Stretching east from the outer suburbs of Melbourne to the New South Wales border, north to the Great Dividing Range and south to the Bass Strait coastline, Gippsland incorporates snowfields, old growth forests, rolling green pastures, beaches and lakes.
As a Victorian golfing destination, Gippsland is often overlooked behind the likes of the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas as well as the world-famous Melbourne Sandbelt.
In Gippsland, you won’t find 6,500-metre modern championship layouts created by big name designers. What you will find are a well-maintained variety of courses that every golfer can enjoy.
With the Princes and South Gippsland Highways leading from the capital’s south eastern suburbs straight through the heart of the region, it is very accessible and when you’re not on the course there is a long list of attractions to experience.
I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of the layouts you will find scattered throughout the region, from Lang Lang in the west to Lakes Entrance in the east. And when you discover the green fee these courses charge, you will agree Gippsland golf offers incredible value for money.
GATEWAY TO GIPPSLAND
The Monash Freeway weaves its way from the city out through Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs and splits into the Princes and South Gippsland Freeways, which both then wind eastward through Gippsland.
Taking the South Gippsland road will lead you on a longer more scenic loop through the southern parts of the region, before re-joining the Princes Highway nearly 200kms away in Sale.
It is on this route where you will experience a real Gippsland golfing highlight – Lang Lang Golf Club, which is 90 minutes’ drive from inner city Melbourne.
If you have ever owned a Holden, the name Lang Lang might sound familiar. Lang Lang was home to the General Motors Holden proving ground, which was first opened in 1957 and included nearly 45km of sealed and unsealed test roads among other testing facilities.
The club dates back to 1925 but it wasn’t until 1963 – after playing on sand scrapes across six different properties in the area – that the club settled into its current location … a very long par-5 east of the proving ground.
The course was designed by 1937 Australian Open Champion and long-time Riversdale Golf Club professional, George Naismith, who, along with fellow golf pro, Bill Walker, created the layout free of charge.
This par-70 offers hints of the Melbourne Sandbelt with its superbly maintained couch fairways and bentgrass greens, while the bunkering is also a memorable feature. The layout, at 5,710 metres from the tips, is not long by modern standards but its predominantly narrow tree-lined holes demand precision ball-striking.
But it is a course where you can make a score, as PGA professional and club member Peter Wilson proved recently. Wilson, 45, made international headlines when he shot an 11 under 59 around the layout not once, but twice, and on consecutive days.
Lang Lang lies roughly halfway between Melbourne and Phillip Island, which is internationally famous for two things – its motor racing circuit and the march of penguins that waddle ashore each day at sunset.
The circuit has hosted numerous motor racing events like the Australian MotoGP, World Superbike Championship and the Supercar Series during the past 25 years.
The penguin parade spectacle, which is one of Australia’s most popular attractions, can be seen at nearby Summerland Beach, which was also the original home of the Phillip Island Golf Club – a true links layout covering a sand dune landscape that, at that time in the 1920s, drew favourable comparisons with the Barwon Heads course on the Bellarine Peninsula.
But the club, then known as Summerland Golf Club, lapsed during World War II and a new site, on edge of the Cowes township, on the north side of the island was established.
It is an easy walking par-72 with a front nine featuring more heavily tree lined fairways, but the inward half is slightly longer with three par-5s offering some good scoring opportunities. But short gems like the 320-metre par-4 8th and the 292-metre par-4 13th can play much tougher than the scorecard might suggest.
Short holes are the order of the day on Phillip Island’s other layout – the nine-hole par-3 course at the Aussie Golf Ranch.
The ranch was the brainchild of PGA professional Rohan Walker, who dreamed of building and operating a golf course. His plan was to build a course where he could teach kids the basics of the game whilst also providing a challenging layout for golfers of all abilities.
He found 23 acres of coastal dunes, about 100 metres from a secluded sandy beach on Red Rocks Bay and just a few minutes’ drive west of Cowes. Acclaimed course designer Ross Watson was commissioned to design the nine-hole layout and it was then constructed to USGA specifications.
