More Australians are playing golf today than at any other time in the game’s history in this country. The economic reality is, however, many of us now need to make our golfing dollar stretch a lot further than it did even five years ago.
That said, Australia remains blessed with hundreds of affordable, fun and testing golf courses. You just need to know where to look. Here, we reveal the best metropolitan courses where you can still find great value for money golfing experiences.
$75 TO $65
COOLANGATTA & TWEED HEADS GC
Tweed Heads South, Gold Coast
Green fees: $75 (seven days)
There are 35 golf courses scattered across the north-south expanse of the Gold Coast. And the $75 green fee at Coolangatta Tweed is arguably the best value you will find in the region, simply because you have a choice of two fantastic courses.
This is no secret to those golfers in the know, so ring well ahead to get a time, either on the West or River Course … it doesn’t matter, as both well-manicured layouts are ranked in our Top-100 Public Access Courses in the country.
BELMONT GOLF & BOWLS
Belmont, Newcastle
Green fees: $65 (seven days); $75 (December/January).
Located on the southern fringe of the greater Newcastle metro area, the course lies on an isthmus between the Pacific Ocean and picturesque Lake Macquarie.
Plenty of recent changes made to Prosper Ellis’ 1952 design have significantly improved what this Top-100-ranked course offers.
Among the most dramatic changes from course designer James Wilcher was the creation of the short yet challenging par-3 16th hole built right alongside the beach, and a new green and bunker surrounds on the par-5 15th hole.
SUN CITY CC
Yanchep, Perth
Green fees: $55 (weekdays); $75 (weekends).
Sun City is one of Perth’s best public access layouts and has been ranked in the Top-100 Courses in Australia for several years.
The remodelling of almost a third of the course in 2013 by the then-design team of Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Clayton, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead (OCCM) springboarded the club in the national ranking.
The “new” green complexes are bigger and more interesting, as are the surrounds, while the natural bunkering and vast wasteland areas expose the sandy base which lies beneath.
LYNWOOD G&CC
Pitt Town, Sydney
Green fees: $50 (weekdays); $75 (weekends).
Lynwood celebrates its 15th anniversary this year and the Graham Papworth-designed layout continues to live up to its reputation as one of Sydney’s best public access courses.
The par-72 links-style course offers plenty of fun and interesting holes, which are enhanced by the setting – 230 undulating acres featuring vast areas of natural, wild rough as well as wetlands rich with birdlife. The majestic Blue Mountains on the western horizon also form a picturesque backdrop to most holes.
EYNESBURY GC
Eynesbury, Melbourne
Green fees: $49 (weekdays); $74 (weekends).
Designed by Graham Marsh, Eynesbury opened for play in 2007 and has been ranked within Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses ever since. In January this year, it rose to No.50 in that listing on the back of first-class conditioning and its terrific design.
There are plenty of fun holes here that offer bang for your buck, like the short par-4 13th, where the bravest drivers can attempt to carry a creek to find a narrow section of fairway, where they will be left with an easy pitch to a well-bunkered, and dramatically undulating, green.
SANDY GOLF LINKS
Cheltenham, Melbourne
Green fees: $66.50 (weekdays); $72.50 (weekends).
The Melbourne Sandbelt is considered one of the great wonders of the golfing world.
Royal Melbourne, Victoria, Kingston Heath, Commonwealth and Yarra Yarra are just some of the world-famous private clubs to be found scattered across Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. And Sandy Golf Links, which shares the same wonderful sandy soil and ideal golfing terrain, lies smack-bang in the middle of them all.
For a truly wonderful Sandbelt experience, Sandy Golf Links ticks all the boxes at an affordable price.
WAKEHURST GC
Seaforth, Sydney
Green fees: $65 (weekdays); $70 (weekends).
Many years ago, Wakehurst had a reputation as one of Sydney golf’s roughest diamonds.
But like the ugly duckling that turned into a graceful swan, Wakehurst has evolved into a beautiful layout.
And the course is only going to get better in the next few years as the club continues a redesign as part of a masterplan created by former Tour player Craig Parry.
Wakehurst lies in the middle of dense bushland, providing the platform for tight fairways across the terraced landscape, leaving little joy beyond the great view for erratic hitters.
NORTH RYDE GC
North Ryde, Sydney
Green fees: $60 (Mon-Thu); $70 (Fri-Sun).
