BELLARINE PENINSULA

13TH BEACH GOLF LINKS

Thirteenth Beach invites golfers to step onto its fairways and take command of its Beach and Creek Courses, relax in the Clubhouse, or stay in their beautifully appointed lodges, perched right next to the 1st hole of the Beach Course. Staying on site guarantees your access to the action, making your visit a complete golfing experience.

The Beach Course, a true links layout designed by Tony Cashmore, is a frontline of fun and strategy, arguably boasting the finest collection of par-3s in Australia. Every hole feels like a skirmish with the elements, where wind, undulations and clever bunkering test both skill and strategy. Meanwhile, the Creek Course, a parkland gem co-designed by golfing great Sir Nick Faldo and Cashmore, rewards careful tactics while providing a more forgiving but still-engaging challenge. For a quick tactical engagement or to sharpen your short-game weapons, the 9-hole Short Course – also designed by Cashmore – offers a compact but genuine test for all players.

13th Beach: Beach Course. PHOTO: Brendan James.

In 2020, 13th Beach launched a Course Improvement Program under Course Design Consultant Darius Oliver, famed for co-designing Cape Wickham Links in Tasmania and currently working on a dramatic cliff-top course on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. The program focuses on bunker rationalisation, improved access, maintenance, drainage, playability and conditioning, ensuring the courses remain both formidable and enjoyable.

In parallel, thoughtful redesigns maintain the original architects’ vision, while making the courses more playable. Under the expert eye of Darius and the tireless greenskeeping team led by Course Superintendent Steve Hewitt, these upgrades have been executed with minimal disruption to play. Golfers can enjoy 13th Beach as a friendly battlefield where strategy, skill and fun converge across some of Victoria’s finest fairways.

CURLEWIS GC

Curlewis stands as one of Australia’s most progressive and exciting public access golf courses; a true battlefield for golfers of all levels. Officially opened in 1970, this much-loved Bellarine course occupies 157 acres of naturally undulating terrain purchased by East Geelong Golf Club in 1947. Early development was limited by water access, but the couch grass base laid back then has grown into a firm foundation for today’s links-style fairways, challenging bunkers and large, contoured greens. Playing Curlewis is like entering a strategic war campaign, where every hole tests skill, patience and courage.

Just an hour from Melbourne and 15 minutes from Geelong, the course offers sweeping vistas across to Corio Bay, a reminder that every battle campaign benefits from a commanding vantage point. Since Lyndsay and David Sharp took the reins in 2015, heavy investment in course and clubhouse improvements has seen Curlewis rocket up the rankings, establishing itself as a premier destination on The Bellarine.

The 6150-metre, par-71/73 links, designed by Vern Morcom and enhanced by Kevin Hartley in 1976 and Michael Clayton in 2001, challenges players with firm, fast greens and wind-swept fairways - a tactical test where strategy often trumps brute force. The new clubhouse commands attention, with grand vistas, a “Warhol Wall”, sun-drenched terraces, and cutting-edge AV facilities. Epicurean warriors can feast at Claribeaux or enjoy a relaxed mission at Ivor’s Spike Bar, while local and international beverage options keep spirits high.

Curlewis GC. PHOTO: Brendan James.

For those sharpening their artillery, The Range @ Curlewis offers a state-of-the-art 18-bay driving range, teaching academy, club fitting, Xgolf simulators, Toptracer Range, and a two-tiered mini golf course. PGA Teaching Professionals are on hand to help golfers refine every shot, ensuring every round is both challenging and fun.

Having celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020, Curlewis blends a golden past with a shining future. Green fee players are always welcome, ready to take on the course and emerge victorious from one of the Bellarine’s most hip, green and fun golfing battlefields.

BARWON HEADS GC

The gates of Barwon Heads Golf Club open each year to thousands of visitors – some marching in as guests of members, others charging the course as green-fee warriors, event recruits, or function and accommodation allies.

Though a private stronghold, the Club offers daring outsiders limited chances to test themselves on its storied links. Green-fee tee times appear on select days, and strategic players often pair their round with a stay in the heritage-listed Clubhouse, strengthening their ranks for the campaign ahead.

Since 1924, guests have bunkered down in the iconic Clubhouse, earning honorary membership and guaranteed access to the course, even during the busiest skirmishes of weekends, holidays and January battles.

Perched high above the fairways and coastline, the Clubhouse serves as a command post to regroup, refuel and savour one of Australia’s most memorable golf experiences. All troops, however, must respect the Clubhouse’s dress codes and keep to sanctioned areas of the fortress …

Barwon Heads GC. PHOTO: Brendan James.