Known as the 'Saltwater Creek' course, the nine holes stretch to 1,324 metres. The links course, with holes between 103 and 183 metres, has nearly 20 bunkers, water on many holes and grass-covered mounds surrounding each green. The G2 Bentgrass greens have plenty of movement and are nicely kept.
The highlight of the layout is Watson’s ‘homage’ to the Redan hole at Scotland’s North Berwick. The 145-metre 4th features a bunker set into the front of the kidney-shaped putting surface and a second bunker through the back of the green. The shape of the green allows approach shots to hit the front left and feed right towards any flag hidden behind the front trap.
Walker sold the ranch in early 2023 and the new owners are planning to develop more facilities to enhance the golfing experience.
INTO THE RANGES
As you head east through Gippsland, the beautiful Strzelecki Ranges come into view. The range extends south from the Latrobe Valley to Wilson’s Promontory on the edge of Bass Strait and is named after Polish explorer Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, who led an expedition through the region during the 1840s.
The Strzelecki Ranges are spectacular and the golf courses to be found here will surprise the first-time visitor with just how good they are. Many clubs here operate on a shoestring budget and some rely on volunteers to assist, but the playing surfaces and the variety of fun holes to be found prove these layouts are punching well above their weight.
Leongatha Golf Club is widely regarded as the best layout to be found in Gippsland. Carved from magnificent bushland just south of Leongatha, the par-70 is laid across superb undulating terrain, while the heavily tree-lined fairways offer a real sense of isolation during the round. Leongatha was designed by Vern Morcom, the long-time curator at Kingston Heath and a prolific designer throughout Victoria for more than 40 years from the late 1920s.
Leongatha’s fairways are flanked with magnificent trees, predominantly gums, rising from the bush that is home to a wide variety of birds and wildlife. These fairways were fully converted to Santa Ana couch grass back in the mid-2000s and have thrived ever since, making these playing surfaces the envy of some major city clubs boasting far bigger budgets and grounds staff.
The topography gives rise to several blind tee shots, while the smallish greens place a real premium on accuracy from the fairway. For mine the best holes are left until last. The 146-metre par-3 16th is played from an elevated tee to a dramatically sloping green, while the 479-metre par-5 18th is a genuine three-shotter because of the sharp doglegging right fairway, which is bound by tall timbers and thick scrub for its entire length.
Leongatha, which is about two hours’ drive from Melbourne, is an ideal base to explore the surrounding towns of the ranges and experience some fabulous courses.
The drive heading north east out of Leongatha is winding and wonderful, and 20 kilometres into the journey you will find the picturesque town of Mirboo North. The village, of little more than 2,600 people, lies at the top of Grand Ridge Rd (that links the Latrobe Valley with South Gippsland) and apart from the historic attractions it offers, there is also a good golf course to be played.
Mirboo North Golf Club is a hilly course that, in 1972, was laid out to closely follow the natural terrain. Carved from majestic stands of gum trees, this par-70 is a fun golf course. The surrounds of each hole will impress, as will some of the holes that are very natural in appearance. The first of the highlights comes at the 2nd tee, which sits high above the fairway beyond. The 332-metre par-4 2nd hole is completely ringed by bushland as it rises gradually to the green, which lies in a natural amphitheatre created by tall timbers and a steep grade.
Just beyond the crest of the hill to the left is the 7th green and 8th tee. The downhill 381-metre par-4 8th is one of layout’s best. It is a tight driving hole with a fairway that slopes down gradually from the tee before dramatically dropping away beyond the 220-metre mark before rising to an elevated green that is cut into the side of another hill. The best play here is to keep the driver in the bag, position a fairway metal into the right half of the double-dogleg fairway and leave a flat lie for the long approach into the green.
The best hole on the inward nine is the 160-metre par-3 16th, which has been dubbed by the locals as the ‘Plum Pud’ hole because of the upturned bowl shape of the green. The elevated tee sits well above the green, which has been cut out of the surrounding hill.
Mirboo North has accommodation on course with the 1st T Motel adjacent to the clubhouse and just a few metres from the opening hole.