North Ryde lies in a pocket of suburban Sydney where private courses dominate and good-quality, affordable public access golf is hard to come by.
An impressive redesign, overseen by Sydney-based course architect James Wilcher, which began little more than a decade ago, was a turning point. These and a host of other changes since have added some steel to the golfing test, without impacting the fun the diminutive par-69 has to offer.
WATERFORD VALLEY
Knoxfield, Melbourne
Green fees: $50 (weekdays); $70 (weekends).
Designed by Pacific Coast Design’s Phil Ryan, Waterford Valley has been the golfing success story in the heart of Melbourne’s eastern suburbs in the two decades since opening for play.
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 and wetlands scattered across the layout. And then there are the large bentgrass greens, which have developed a well-earned reputation for being first-class putting surfaces year-round.
KEPERRA CC
Keperra, Brisbane
Green fees: $59 (weekdays); $69 (weekends).
Keperra is widely regarded as one of Brisbane’s prettiest courses, but it is more than just a pretty face.
Set among sub-tropical flora and alongside creeks, lakes and billabongs, it is easy to see why the layout is so popular and testing.
And it has challenged some impressive names over the years. Tour winning pros Peter Senior and John Senden played out of Keperra in their early years, while the club’s annual Keperra Bowl event has seen the likes of Marc Leishman (2005 winner), Jason Day and Cameron Smith compete for the coveted trophy.
MOORE PARK GC
Moore Park, Sydney
Green fees: $45-$49 (Mon-Tue); $52-$56 (Wed-Thu); $55-$59 (Fri); $65-$69 (weekends).
Moore Park has featured in plenty of headlines during the past few years, as Sydney City Council and the NSW Government look to cut the course in half to create more parkland.
If that is allowed to happen, golfers will lose half of one of the best value for money 18-hole rounds available in Australia’s biggest city.
Moore Park is always well presented and the tree-lined holes weave across terrain with enough elevation change to offer interesting shots and the occasional scenic view of the CBD just a few kilometres away.
GAINSBOROUGH GREENS GC
Pimpama, Gold Coast
Green fees: $55 (weekdays); $65 (weekends).
Gainsborough Greens feels like it is a thousand miles from the hustle and bustle of the Gold Coast. Laid out on relatively flat terrain, the Fred Bolton-design course – updated in recent times by Graham Marsh and Ross Watson – weaves between 20-odd water hazards, which give rise to a host of exciting moments during a round. The tee shot over water to a well-bunkered green on the 177-metre par-3 2nd hole is the first of many that will get the heart rate up.
$64 to $55
NORTHBRIDGE GC
Northbridge, Sydney
Green fees: $49 (Mon-Thu); $64 (Fri-Sun).
Sydney Harbour is one of the great natural wonders of the world and the only place where you can enjoy a harbour view while standing over a three-foot par-saving putt is at Northbridge Golf Club.
As you might imagine of a layout perched high on an escarpment above the waters of Middle Harbour, this is not a flat course.
In fact, the varying elevation changes across this diminutive layout make for a memorable round, with the long downhill par-3 5th hole being the standout. The green is not only 180 metres away, but also tens of metres below the tee, so you are advised to use the white disc marker as your guide towards the green.
www.northbridgegolfclub.com.au
GROWLING FROG
Yan Yean, Melbourne
Green fees: $62 (seven days).
Growling Frog is a terrific Graham Marsh design with multiple tees and large undulating greens set across 280 acres of former grazing land on Melbourne’s northern outskirts.
The quality of Marsh’s design, its conditioning and the serenity of the setting among 300-year-old River Red Gums make for a memorable golf experience. It also explains why Growling Frog is consistently ranked in the nation’s Top-100 Public Access Courses.
CLAREMONT GC
Claremont, Hobart
Green fees: $62 (seven days).
Claremont, the Hobart suburb, is perhaps best known as the home of the famous Cadbury chocolate factory. The picturesque golf course next door runs a very close second.
Located on a foot-shaped peninsula, Claremont is surrounded on three sides by the meandering Derwent River, while Mt Wellington and Mt Direction provide a stunning backdrop view on many holes.
A favourite hole for most is the 180-metre par-3 2nd, where the tee is perched just above the waterline on the river, and you need to carry an inlet between tee and green.
