Inflation is on the rise and the cost-of-living is starting to hit the hip pocket nerve. But there’s no need to sacrifice your golf game.
Here, we reveal the best golf you can play in metropolitan areas of Australia – which includes all state and territory capitals and cities with a population of more than 200,000 – where the green fee presents a real bargain.
To qualify for the list, a course’s most expensive green fee was not to exceed $50. From there, we poured through notes and observations made by Golf Australia editors and Top-100 ranking judges to come up with the courses we believe present challenging, fun golf at a price that won’t put a hefty dint in the household budget.
The green fees listed are the rack rate for visitors and we prioritised the courses in order of their lowest green fee available across the week.
$50-$46
CLAREMONT GC
Hobart, Tasmania
Green fee: $50 (seven days).
The picturesque Claremont Golf Club (pictured above) is laid out across a peninsula, surrounded on three sides by the Derwent River, about 20 minutes’ drive north west of Hobart’s CBD.
There are superb views across the water to Mt. Wellington and Mt. Direction, while the river comes into play for the first time at the 174-metre par-3 2nd. It is a demanding hole that is further complicated by a small river inlet that cuts across the hole between tee and green. The target is small and, when the wind blows off the Derwent from the right, the green can be tough to hit with the tee shot.
If you have a problem keeping your shots on the straight and narrow and sliced drives are common-place, be cautious when playing Claremont’s toughest hole – the 410-metre par-4 5th. The glistening waters of the Derwent can be seen through the pine trees lining the right edge of the doglegging fairway, which is never far from the riverbank as it turns markedly from left-to-right and finishes at a smallish green guarded by a lone bunker.
ROSSDALE GC
Melbourne, Victoria
Green fee: $50 (seven days).
Located in the beautiful Melbourne bayside suburb of Aspendale, Rossdale Golf Club is home to a nicely manicured course that weaves through corridors of pines, eucalyptus and coastal banksias.
The original course at Rossdale was laid out in the early 1920s by Australia’s finest amateur of the time, Ivo Whitton. The five-time Australian Open Champion created an interesting layout for the club, then known as the Australasian Golf Club.
The name Rossdale was adopted in 1949 when the club commissioned course architect Vern Morcom to remodel Whitton’s work. Holes were re-routed, bunkers added and the overall golfing experience improved to provide a more strategic test.
Rossdale boasts some quality short par-4s, where you need to question your club and shot selection from the tee. The 319-metre 7th is one such hole. Doglegging right-to-left, the hole generally plays into the prevailing wind, which adds to the challenge of the tee shot coming out of a chute created by tall pine trees. With out-of-bounds left, the right half of the fairway is appealing, but don’t hit too long as you might find the lake that cuts into the playing line.
$45-$40
REDCLIFFE GC
Brisbane, Queensland
Green fees: $45 (weekdays), $50 (weekends).
Redcliffe is one of Brisbane’s most awarded golf clubs, and once you step onto the property it’s easy to see why.
Designed by Stan Francis in 1935, the course has been routed so the prevailing ocean breezes have a major influence, especially across the final three holes of the round.
The course is maintained like a park with the well-grassed and contoured fairways bordered by mature stands of native eucalypts, which feature an abundance of birdlife.
Recent works to upgrade the course’s irrigation system have taken the layout’s conditioning to the next level.
One of Redcliffe’s most memorable par-4s – the 364-metre 5th – was also a favourite of Queensland golfing legend, Norman Von Nida. The elevated tee provides a view of the trouble – lots of trees right and water to the left – in the valley en route to the green, which lies just beyond four bunkers (three right and one left) and slopes markedly from back to front.
WYNNUM GC
Brisbane, Queensland
Green fees: $45 (weekdays), $47 (weekends).
Located in Brisbane’s beautiful bayside suburbs, Wynnum gives the initial impression not much has changed since the club was established in 1922. The charming Federation-style clubhouse has a welcoming Queensland feel about it and the course is laid out in two loops in and away from this hub.
Obviously, things have changed here over the years and the course has moved with the times and remains an enjoyable and exacting test for players of all standards. No two holes are the same and the variety of left and right dogleg holes certainly adds to its appeal, as does the high level of presentation of its playing surfaces. The greens at Wynnum are regarded as some of the best to be found in the Queensland capital.
YOWANI CC
Canberra, ACT
Green fees: $45 (Mon-Thurs), $49 (Fri-Sun).
The north Canberra course is an excellent test among mature tree-lined fairways with a couple of picturesque lakes adding to the challenge of several holes. Yowani is also widely regarded for the high quality of its putting surfaces.
Contour Golf Design has been appointed to oversee a major redevelopment of the course, with work due to begin in 2023.
ALBERT PARK GC
Melbourne, Victoria
Green fee: $44 (seven days).