Less than 20 minutes’ drive west of Leongatha lies the Korumburra Golf Club, which similarly to Mirboo North, covers undulating terrain of the lower Strzelecki Ranges and is home to some very memorable holes.
Korumburra’s fairways are lined by huge gums and a wide array of exotic and native trees that really add to colour of the layout. The club also boasts another natural feature – the giant earthworm. These worms can grow to more than 1.5 metres and are located only in this area of the Gippsland region and nowhere else in the world.
This is a short par-70 at 5,529 metres but the dramatic topography adds plenty of length to many holes.
But length is not an issue on the opening hole, a 123-metre steep downhill par-3, which is ranked as the easiest hole on the course. Nor does it come into play on one of the quality inward holes – the 295-metre par-4 14th. The tight driving hole is made even narrower by the long branches of trees reaching in from the edges of the fairway. A fairway metal or long iron is needed to find the fairway and leave a short club approach into the elevated green where only the top of the flag can be seen and that is only when the cup is cut in the front half of the green. This makes it tough to get any pitch shot close to the hole.
The smallest of the golf towns in close range to Leongatha is Meeniyan, about 15 minutes’ drive south. The population of the town was just 770 back in 2016, yet it still is able to support a picturesque and enjoyable golf course on its outskirts.
Meeniyan Golf Club dates back to 1956 when it was nine holes and sand scrapes with sheep grazing the fairways. The club bought additional land from neighbouring farmer Jack Hughes and opened an additional nine holes for play in 1969.
Stony Creek, which flows through the course and some wetlands, not only provides a home for nearly 25 species of birdlife and three different types of frogs, but it adds to the excitement of several holes.
The Toonallook wetland area was added to the bottom of the hill on front of the 18th tee several years ago. Its presence can tighten the grip of any player who is faced with having to hit a good drive up the hill on the 384-metre par-4 closing hole. Ideally, the drive needs to find the left half of the fairway as trees encroaching from the right edge of the fairway can block out your long approach to a small green lying in front of the clubhouse.
Meeniyan is one of the easier walking courses in the region and its small greens really place a premium on accuracy if you are to make a good score.
Heading further east from Meeniyan, following the A440 for nearly an hour, you’ll find Yarram, which lies at the heart of a rich farming district and is a short drive from the famous Ninety Mile Beach.
Not unlike Meeniyan, Yarram has a relatively small population to draw its members from and there is a great reliance on volunteer assistance. Those Victorian golfers in the know rate Yarram Golf Club as a true hidden gem of the Gippsland region.
The results of the tender loving care provided by the members are superb, well-maintained playing surfaces. The bentgrass greens roll true and speedy, while the Santa Ana couch fairways are like carpets. But venture too far from the clipped grasses and the rough gets, well, pretty rough. Laid out on sand, sandy lies in the rough – just like you were playing in the famous Melbourne Sandbelt – are common.
Yarram has some very good short holes, with one of the best being the 256-metre par-4 9th. Long hitters can blaze away at the green, which is slightly obscured from view to the left when standing on the tee. The conservative play, leaving an approach from the bottom of the hill about 50 metres from the front of the green, is quite difficult because the depth of the green, and a tier running through it, adds guesswork to the shot.
ALONG THE A1
The Princes Highway (A1) weaves across the northern edge of the Gippsland region from Melbourne’s eastern outskirts and eventually crosses the New South Wales border nearly 500 kilometres away.
Warragul, about 45 minutes’ drive east of Dandenong, lies between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Mt Baw Baw Plateau of the Great Dividing Range to the north. It’s here where you will find the biggest club in the west Gippsland area – Warragul Country Club.
The Warragul club, which is home to the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Gippsland Super 6s tournament, was first established in 1907 and has been on its current site since 1927.
The original 18-hole layout was redesigned by George Lowe (who also created the acclaimed Warrnambool Golf Club course) after World War II when land was set aside for housing. Despite some alterations over the years, much of Lowe’s design remains.
The par-71 weaves up and over several hills away from the clubhouse, with the undulating terrain laying the foundation for some interesting and fun holes, with a quartet of front nine holes proving perhaps the most memorable.