GUNGAHLIN LAKES G&CC
Nicholls, Canberra
Green fees: $48 (weekdays); $62 (weekends).
As the name suggests, water is a factor when you play a round at Gungahlin Lakes.
The layout is routed around six lakes, and a few creeks, spread throughout the property, with water coming into play on nearly a dozen holes.
This helps Gungahlin keep its ryegrass fairways and bentgrass greens in excellent shape, as well as providing some memorable hero shot moments during a round ... Shots like the approach over water to the green on the par-5 16th hole, which sets up for drama no matter whether it’s your second, third, fourth or fifth shot.
GARDINERS RUN
Lilydale, Melbourne
Green fees: $52 (Mon-Thu); $62 (Fri-Sun).
Gardiners Run opened for play a shade over a decade ago, formed after a land swap deal involving developer CSR and nearby Chirnside Park Country Club.
Created by Pacific Coast Design’s Phil Ryan, most of the holes are thickly tree-lined, but are generally well away from the playing lines, as the fairways are generously wide.
The long par-4 18th has become widely regarded as a tough, but memorable, closing hole. The dogleg left of 384 metres has a scheme of bunkers lying right of the driving zone, but it is the approach into a semi-island green that really excites.
MUIRFIELD GC
North Rocks, Sydney
Green fees: $60 (seven days).
Muirfield lies in the heart of Hills District suburbia northwest of the city, but there are times during a round here where you feel like you’re playing deep in a forest, miles and miles from anywhere.
Most holes are lined by huge mature gums and a range of other towering trees as the fairways dogleg across the often-undulating terrain, which gives rise to plenty of challenging shots during a round.
One of Muirfield’s prettiest holes is also one of its most fun to play. The 284-metre par-4 14th is played from an elevated tee to a fairway that lies on a slight diagonal left-to-right. There is out-of-bounds all down the right and a tree and bush covered hill to the left, so accuracy with the tee shot is paramount.
OAK POINT GC
Lansvale, Sydney
Green fees: $60 (seven days).
Oak Point is perhaps the best golf course featured in these pages that you may never have heard of.
And there is good reason for that. Oak Point is the new name of the club resulting from the merger between Sydney’s Kogarah and Liverpool Golf Clubs, with the Liverpool course now being home to the merged membership.
Oak Point is a wonderful parkland course, which offers a great mix of testing par-3s and strategic par-4s and 5s. The layout will soon undergo a major redesign under the guidance of James Wilcher.
WYNNUM GC
Wynnum, Brisbane
Green fees: $55 (weekdays); $60 (weekends).
Golf has been played across this easy-walking parkland layout in Brisbane’s bayside area since 1922.
The charming Queenslander-style clubhouse has a welcoming feel about it and the course is laid out in two loops in and away from this hub.
The course has gained a well-earned reputation in recent decades for having some of the best putting surfaces to be found anywhere in Brisbane. While the variety and challenge of the holes will also impress, the memorable aspect of Wynnum is its beauty.
CLUB MANDALAY
Beveridge, Melbourne
Green fees: $50 (weekdays); $60 (weekends).
It is a shade over a decade since this Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett-designed layout officially opened for play, and since then it has regularly been ranked in the Top-100 Public Access Courses in this country.
Thomson and Perrett managed to create a links-style layout out of grazing land in what is still predominantly a semi-rural environment on the northern outskirts of the Victorian capital.
Surprisingly, given its location, wind is a factor here. The exposed nature of the holes, combined with the wind, makes correct club and shot selection one of the utmost challenges of a round at Mandalay.
MCLEOD CGC
Mt Ommaney, Brisbane
Green fees: $45 (weekdays); $60 (weekends).
McLeod Country Golf Club has long been regarded as one of Brisbane’s best public access courses.
It is a scenic 18-hole journey, little more than 25 minutes’ drive southwest of the CBD, with lakes and the winding Mt Ommaney Creek adding to the beauty of the round. The water hazards come into play on 14 holes, which really adds to the test.
LAKESIDE GC
Gledswood Hills, Sydney
Green fees: $40 (weekdays); $60 (weekends).
Lakeside Camden has all the characteristics of links golf – firm greens, mounding, small, cavernous pot bunkers and the wind can also be a factor. Mix this with some woodland course features and it can be a challenging test of golf.
