APOLLO BAY GOLF CLUB

When en route to the 12 Apostles, stop into the beautiful seaside village of Apollo Bay located at the foothills of the mighty Otway Ranges. Hit the waters of the Southern Ocean or enjoy the fruits of the sea caught by local fishermen.

Apollo Bay is the ideal base to explore the famous 12 Apostles as well as the surrounding Otway National Park. But there is also a beautiful nine-hole layout – laid out on easy-walking terrain across Point Bunbry – where you can satisfy your golfing desires with most holes offering a view over nearby Boat Harbour and on to the bay.

Links golf has been played at Apollo Bay for 99 years. It is raw and exciting, which also makes a round here a lot of fun.

Apollo Bay has seen links golf played for nearly 100 years. PHOTO: Brendan James.

PETERBOROUGH GC

Peterborough is a par-32 that rates among the most scenic to be played in Victoria.

Located about 30 minutes’ drive east of Warrnambool, Peterborough offers nine-holes across stunning ocean side land where a million-dollar view accompanies every shot you play.

It is a links with fast-running and gently undulating fairways, while the greens feature wide, uninterrupted frontages that allow you to bump and run your shots beneath the wind. There are also several ‘punchbowl’ greens – like that to be found on the 2nd hole – where a slight mis-hit might find a generous bounce back towards the middle of the putting surface.

This feature isn’t the only ‘old school’ design trait you will see here. There are some crossover holes as well as two tee shots that require hitting over the Peterborough street that lines the edge of the course.

Peterborough offers some of the most scenic golf along the Great Ocean Road. PHOTO: Brendan James.

Like Apollo Bay, Peterborough is a raw links experience. The layout occupies a thin wedge of land between the town and the rugged coastline, with two holes – the 2nd and 6th – laid within metres of the cliff-tops. At the 6th, a 140-metre tee shot must be played across the edge of the ocean to find the green.

WARRNAMBOOL GOLF CLUB

Warrnambool is the largest town to be found along what is known as the ‘Shipwreck Coast’, based on the 180 plus ships that have come to grief along the rugged stretch of coastline.

Located just 12km from the western end of the Great Ocean Road, the town covers a plateau behind a steep bluff overlooking Lady Bay and the surrounding terrain has given rise to a wonderful course.

The majority of the layout covers landscape formed by sand dunes, while the routing is predominantly lined by coastal ti-tree.

The highlights of the course are on the front nine with the two short par-4s – the 311-metre 4th and 327-metre 5th holes – being the most memorable.

Home to Marc Leishman, Warrnambool is one of the most well known layouts in the famed tourist region. PHOTO: Brendan James.

The 4th demands a well-struck tee shot – perhaps with a fairway wood – to ensure you find the short grass and avoid the out-of-bounds to the right. A large dune blocks your view to the elevated green from the right half of the fairway, so an approach from the left is a better line. Correct club selection from the fairway is vital as shots that fall short will roll back down the fairway, and long shots can run into trees and scrub.

The 5th hole is a gem. The elevated tee not only offers ocean views but it leaves you in doubt that a mis-hit drive away from the narrow fairway will result in a lost ball as thick scrub and trees line both sides of the fairway all the way to the green. This hole might be short but it demands precision hitting, even from the fairway with a short iron as the green slopes markedly from back to front.

The course’s presentation has reached a very high standard in recent years as a result of the club securing a long-term source of recycled water to irrigate the layout. More improvements off the course are also on the way, with plans for a new clubhouse given the green light and construction is now due to start within a few months.