Back-to-back short par-4s at the 5th and 6th are genuine birdie chances but there are risks associated with playing them aggressively, especially the 306-metre 5th that is played across a ridge and features a fairway, which narrows significantly the closer you get to the green.
From the back markers, the 173-metre par-3 7th plays downhill from the tee to a green cut into the hillside beneath the 5th fairway. Steep drop-offs around the front of the putting surface ensure if you don’t have the correct club in your hands you will be chipping from well below the green.
The next is arguably Warragul’s toughest test. The 8th is 416 metres from the tips but it plays much longer as the entire journey from tee to green is uphill. Any shots gained over the previous three holes can easily be handed back here.
Warragul’s presentation is also sure to impress, with a good cover of Legends couch on the fairways and bentgrass greens that are among the best in the region.
About 25 minutes’ drive east of Warragul is Trafalgar Golf Club, which dates back to 1909 and has been on its present site north of the township of the same name since 1953. This original layout was cleared and routed by members and all 18 holes were completed by 1960. Two years later, acclaimed course architect Vern Morcom was commissioned to redesign the layout and 12 holes were changed.
The course has changed little during the past six decades and today it is widely acclaimed as a great test for accomplished players and an enjoyable venue for mid- and high markers as well as casual golfers. The beautifully kept playing surfaces are also highly regarded.
Like most of the courses in Gippsland, Trafalgar is not long with the par-70 measuring just 5,647 metres from the back pegs. However, length is not the main defence of par here with tight driving lines created by the thick avenues of trees lining each fairway. That said, the longest hole on the course is a memorable one. The 531-metre par-5 10th is a genuine three-shotter as it descends from an elevated tee to a fairway that doglegs left twice before reaching the green.
Doglegs are a real feature of the course, with the likes of the double breaking par-5 6th and the sharp dogleg right par-4 8th being highlights of the round.
Heading south back to the highway, the Moe Golf Club is a leisurely 20-minute drive east. Established in 1934, the course has relocated twice but settled on its present site in 1964. Not unlike Trafalgar, the layout was designed by the members in two parts during 1965 and ’66. As a result, Moe has two contrasting nines – the outward half covers gently undulating topography, while the back nine is longer with generously wide fairways and some views of nearby Lake Narracan.
Towering native gums cover the course, which boasts very good greens and well-maintained Legends couch fairways. In fact, the fairways had a reputation for being quite poor until a decision was made back in 2001 to introduce the Legends couch, which was nurtured from sprigs planted on the 18th fairway and spread throughout the course. Today, the quality of the fairways is a real highlight of a round here.
The construction of a new dam in the late 2000s to increase the club’s irrigation capacity brought water into play on three holes, including the testing 182-metre par-3 4th hole, which plays slightly shorter than the scorecard suggests. Two of the nine bunkers on the course protect the front of this smallish green.
Pulling out of the car park, it is just a few minutes’ drive to the neighbouring Yallourn Golf Club. Despite its name, the course is not actually in Yallourn (where it was originally located until the early 1960s) but is spread across rolling terrain at Yallourn North.
The club moved to this site in the early 1950s after the State Electricity Commission advised that the land occupied by the Club was needed for expansion the open cut mine. Negotiations with the commission resulted in the club leasing the present site.
The new course was designed by long standing club member Henry Barr, who was the chief surveyor of the commission in the Latrobe Valley. His main principle in creating the layout related to the fact golf, at that time, was considered a winter game, with afternoon rounds common. He routed the course so no player should ever have to look into the sun after playing a shot.
There is no record Barr had any experience in course design, but he certainly created a terrific layout with some holes that would impress the most experienced course architect. Some of the most memorable holes feature on the outward nine with the 355-metre par-4 2nd and the uphill par-3 3rd holes being favourites of this writer. The view from the elevated tee of the par-4 2nd is superb and during the cooler months you can see all the way to the snow-covered peaks of the Baw Baw ranges to the north.
Traralgon Golf Club, which is no more than 25 minutes’ drive east of Yallourn, was a regular stop on the PGA Tour of Australasia in the late 1970s. A young Greg Norman was a two-time winner around the layout in 1978 and ‘79, shooting 11-under-par for four rounds on both occasions.