If you haven’t played what was originally known as Camden Lakeside in the past few years, a return will present to you some significant changes.
There have been new holes built and numerous others either reconfigured or had greens redesigned during the past decade.
ALBERT PARK GC
Albert Park, Melbourne
Green fees: $43 to $57 (seven days).
With the opening tee shot just two kilometres from the Melbourne CBD, the views of the city skyline from right across this layout are simply amazing.
And that is the star attraction for this layout, contained within beautiful Albert Park (and its Formula 1 Grand Prix racetrack). Location, location, location!
Views aside, the former Victorian PGA Championship host course does have some interesting holes and there is genuine golfing fun to be had here at a good price.
YARRA BEND GC
Fairfield, Melbourne
Green fees: $49 (weekdays); $56-$58 (weekends).
Yarra Bend is Melbourne’s premier inner-city course, boasting views over the Yarra River and beyond to the CBD.
Investment in the facility during the past two decades has seen Yarra Bend evolve into a golf super centre with state-of-the-art practice facilities, club fitting and a mini golf course.
The course, originally built in 1936 and designed by Vern Morcom, was remodelled by Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Clayton, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead (OCCM) and this significantly improved the playing experience.
NORTH WEST BAY GC
Margate, Hobart
Green fees: $55 (seven days).
Australia’s southern-most 18-hole course is just a 25-minute drive south of Hobart’s CBD.
There are impressive bay views from most parts of the course, but North West Bay’s most memorable outlook and challenge is on the 429-metre par-4 11th. The view from the tee, down the fairway to the bay beyond is striking. The straight fairway descends gradually from the tee and with a downhill approach shot, this hole plays much shorter than the scorecard suggests. The key here, though, is to approach from the right half of the fairway, to get the best angle into a green that slopes from left-to-right.
www.northwestbaygolfclub.com.au
SURFERS PARADISE GC
Clear Island Waters, Gold Coast
Green fees: $55 (seven days).
Despite the name, the Surfers Paradise Golf Club is almost a 15-minute drive from Surfers’ famous Cavill Avenue.
The fairways are thickly tree-lined here and there is no shortage of fairway bunkers and water hazards to avoid. In fact, water comes into play on 11 holes.
One such hole is the short par-4 17th. At 310 metres from the tips, it’s not a hole to be attacked with a driver unless you can bank on a left-to-right shot shape to follow the dogleg shape of the fairway as it veers around a lake to the left. The key here is to get your drive in play and take aim with a short iron into a receptive green beyond the lake.
www.surfersparadisegolfclub.com.au
WOLLONGONG GC
Wollongong
Green fees: $35 (Mon); $40 (Tue-Thu); $50 (Fri); $55 (weekends).
This Ross Watson-redesigned layout, which recently hosted the Women’s NSW Open, runs along a beautiful stretch of beach just a few minutes’ walk from Wollongong’s CBD.
Its natural wetlands combine with a links terrain to create a wonderful golfing experience, which has been evolving since golf was first played here in 1897.
One hole which has been an integral part of the course for many years is worth the price of the green fee alone. The 137-metre 17th is a classic par-3 with a tee perched high above City Beach and the green, which is surrounded by deep bunkers.
GAILES GC
Wacol, Brisbane
Green fees: $50 (weekdays); $55 (weekends).
Gailes looks very different and is a much sterner test than it was when South African Bobby Locke won the Australian Open here in 1955.
Apart from the replacement of greens and dozens of bunkers being added across the course, the fairways are lined by towering lumber.
One of the highlights of a round comes at the opening hole – a rollercoasting 482-metre par-5, where you can set the tone for the remainder of your round. A blind tee shot is followed by a choice of laying up to a flat stretch of fairway or bravely heading for the green elevated above and beyond four deep bunkers, a lake to the right and out-of-bounds left.
MINNIPPI GC
Cannon Hill, Brisbane
Green fees: $47 (Mon-Thu); $55 (Fri-Sun).
When Minnippi opened for play in 2021, it was the first public golf course to be built in Brisbane in more than 70 years.
Minnippi saw the conversion of a previously used landfill near Bulimba Creek to incorporate a residential development and the course, which was built on a major floodplain and presented Pacific Coast Design architects Phill Ryan and Paul Reeves the chance to create an Australian first.
