SUNSHINE GOLF CLUB

Former PGA Tour player and Australian Open champion Craig Parry joined the club as a
10-year-old and returned a few years ago to oversee the design of the club’s present course at Mt Derrimut.

With views toward Melbourne’s CBD, Sunshine is a suburban oasis of nicely maintained Santa Ana fairways weaving between lakes and bunkers across easy-walking rolling topography.

Green fees: $35 (weekdays); $45 (weekends). www.sunshinegolfclub.com.au

TRARALGON GOLF CLUB

A great trivia question for your next ‘golf’ dinner party; What Australian course was the scene of back-to-back Tour victories by Greg Norman in 1978-79?

It was indeed Traralgon GC, in the heart of Victoria’s Gippsland about 160km east of Melbourne, when the layout was a regular stop for the PGA Tour of Australia.

A course of similar standard in a capital city would easily charge more than double the meagre green fee asked here. Nice undulating terrain and well-manicured playing surfaces are of a much higher standard than its $30 green fee might suggest.

Green fee: $30. www.traralgongolfclub.com.au

Traralgon Golf Club. PHOTO: Brendan James.

TRENTHAM GOLF CLUB

The hidden gem of Victoria’s Goldfields region, Trentham is a heavily tree-lined course fully redesigned by Kevin Hartley in the 1990s.

Lush playing surfaces are flanked by tall stands of mature native trees, while the terrain varies from relatively flat to undulating,    creating a superb mix of holes. The pick of the holes are on the back nine with the short downhill par-3 15th marking the start of an impressive quartet of holes leading back to the clubhouse.

Green fee: $30. www.trenthamgolf.com.au

WARRNAMBOOL GOLF CLUB

Set in and around the sand dune land so common on Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast, the course is enjoyable for golfers of all abilities, but straight hitters will score well here as most of the fairways are lined with ti-tree or thick rough.

Some of that ti-tree has been cleared to expose sandy wasteland on some of its best holes, which can be found midway through the front nine. The holes near the clubhouse are good rather than great, but the stretch of par-4s from the 3rd to 6th is worth the green fee alone.

It is also a course where the player who can play a variety of shots in windy conditions, while also trying to work the ball in close to flags tucked behind bunkers, will excel.

Green fee: $45. www.wgcinc.com.au

Warrnambool Golf Club. PHOTO: Supplied.

WATERFORD VALLEY

Created by Pacific Coast Design’s Phil Ryan, Waterford Valley opened in 2006 and has been a golfing success story in the heart of Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Stretched to more than 6,500 metres from the back markers, Ryan has punctuated the wide Santa Ana fairways with lots of bunkers – 63 to be exact – as well as 11 lakes across the layout.

Green fees: $45 (weekdays); $50 (weekends). www.wvgolf.com.au

YARRA BEND

With views over the Yarra River and CBD, Yarra Bend is one of Melbourne’s premier inner-city golf courses.

Recent investments have turned it into a golfing ‘Super Centre’, and it now features state-of-the-art practice facilities and a mini golf course.

The course itself has also been redesigned and offers a far more interesting and enjoyable round than it did only a few years ago.

Green fees: $38.50 (weekdays); $43.50 (weekends). www.yarrabendgolf.com