The club moved to its present site in the late 1930s and Vern Morcom was commissioned to design the layout. It opened for play in 1940 and much of his work has remained unchanged for the past 83 years. In more recent times, however, all the greens have been converted to bentgrass, while Santa Ana couch grass has been introduced to many fairways with great success.
For mine, the par-3s at Traralgon are a standout attraction with the 165-metre 8th being the best of the lot. The prevailing wind here blows from behind and slightly across right-to-left and really can hamper club selection as you contemplate the shot needed to successfully carry the distance from the elevated tee to the green perched on another hill. In between tee and green is a valley with a picturesque pond and, while it doesn’t come into play for good players, it is a magnet for the golfer easily intimidated by water.
Morcom was prolific in designing quality layouts throughout Gippsland, with the likes of Traralgon, Trafalgar, Leongatha and Lakes Entrance all becoming part of his legacy to the game in Victoria. It is testament to his skill that few major changes have been made to any of these layouts during the past 60 to 70 years.
One of Morcom’s contemporaries, Sam Berriman – perhaps best known for his work at Melbourne’s Huntingdale and Southern Golf Clubs – was also attracted to work in Gippsland in 1950.
It was in that year when Sale Golf Club – having been established 50 years earlier – moved to its current location alongside the Latrobe River and a new layout created by Berriman.
Two highlights come early in the round at the 354-metre 4th and 295-metre 5th – both very good par-4s that hug the edge of the river.
The slight dogleg right 4th features out-of-bounds in the wetlands along its entire length to the right, so the conservative line into the left half of the fairway is preferred. At the next, big hitters will like their chances of reaching the green from the tee, but they must contend with deep fairway bunkers that stretch for nearly 50 metres along the edge of the driving zone.
Major changes have been proposed for the Sale course as the club looks at a development opportunity, which will finance a significant upgrade of their course.
Course design team Neil Crafter and Paul Mogford (Golf Strategies) was commissioned to create a masterplan that will see up to six new holes incorporated into a layout of remodelled existing holes.
It is understood the new holes will cover gently undulating terrain covering a natural sandy base featuring some sand dunes, offering views across the adjoining wetlands where black swans, spoonbills and egrets make their home.
DOWN BY THE LAKES
Following the Princes Highway east from Sale will lead you into the heart of the Gippsland Lakes district. A network of lakes, with the largest being Lake Wellington, combine with marshes and lagoons to cover more than 600 square kilometres of the area. Needless to say, the region is a haven for birdlife with more than 20,000 waterbirds calling the lakes home.
Bairnsdale is the largest town in East Gippsland and, depending on the time of year you visit, you can easily mix boating and fishing (spring and summer) or snow-skiing (winter) with a few rounds of golf on the same holiday.
From the beautiful rotunda in the main street of town, it’s about a 15-minute drive south to Eagle Point where you will find the Bairnsdale Golf Club, and some spectacular views of Gippsland Lakes.
The club was formed nearly 120 years ago, but it wasn’t until 1958 that the picturesque Eagle Point site saw the first rounds of golf played.
Today, beautifully maintained couch fairways and some of the best putting surfaces in all of Gippsland make Bairnsdale a must for any golfer visiting the area.
The two par-4s leading away from the clubhouse ease you into the round, before the first significant challenge presents on the 491-metre par-5 3rd hole. There is out-of-bounds well off to the right of the fairway, which will only hinder wild hitters. Of more concern are the fairway bunkers – one on the right of the driving zone and another on the left of the popular lay-up distance from the green. Avoid the pitfalls en route here and you can have a good shot at an early birdie.
The 3rd is followed by arguably the prettiest of Bairnsdale’s holes – a 134-metre par-3 played over the edge of a lake to a green protected left and right by bunkers. It’s a good test of your iron play early in the round.
Bairnsdale’s back nine covers more undulating terrain and it is here where you will get one of the best views of the nearby lakes during your round. The 13th hole, the first of two back nine par-5s, plays slightly shorter than its 503 metres would suggest as it gradually descends to a green, lying just beyond two fairway bunkers and protected by another sand trap short and left. But it is the sight of the beautiful Eagle Point Bay off in the distance you will remember most.