They built an 18-hole course without bunkers, instead lining greenside grassy hollows with timber railway sleepers to add to the challenge. Minnippi also features three loops of six holes, rather than two loops of nine holes.
www.minnippipublicgolfcourse.com.au
BEACONHILLS GC
Upper Beaconsfield, Melbourne
Green fees: $45 (weekdays); $55 (weekends).
Beaconhills lies in an idyllic bushland setting next to Cardinia Reservoir, with 27 holes laid out across rolling hills at the foot of the Dandenong Ranges about 50 minutes’ drive from the Melbourne CBD.
The 27 holes affords golfers three varied 18-hole combinations. There is the sometimes dramatically undulating Old Course, much of which was created by pioneering Australian PGA pros Dick and Rowley Banks back in 1930. Then there is the picturesque Stoney Creek Course, which combines the Old layout front nine and the Lakes nine, while the Cardinia Course draws on the back nine hole of the Old and the Lakes Course.
The setting, the quality of the holes and their presentation all combine to create a memorable golfing experience.
THAXTED PARK GC
Woodcroft, Adelaide
Green fees: $45 (weekdays); $55 (weekends).
Thaxted Park has become one of the “must play” courses in Adelaide’s southern suburbs.
The predominantly tree-lined holes cover rolling hills, which form the basis of some interesting holes, as well as providing some distant sea views. The course is also highly regarded for its Santa Ana fairways and bentgrass greens.
Acclaimed course designers Neil Crafter and Paul Mogford oversaw the recent redevelopment of the front nine, while the back nine has some memorable holes like the short par-4 13th and the downhill dropshot par-3 15th.
www.thaxtedparkgolfclub.com.au
CAMDEN GC
Narellan, Sydney
Green fees: $40 (weekdays); $55 (weekends).
The long-term golfing resident in the south-western outskirts of Sydney is Camden Golf Club at Studley Park, which is the 132-year-old house that stands in the middle of the property bearing the same name.
The old mansion is in the background when you stand on the tee of arguably Camden’s best hole – the 342-metre par-4 13th. A solid tee shot here must skirt the edge of a lake to reach the fairway that lies diagonally from right-to-left alongside the water hazard. The key is to know how much of the hazard you can bite off with your drive to get the best angle into the large, slightly elevated green.
$54 TO $45
WANTIMA CC
Brendale, Brisbane
Green fees: $47 (weekdays); $54 (weekends).
Wantima Country Club quietly existed in Brisbane’s northern suburbs for decades. Then one of its own won a couple of Australian PGA titles and conquered the world to raise the Claret Jug at The Open Championship at the Home of Golf, St Andrews, no less.
Cam Smith is Wantima’s favourite son and visitors can experience the course where he learned the game without breaking the bank.
The ongoing investment in the course over many years is today reaping the benefits, with well-manicured playing surfaces and challenging holes … fit for an Open Champion.
NORTH TURRAMURRA GC
North Turramurra, Sydney
Green fees: $40 (weekdays); $52.50 (weekends).
There’s a good reason why the locals who have been trekking the fairways here for years affectionately refer to their patch as “The Royal”.
The course overlooks the beautiful Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and has remained relatively unknown to golfers outside Sydney’s north shore. The construction of new holes as well as the significant improvement in course conditioning in recent years has quite rightly got the locals beaming with pride.
The dogleg left par-4 6th hole is worth the cost of the green fee alone. It’s a wonderful risk-and-reward hole with a drop off into national park oblivion ever-present to the left of the fairway.
MEREWETHER GC
Adamstown, Newcastle
Green fees: $46 (weekdays); $50 (weekends).
Merewether is beautifully presented year-round with strip-cut eucalyptus tree-lined fairways and receptive greens laid out across gently rolling terrain.
But it is the variety of the holes, which predominantly stick to Prosper Ellis’ original 1933 design, that is Merewether’s strength. The terrain offers up plenty of challenges in terms of sidehill, uphill and downhill lies, and the targets have been created to take these slopes into account.
PORT KEMBLA GC
Primbee, Wollongong
Green fees: $45 (weekdays); $50 (weekends).
Port Kembla is a lush, easy-walking layout with fairways lined by a combination of gums, melaleucas and low-lying trees, which makes the par-72 a real shot-making challenge.
The club engaged Australian golfing legend Craig Parry to create a masterplan a handful of years ago and his changes have helped make the layout fairer for golfers of all standards, without compromising the challenge of the course.