LONSDALE LINKS

Lonsdale Links has stormed onto the Geelong and Bellarine scene, a newly redeveloped gem that’s open to both the public and its loyal members. Just 90 minutes from Melbourne and 30 from Geelong, this links battlefield has earned Top 100 accolades from Golf Australia Magazine, Golf Digest, and Golf Magazine across the Asia-Pacific – proof that this golf course is a force to be reckoned with.

Every round at Lonsdale Links is a tactical engagement. Inspired by trailblazers Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor, and Charles Banks, the course - rebuilt by Ogilvy Cocking Mead - is designed to reveal new challenges with each sortie. Template holes hark back to a golden age of golf, demanding strategy, precision and a touch of daring from all who take it on.

Lonsdale Links. PHOTO: Brendan James.

When the day’s battles are done, the Point Lonsdale Clubhouse stands as your command post, offering lunch, dinner, coffee, or drinks with uninterrupted views of Lake Victoria – a perfect place to regroup, refuel and toast victory on the links.

PORTARLINGTON GC

Near the beach but not a links, dotted with trees but not quite parklands, this Bellarine gem defies easy labels. Here, every round is a skirmish of skill and strategy – whether you’re taking on championship events or a casual clash with mates on the shorter layout.

The course offers superbly conditioned bent greens that drain fast, gentle undulations for an easy march and a range of tees that let every player pick their preferred challenge. Each hole presents a tactical choice; a chance to test your skills and sharpen your game with every swing.

Off the course, the fully stocked pro shop is a hub of characters (and advice), while the clubhouse provides the perfect rallying point to refuel and swap tales from the fairways.

So grab your gear, assemble your squad, and step onto a course where strategy meets fun at every turn.

Set sail with Port Phillip Ferries

For golfers heading to the Bellarine Peninsula, getting there is part of the experience. Port Phillip Ferries has turned the simple trip across the bay into a relaxed prelude to a day on the fairways, or a reward after one. Departing from Melbourne’s Docklands, the ferry glides across Port Phillip Bay to Portarlington, dropping passengers right at the doorstep of some of the region’s finest golf and leisure spots.

Port Phillip Ferries has an exciting range of two-and three-day golf packages which take care of everything. These packages include the short ferry journey across Port Phillip Bay, shuttle transfers for the whole time you’re there, all golf reservations, accommodation at the newly refurbished Portarlington Grand Hotel and a few extras thrown in for good health.

The Portarlington Grand Hotel is absolutely stunning. Its recent renovation has transformed it into the Jewel of the Bellarine. Now featuring 18 boutique rooms, several dining areas and an open-air Atrium Bar, it’s the perfect place to unwind after a day on the golf course.

As all golfers who have been to this region would confirm, the Bellarine Peninsula is fast becoming the new destination for amazing golf in Victoria. With courses such as Lonsdale Links, 13th Beach, Curlewis and Portarlington GC, passionate golfers are spoilt for choice when it comes to quality golf course design and experience.

With Port Phillip Ferries, getting to the Bellarine isn’t just about transport, it’s about easing into the pace of coastal life, swapping traffic for sea air and letting your golf getaway begin the moment you leave the city behind.

The Bellarine: where coastlines meet clubfaces

This underrated peninsula has a knack for stealing a little piece of your heart. It is a place where ocean breezes mix with the sound of drivers pinging off the tee; where days drift lazily and every turn seems to offer something worth lingering over.

From the surf breaks of Ocean Grove to the calm waters of Portarlington, the Bellarine has character to burn. Barwon Heads is where coastal life meets golf in perfect harmony. You can wander the beach, explore boutique shops on Hitchcock Avenue, and still squeeze in a round at Barwon Heads Golf Club or 13th Beach Golf Links – courses where coastal winds add their own challenge to the day’s game in a destination that was recognised by Australian Golf Digest as the country’s best golf town in 2025.

Ocean Grove is a family favourite: golden sands for surfing lessons or sun-soaked afternoons, plus a kid-friendly miniature hit at Bellarine Adventure Golf or a quick round at nearby Curlewis.

Down by the bay, Portarlington blends maritime history with modern indulgence. Fresh mussels and cool-climate wines are on the menu at Jack Rabbit or Terindah Estate; ideal for celebrating a day’s round. And if you’re arriving by ferry from Melbourne, the trip itself sets the tone for a relaxed, scenic escape.

Inland, Drysdale delivers a quieter pace, with boutique producers, farmland views and the Bellarine Rail Trail threading through it all. For a unique spin, hop aboard The Q Train, where degustation dining meets a heritage railway experience.

Whether you’re chasing birdies, beaches, or an award-winning glass of pinot, the Bellarine delivers it all –“laid-back, full of local flavour and ready to reward every golfer who ventures this way.

To plan your trip, head to visitgeelongbellarine.com.au.http://visitgeelongbellarine.com.au