN JAMES

There are several good reasons why the Gold Coast has been Australia’s No.1 golfing destination for decades. The courses are terrific, the service is always with a smile and there are no shortage of activities to occupy your time away from the course, should getting off the course become an option in this golfing paradise.

It is no accident that the Gold Coast is the nation’s favourite
holiday playground – it has been that way since the 1950s when Surfers Paradise was established as a beachside town with a great hotel. Now more than 50 years later, the region is one of the most tourist-oriented in the world. And golfers figure highly on the list of holidaymakers.

Big bunkers, big greens and big water hazards are the order of the day at Palm Meadows.

Visiting golfers are spoilt for choice with dozens of layouts
dotting the region from quaint nine-holers to the championship
courses designed by the best golf architects in the business.
The Gold Coast is the perfect location for a holiday break
focused around golf because you can go and enjoy its delights
12 months of the year as the temperature rarely drops under 21° in the middle of winter and the summers are simply brilliant.

There are plenty of attractions for non-golfers and children,
including lazing on one of the 35-odd beaches, dining in brilliant restaurants, shopping, touring the incredible natural wonders of the hinterland or visiting the theme parks: Sea World, Dreamworld, Warner Bros Movie World or Wet ’n’ Wild. The Gold Coast and its hinterland also offer a growing number of day spas and stress-free experiences, if your golf game has proved a little frustrating and muscle-wrenching.

Robina Woods, a former venue for the now defunct Players Championship, is one of the Gold Coast's most picturesque layouts.

You may even want to plan your golfing escape to coincide with
some of the major events hosted on the Gold Coast including
the Magic Millions Yearling Sales (January), the Sanctuary Cove
International Boat show (May) or the Indy 300 (October).

But, ultimately, head to the Gold Coast for the golf. You will be
amazed at the variety and immaculate grooming of the courses
– we have seven of them showcased over the following pages with additional information on a selection of other fine layouts so you can start planning your next Gold Coast golf holiday right now.