Parry’s redevelopment of par-3s – the 3rd, 8th and 15th – have seen bunkers removed to open lines of sight to each green.
WEMBLEY GOLF
Wembley Downs, Perth
Green fees: $43 (weekdays); $50 (weekends).
If this is not the busiest golf complex in Australia, it is on the podium.
Wembley not only boasts two 18-hole courses, but there is an 80-bay, two-tiered driving range, short game practice area and mini golf.
The Tuart, and the neighbouring Old Course, are laid out over 300 acres of undulating land and both layouts feature heavily tree-lined fairways, very good bentgrass greens and a minimal number of bunkers.
And you can find all this just 15 minutes’ drive from the Perth CBD.
ST LUCIA LINKS
St Lucia, Brisbane
Green fees: $41 (Mon-Thu); $50 (Fri-Sun).
St Lucia Golf Links is one of Brisbane’s oldest courses and will celebrate its centenary in 2026.
Originally designed by Dan Soutar (who a year earlier finished work on Melbourne’s world-famous Kingston Heath), St Lucia became a public council course in 1985 and has undergone a raft of changes in the past few decades. Some holes were shortened, several bunkers removed, and others reshaped, while several greens were modernised.
FOX HILLS GC
Prospect, Sydney
Green fees: $35 (weekdays); $50 (weekends).
Fox Hills is an easy-walking layout in the heart of Sydney’s western suburbs that offers challenges and fun for players of all standards.
Arguably the best hole here is rated the hardest on the course. The 362-metre par-4 4th calls for a long, straight drive to avoid a lake to the left and a creek on the right. The creek cuts across the front of the green and wraps around its left edge, while the approach must be precise to avoid tall trees either side of the ideal playing line.
CENTENARY PARK GC
Frankston North, Melbourne
Green fees: $32-$42 (weekdays); $43-$50 (weekends).
Located between the Melbourne Sandbelt and the famed Mornington Peninsula, Centenary Park is widely regarded as one of Melbourne’s best public courses.
Designed by PGA professional Bill Clifford, Centenary Park opened for play in 1974 after Frankston Council decided to move the course away from the centre of town.
Perhaps the most memorable feature of the layout is the green complexes. The bunker surrounds on most holes are simple, while the putting surfaces are challenging and fun.
MURRUMBIDGEE GC
Kambah, Canberra
Green fees: $25 (Mon); $40 (Tue-Fri); $50 (weekends).
Good golf in a great setting is always something you don’t mind paying top dollar for. But you don’t have to at Murrumbidgee, which is a testing course that also boasts picturesque views of the nearby Brindabella Range.
There is plenty to like about the layout, especially if you like to test your ball-striking skills. The finest example of this can be found on the 196-metre par-3 9th hole, which demands a long tee shot over the edge of a lake to a narrow green with two bunkers right and another to the left. It is a brave tee shot that goes at any flag in the right half of the green here.
CARNARVON GC
Lidcombe, Sydney
Green fees: $49 (seven days).
Lying almost in the geographical heart of metro Sydney, Carnarvon is something of a surprise course on this list.
This a challenging and well-presented layout that has hosted qualifying for Australian Open Championships, yet you can play here seven days a week for a shade under $50. Amazing!
Hopefully, the State Government will be unsuccessful with their plans to turn this fabulous course and beautiful green space into a cemetery.
COLLIER PARK
Como, Perth
Green fees: $36-$41 (weekdays); $45-$49 (weekends).
Collier Park has three loops of nine holes – the Pines, Island and Lake Courses – all of which offer a great variety of holes on well-presented playing surfaces.
The Pines layout, created by Peter Thomson and Mike Wolveridge in the mid-80s, is carved from an old pine plantation and the loop’s namesake feature line every hole. The Lake has a links style about it, with wide rolling fairways, punctuated by strategic bunkering en route to large, dramatic green complexes, while the Island Course, designed by successful former touring pro Terry Gale, derives its name from the island that lies within the huge lake that borders the 1st, 3rd and 4th holes.
THE RIDGE GOLF COURSE
Barden Ridge, Sydney
Green fees: $44 (weekdays); $48 (weekends).
In the dozen years since The Ridge opened as an 18-hole layout, it has become one of the most popular courses in Sydney’s south.
