There are more than 1,800 golf courses in Australia and New Zealand, but only a small percentage have the ingredients – the setting, history, dramatic holes, the tournament dramas – that combine to take your breath away during a round.
HAMILTON ISLAND GC
Dent Island, Queensland
“Hamilton island is one of the most beautiful golfing venues in the world,” says 1991 Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch.
“The golf course is spectacular. It can be a tough course because there is always some kind of wind. But if you go there with the idea it’s going to be a beautiful day, and a great opportunity for some spectacular photography, take in the views and enjoy the course. Amazing!” Can’t argue with that.
JACK’S POINT
Queenstown, South Island, NZ
Laid out over rugged undulating terrain between The Remarkables mountain range and the cliff tops above Lake Wakatipu, Jack’s Point is a spectacular course in equally spectacular surrounds.
The rugged nature of the landscape becomes apparent early in the round with large boulders dotting the edge of holes and huge rocks peeking through the slopes of dramatic mounding and steep banks, which are often covered with unwelcoming clumps of thorny bushes.
No matter where you look the views here are breathtaking.
JOONDALUP RESORT
Connelly, WA
What to do with an abandoned limestone quarry? Build a unique 27-hole golf course on it, of course.
That’s what they did at Joondalup and the fertile imagination of course architect Robert Trent Jones Jnr transformed the quarry landscape into three loops of nine holes, creating three 18-hole combinations that all rank in the top-100 in the country.
There are ‘wow’ moments everywhere, but few are bigger than standing on the tee at the par-3 3rd of the Quarry nine, mid- or short iron in hand with a deep quarry pit between you and the green. It’s just one of dozens of exhilarating shots Joondalup has to offer.
KALGOORLIE GC
Kalgoorlie, WA
Kalgoorlie is a marvel of modern golf course construction.
The Graham Marsh-designed layout, which has been entrenched in Australia’s Top-100 Courses ranking since opening in 2010, was once part rubbish tip, part parched flatland on the outskirts of the goldfield town. You wouldn’t know it today.
This is one of the world’s great desert courses, mainly due to the design incorporating the rugged areas away from the fairways and greens. Then there are the contrasting colours of the playing surfaces next to the ochre desert sands. Truly beautiful.
KAURI CLIFFS
Bay of Islands, North Island, NZ
It’s not hard to see why, that within months of opening for play in 2000, Kauri Cliffs was ranked among the world’s top-100 courses.
It has often been compared to the famed Pebble Beach layout, on California’s Monterrey Peninsula, which is ranked in the top-10 of that global list.
But Kauri Cliffs is far more spectacular than the American tournament course as it sits much higher on the cliff tops above the Pacific Ocean and covers a far more dramatic golfing topography.
The unhurried nature of a round (tee times are 20 minutes apart) at Kauri Cliffs gives you time to appreciate the spectacular creation by American course designer David Harmon, as well as marvelling at the postcard views of the Cavalli Islands, that lie just off the coast.
KINGSTON HEATH GC
Cheltenham, Victoria
Kingston Heath is one of the world’s finest courses. And it has been for a long time.
When Dr Alister MacKenzie visited Melbourne in 1926 he said: “The course has been so well constructed … there is little for me to suggest with the exception of the bunkering plan.”
The Heath’ doesn’t boast great elevation change or magnificent scenery.
What it has is the creativity and strength of Dan Soutar’s brilliant routing in such a confined space, which is only outdone by the bunkering, which was added to the layout by MacKenzie and masterfully constructed by Mick Morcom, the course superintendent who
brought MacKenzie’s Royal Melbourne sketches and masterplan to life.
As English pro Ian Poulter accurately stated during the 2016 World Cup: “Kingston Heath is totally awesome.”
KINLOCH CLUB
Lake Taupo, North Island, NZ
Jack Nicklaus played an exhibition match and a spot of fly-fishing in Lake Taupo in the 1970s.
He fell in love with the place and when the opportunity arose to design a course in the area, he jumped at the chance. The result was one of the best layouts Nicklaus ever created.
This links layout is a real departure from Nicklaus’ traditional American parkland design style. Instead, Nicklaus has aimed to create a Scottish links. The bunkering is rugged and varies greatly in shape, depth and size, while the rolling fairways of the front nine become more dramatic in their elevation change. And the greens, they’re big and feature plenty of twists and turns.
LONG REEF GC
Collaroy, NSW
Occupying the Long Reef headland, on Sydney’s northern beaches, every shot on this par-71 also offers an ocean view.
It’s not a long course but it is a whole lot of fun … especially when the wind blows.
While the entire course is certainly exposed to the elements, the highest reaches of the layout across the top of the headland are certainly more affected by the wind. No hole is more affected by the wind than the 138-metre par-3 13th, which faces south and into the prevailing breeze. It might be the shortest of Long Reef’s par-3s but a wide range of clubs can be used from the tee to find the green. Hit this green when a southerly buster is roaring up the coast, and you will definitely say “wow”.
LONSDALE LINKS
Point Lonsdale, Victoria
First hole … “Wow”. Second hole … “Wow”. Third hole … “Wow”. You get the idea.
Extensively redesigned by the Ogilvy Cocking and Mead design team and reopened for play late last year, Lonsdale Links was not created to be a long and brutal challenge. It was, however, designed to be engaging and fun every time you play the layout.
Inspired by some of the ‘rock star’ architects of golf’s Golden Age, Lonsdale features wild green complexes, rugged bunkering and sandy wastelands throughout the visually spectacular journey.
MAGENTA SHORES G&CC
Magenta Shores, NSW
Golf by the sea is always inspiring … the smells, the sounds and the rolling
sandy terrain.
In an incredible feat of course design and construction, that’s what Magenta Shores offers on land once occupied by a rubbish tip. There are memorable holes everywhere but its designer, Ross Watson, pinpoints the par-3s as highlights.
“They really possess that ‘wow’ factor and I modestly suggest that given time they could be recognised as the best collection of par-3s anywhere in Australia,” he said. “In my view, they’re that good. Each faces a different direction, on the cardinal points, which adds so much to their collective appeal.”
We agree, wholeheartedly.
METROPOLITAN GC
Oakleigh South, Victoria
Established in 1908, Metropolitan is the second oldest golf club in the Melbourne Sandbelt. While the course has changed dramatically during the past century, the layout, in all its forms, has always been a pin-up for beautifully manicured playing surfaces.
When the course played host to the World Cup in 2018, every player to a man raved about the quality of the greens and fairways and the Sandbelt design, especially how the bunkers are cut right in to the edge of the putting surfaces.
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