One development taking advantage of the picturesque lakes environment is the marina, golf and waterfront residential community at Metung, about 30 minutes’ drive east of Bairnsdale. What was once over-farmed grazing land has been transformed during the past three decades with more than 15,000 trees planted and several wetlands regenerated.
Central to the greening of the development was the construction of the Metung Country Club (formerly known as Kings Cove Golf Club) – a resort-style nine-hole layout designed by Ted Parslow, who also created the highly acclaimed Murray Downs course near Swan Hill on the Murray River.
The course, which is now under the management of the nearby Metung Hot Springs, features two sets of tees on each of the nine holes offering great variety, with the length and playing lines significantly different during the second lap of the layout.
As one might expect from a modern course, the green complexes here are dynamic with big putting surfaces giving rise to dramatic slopes and tiers. Parslow has used bunkering sparingly in this design, especially along the fairways, but they certainly play their role in protecting most greens.
For mine, Metung’s best is the long par-5 4th/13th hole. As the 4th hole the journey is a mere 524 metres … that is ‘mere’ when you have to cover 563 metres when it is played from the 13th tee. Both are genuine three-shot holes with the green and its surrounds cut off from the fairway by rough. A large scheme of bunkers encroaching from the left edge of the fairway ensure you are just as accurate with your lay-up as you hope to be with your shot to the green.
One of the best layouts in the entire region rounds out any Gippsland golfing journey originating in Melbourne.
Lakes Entrance Golf Club affords players all the sights, smells and sounds of true links golf.
Recently ranked No.88 by this magazine in the Top-100 Public Access Courses in Australia, Lakes Entrance covers a wonderful sandy landscape with high dunes the only thing separating it from the beach and the waters of Bass Strait.
The club moved to this site in 1958. The land was a combination of swamp and undulating sand ridges covered with coastal banksias, wattle and ti-tree – the perfect land for a natural links. The legendary designer Vern Morcom laid out the 18 holes simply by walking the land and driving pegs into the ground to mark the location of tees and greens. The only plans put on paper were the contour drawings for each green.
While some holes were redesigned in the 1980s by Ted Parslow, much of the course still has Morcom’s touch about it. The front nine runs closest to the beach and covers rolling land with several tees elevated on dunes to offer ocean views. The best hole, for mine, is also the toughest at Lakes Entrance. The 418-metre par-4 7th follows the direction of dunes to the right and doglegs left around a small lake that lies on the inside corner of the fairway. On the final approach to the green, the fairway narrows dramatically between the ti-tree.
One hole that regularly plays into the prevailing wind is the 137-metre par-3 15th. A lake between tee and green can be troublesome, as can the bunkers short and long of the wide putting surface. The real test here is getting the club selection correct for the tee shot from an elevated tee into a headwind or crosswind.
WHERE TO PLAY
1. LANG LANG GC
Green fees: $30 (weekdays), $45 (weekends).
2. PHILLIP ISLAND GC
Green fee: $45.
3. AUSSIE GOLF RANCH
Green fees: $23 (nine holes), $17 juniors (Saltwater Creek par-3 course).
4. LEONGATHA GC
Green fee: $50.
5. MIRBOO NORTH GC
Green fee: $20.
www.mirboonorthgolfclub.com.au
6. KORUMBURRA GC
Green fee: $40.
7. MEENIYAN GC
Green fee: $30.
8. YARRAM GOLF CLUB
Green fee: $30.
9. WARRAGUL CC
Green fee: $35.
www.warragulcountryclub.com.au
10. TRAFALGAR GC
Green fee: $35.
11. MOE GC
Green fee: $25.
12. YALLOURN GC
Green fee: $25.
13. TRARALGON GC
Green fee: $30.
14. SALE GC
Green fee: $30.
15. BAIRNSDALE G&BC
Green fee: $48.
16. METUNG CC
Green fee: $30 (18 holes).
17. LAKES ENTRANCE GC
Green fee: $35.
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