It ended a 10-year evolution from initial construction to completion on what was formerly a landfill area used by the local council. Two million cubic metres of fill later and it is a great golfing success story.
Designed by James Wilcher, The Ridge is an interesting and fun design, while the greens and fairways are also very good.
NORTH ADELAIDE (South Course)
North Adelaide, Adelaide
Green fees: $36 (weekdays); $45 (weekends).
Located in the parklands within walking distance of the CBD, this is a picturesque, tree-lined layout that is as popular with experienced single markers as occasional golfers.
The rolling terrain lays the foundation for some interesting holes, like the 399-metre par-4 3rd hole, where the city skyline provides a backdrop to a tight drive from an elevated tee to a fairway, which gradually climbs past two bunkers to the left to reach the large bunkerless green.
Earlier this year, the South Australian government announced the course will be redesigned by Greg Norman ahead of becoming a host venue for the LIV Golf Adelaide tournament.
SEA VIEW GC
Cottesloe, Perth
Green fees: $40 (weekdays); $45 (weekends).
Sea View dates to 1909, when former British Amateur Champion, Scotsman Peter C. Anderson, laid out nine holes on links land opposite the beach.
The Indian Ocean can be seen from every part of the course, so it’s not surprising the wind is a constant influence, while the firm fairways and dramatic green complexes take the test to the next level.
RICHMOND GC
Richmond, Sydney
Green fees: $35 (weekdays); $45 (weekends).
With the Blue Mountains providing a stunning backdrop, the Richmond layout offers a fun test for all golfers on what is believed to be NSW’s oldest course still on its original site, having been established in 1897.
The tree-lined layout has improved markedly in the past few decades, so much so it has been a regular host of the Australian PGA Seniors Championship in recent years, with Andre Stolz claiming the title in 2024.
WARATAH GC
Argenton, Newcastle
Green fees: $35 (Mon-Tue); $45 (Wed-Sun).
Waratah is the oldest club in the Newcastle region, having celebrated its 120th year in 2021. That same year also marked the centenary of the club on its current site playing a course originally designed by PGA professional Frank O’Brien.
There are plenty of highlights here, from the difficult 415-metre par-4 4th with its smallish but well-bunkered green, to the holes, like the dogleg right par-4 13th that run alongside Cockle Creek on the course’s boundary.
SHORTLAND WATERS GC
Shortland, Newcastle
Green fees: $30 (Mon); $45 (Tue-Fri, Sun).
A multi-million-dollar redevelopment was completed at Shortland Waters in 2019, with eight new holes being built, including six links-style creations on new land adjoining holes of the original course.
Of the new holes, the 334-metre par-4 6th is one you won’t forget easily. The sharp dogleg left is a risk-and-reward gem, where longer hitters will no doubt be tempted into blasting a tee shot left of the two fairway bunkers on the inside corner of the dogleg and, perhaps, getting a favourable bounce towards the green.
UNDER $45
FREEWAY GOLF COURSE
Balwyn North, Melbourne
Green fees: $41.50 (weekdays); $44.50 (weekends).
Freeway was closed for two years during the pandemic due to construction of the North East Link freeway tunnel.
Two of the course’s original holes were lost, so it proved to be an ideal time for Pacific Coast Design to move in and redesign the layout as well as converting all the fairways to Santa Ana couch and the greens to a bentgrass mix.
Freeway’s transformation has elevated what was a run-of-the-mill public course into a fun and challenging layout for all golfers.
RINGWOOD GOLF
Ringwood, Melbourne
Green fees: $41.50 (weekdays); $44.50 (weekends).
Widely regarded as one of Melbourne’s best public courses, Ringwood has an oasis-
like feel given its location alongside the Eastlink freeway.
The relatively wide fairways are heavily tree-lined in parts, and some areas of the course offer views through to the Dandenong Ranges, all of which add to the quality of a round here.
Ringwood boasts the turf quality of a course charging more than double its green fee, while there are plenty of memorable holes, with the long downhill par-3 16th being one its most scenic and challenging propositions.
THE PAT GC (Patawalonga Course)
West Beach, Adelaide
Green fees: $34 (weekdays); $44 (weekends).
The Patawalonga course covers easy-walking, sandy terrain, which is ideal for growing grass. So, it’s no wonder the kikuyu fairways and large bentgrass greens are beautifully manicured.