As you can imagine, with the 1st tee just two kilometres from the Melbourne CBD, the views of the city skyline from right across this layout are amazing.
And that is the star attraction for this layout, contained within beautiful Albert Park (and its Formula 1 grand prix track). Location, location, location!
That said, Albert Park boasts some interesting holes and there is genuine golfing fun to be had here in getting change from a $50 note.
FLAGSTAFF HILL GC
Adelaide, South Australia
Green fees: $44 (weekdays), $49.50 (weekends).
Flagstaff Hill was built in the mid-60s as part of a massive real estate development. In the years since, some adjoining parcels of land have been purchased, others sold off and the complexion of the course has changed along the way.
The most memorable hole here is the club’s signature offering – the 144-metre par-3 7th hole, where the tee shot is all carry across the edge of a huge lake, named Loch Hilan. Obviously, club selection is all-important to clear the water, but you also need to avoid three bunkers wedged between the water’s edge and the right side of the putting surface. If you err on the side of caution and take too much club, there is a deep trap waiting beyond the green.
WANTIMA CC
Brisbane, Queensland
Green fees: $44 (weekdays), $49 (weekends).
How do you feel about walking in the footsteps of an Open Champion?
You can do that at Wantima, as this is Cameron Smith’s home club and it’s just 30 minutes’ drive north of the city.
The course was only established – firstly as six holes – back in 1969 but it has evolved into a quality layout with ongoing investment in upgrading playing surfaces and the design in recent years.
KEPERRA CGC
Brisbane, Queensland
Green fees: $42 (weekdays), $49 (weekends).
Keperra is a fine parkland course, just 15 minutes’ drive from Brisbane’s CBD, with 27-holes enabling three composite layouts to be played.
But it is the Old Course (holes 1-18), home of one of Queensland’s most prestigious amateur events in the R&A accredited Keperra Bowl, which is the highlight. On this course, you can follow in the footsteps of past Bowl champions like Marc Leishman, Jason Day and Cameron Smith as well as past members, John Senden and Peter Senior.
CARNARVON GC
Sydney, NSW
Green fee: $40 (seven days).
Lying in the heart of Sydney’s suburban sprawl, just five minutes’ drive from Olympic Park, Carnarvon might seem like a surprising entry among the listed courses here.
Carnarvon is a something of a ‘sleeper’ course in the Sydney golfing scene but anyone who plays the layout is enthused to return. This a challenging layout that demands long, straight hitting and a nerveless putting stroke to put together a good score.
CUMBERLAND CGC
Sydney, NSW
Green fee: $40 (seven days).
As far as parkland golf courses go, Cumberland is one of Sydney’s finest.
The club prides itself on its pristine playing surfaces and claims to be the first in Australia to introduce compulsory sand buckets.
The par-72 layout offers a good range of holes, with water, sand and elevation changes between tee and green on most holes all combining to add plenty of variety to your round.
HARTFIELD GC
Perth, Western Australia
Green fees: $40 (Mon-Wed & Fri), $50 (weekends).
Hartfield occupies a beautiful bushland setting in the foothills of the Darling Ranges, less than five minutes’ drive south of Perth Airport.
Perth-based designer Michael Coate has designed much of the easy-walking par-72 layout, which is renowned for its well-manicured fairways and greens.
Hartfield is a tight driving course, with plenty of bunkers to keep your mind on the job. For example, the final approach into the par-5 9th hole must avoid four sandy traps short of the green, and another three alongside the sizeable putting surface.
There are hints of Melbourne Sandbelt-style bunkering across the layout, perhaps with no better example than on the par-3 12th hole, where bunkers pinch into the front half of the green from both sides.
NUDGEE GC
Brisbane, Queensland
Green fees: $40 (weekdays), $50 (weekends).
Nudgee has implemented a course masterplan undertaken by course designer James Wilcher, which is nearing completion of the restoration of 36 holes –known as The Kurrai and The Bulka courses.
Wilcher has transformed the golfing landscape here. Where flat greens once ruled, there are now large undulating putting surfaces full of interest, while holes have been re-routed and widened to create a variety of playing lines.
The Kurrai hosted the Queensland PGA Championship back in January, with Anthony Quayle claiming the title.
THAXTED PARK GC
Adelaide, South Australia
Green fees: $40 (weekdays), $45 (weekends).
Thaxted Park is one of South Australia’s most improved courses in recent years.
Part of that improvement has been based around securing its water resources, which has had a dramatic influence on the quality of the Santa Ana couch fairways and bentgrass greens.
The par-71 layout has also undertaken some extensive redevelopment of the front nine with designers Neil Crafter and Paul Mogford overseeing the creation of new green complexes and holes.
www.thaxtedparkgolfclub.com.au
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