Acclaimed architect Neil Crafter redesigned the links-style course a few years ago, creating a layout of great variety. A round opens with Patawalonga’s hardest hole, a rolling 368-metre par-4, where pars can be hard to bank, and follows up with a diminutive par-3, where the short iron tee shot must avoid bunkers left and right to find the narrow two-tiered green.
CARRAMAR GOLF COURSE
Carramar, Perth
Green fees: $37 (weekdays); $43 (weekends).
Designed by former touring pro Bob Stanton, Carramar lays claim to be one of Perth’s toughest public access courses.
Carramar tests every shot you attempt to play from tee to green. The best example of this might be the 376-metre 17th hole, which is an uphill par-4 to a small green, which lies beyond some encroaching tall timbers and is protected by bunkers short and long. It is a daunting prospect to have a long iron or rescue club in your hand and be faced with an approach to such a small uphill target.
MARANGAROO GOLF COURSE
Marangaroo, Perth
Green fees: $37 (weekdays); $43 (weekends).
Designed by Murray Dawson and opened for play in 1988, Marangaroo offers enough challenge for the better player, while the casual golfer or beginner should not be too intimidated by the layout.
The 275-metre 7th is one of Dawson’s best here. It is a terrific slight dogleg left short par-4 where players taking driver from the tee risk hitting into a small lake left of the fairway, while also trying to avoid a lone bunker short and right of the green. There are probably more bogeys than birdies here, but taking the risk is worth the fun of it all.
RANDWICK GC
Malabar, Sydney
Green fees: $37 (weekdays); $43 (weekends).
You will go for the view and stay for the quirky links golf experience.
Perched cliffside overlooking the aquamarine waters of Long Bay, Randwick is an incredibly fun par-59 18-hole layout of just over 3500 metres.
Playing the short par-4 2nd is worth the green fee cost alone. It is a simple, yet exciting hole played along the edge of a cliff with uninterrupted ocean views, where the fairway cambers left toward the water as the hole veers slightly right and climbs to a small, bunkerless green. Wonderful!
BRIGHTON GOLF COURSE
Brighton East, Melbourne
Green fees: $42 (seven days).
Brighton offers golfers a sample taste of the champagne golf the surrounding Melbourne Sandbelt has to offer, but at a beer price.
This is a fun layout with big greens and expansive bunkering, just like what you will find elsewhere in the Sandbelt.
It doesn’t take long to get excited here, with the 252-metre par-4 2nd offering a tempting chance to make a birdie. Drive up close to the green if you dare, but be wary of the two huge bunkers short of the putting surface.
THE SPRINGS CLUB
Forrestdale, Perth
Green fees: $35 (weekdays, 18 holes); $41 (weekends).
One of only a few nine-hole layouts featured here, The Springs was known as the Armadale Golf Course before a massive redesign in 2016 transformed the layout.
The main defence of par here is built into the large dramatic green complexes, which are covered in beautifully presented bentgrass. Ridges, tiers, dishes, steep drop-offs and hollows can be found across the nine green complexes, all of which dictate the best possible playing line from back down the fairway.
CHELTENHAM GC
Cheltenham, Melbourne
Green fees: $35 (weekdays, 18 holes); $40 (weekends).
One of the best nine-hole courses in Victoria, Cheltenham is a Sandbelt gem with characteristics you won’t find elsewhere in the area.
For example, the greens are quite small and the fairways relatively narrow, so this course demands precision ball striking. As a result, this layout has always been a challenge and has gained a reputation over the years for producing high-quality junior golfers, who have gone on to professional careers including the likes of Stewart Ginn, U.S Open Champion Geoff Ogilvy and Matt Griffin.
PALMERSTON G&CC
Palmerston City, Darwin
Green fees: $32 (weekdays); $37 (weekends).
The home of the Northern Territory PGA Championship for nearly a decade, Palmerston is a tale of two nines. The opening nine is long and water comes into play on six holes, while the back nine is more heavily tree-lined with narrow fairways placing a premium on accuracy.
One of Palmerston’s most memorable offerings is the par-3 4th hole, known as The Causeway. The 167-metre gem can play longer than the scorecard suggests if the prevailing breeze is up. The tee shot needs to carry the edge of a lake to find a wide, almost triangular, tiered green protected in front by two small bunkers.
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