After two years of uncertainty brought by pandemic lockdowns and border closures, here is the most comprehensive ranking of the nation’s finest layouts.
4. BARNBOUGLE LOST FARM
Bridport, Tasmania
Designer: Bill Coore (2010).
Average points: 97.31.
2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012 rankings: 4, 5, 4, 3, 4.
Comments: “Lost Farm is a course equal in quality to its older sibling next door. Expertly routed by Bill Coore, the course is wide and manageable in any wind. It presents dramatic tee shots, and asks for thoughtful golf, and many thrilling approaches. The variety and quality of the par-4 holes is really something.” – Matt Mollica.
“The exquisite design incorporating the natural large dunes make for a thrilling round of golf. It’s hard to forget the spectacular 5th and 14th holes, but even those occupying the flatter terrain such as the 2nd and 13th holes offer fun decision making that’ll leave you itching to play them again.” – Michael Green.
“The Bill Coore-designed course plays quite differently to the Dunes course. Playing to more expansive fairways, the continual change in direction allows some relief on blustery days.” – Carl Murphy.
“The course in Australia that tempts you the most. When people talk about risk and reward course design, Lost Farm should be their poster child with a collection of both tee shots and approaches that beautifully balance the lure of a great advantage with the risk of a round destroying triple bogey. Add in some of the cleverest greens you’ll find and it’s a course that will continually entice you back.” – Brian Walshe.
“Lost Farm never disappoints. Beautifully designed where low markers need to find the right part of the fairway to score well, while high handicappers can get around just as easily and enjoy it. A fantastic golf course.” – Kevin Nolan.
“Here, links golf is embodied in true form. A coastal location with sandy earth, fescue grasses, and wide fairways. Just the way to spend a day.” – Cameron Howell.
“One of the best attributes of Lost Farm is the level of enjoyment you can have in all conditions. It is challenging and versatile. Here is a style of design you won’t find anywhere else in Australia executed to perfection.” – DJ Loypur.
“Angles, width, coastal, inland, elevation undulation and flat, this course has got it all. Of all the courses I’ve played this one stays in my head the most.” – Rob Williamson.
“This is Australian golfs answer to modern destination links golf with a slight resort feel. Less rugged than its Dunes sibling but no less beautiful. Make sure you play all 20 holes and save a nearest to pin wager for the short par-3 20th. The crowd at the sports bar will usually be there to give you a warm golfing welcome.” – Ross Flannigan.
“It's Barnbougle tradition to play both courses, sit in the Lost Farm clubhouse, eat pizza and debate which course is Simon and which is Garfunkel. It shouldn't be surprising how often Lost Farm comes out on top.” – Adrian Logue.
3. BARNBOUGLE DUNES
Bridport, Tasmania
Designers: Tom Doak & Mike Clayton (2004).
Average points: 97.5
2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012 rankings: 3, 2, 2, 2, 3.
Comments: “Barnbougle Dunes, and adjoining Lost Farm, is the best value golf experience in the land. As the courses gained their national and international reputations, owner Richard Sattler, has resisted the temptation to disproportionally increase the green fees, the accommodation rates, and the cost of food and fine wine. He could probably double it all over night and it would remain inexpensive by world standards. And we would all still keep coming back.” – Craig Read.
“The older I get, the more I find myself identifying the greatest courses by their life-affirming best holes than the weaker holes that may have been necessary to connect them. Only Royal Melbourne’s West Course has more great holes in Australia.” – Scott Warren.
“A golf experience to feed your soul like the excellent seafood chowder that feeds your belly.” – Adrian Logue.
“Australian golf’s Field of Dreams. Build it and they will come has proven to be the case for the course that changed the game for both golf course architecture and public golf in Australia. Tom Doak and Mike Clayton built a raft of holes that are not only some of the best in the country but are the equal to anything overseas. The 7th shows that you don’t need to have a 450-metre par-4 to scare golfers, in fact a par-3 that is often no more than a flick with a wedge can be absolutely terrifying.” – Brian Walshe.
“Every time I go to Barnbougle Dunes I get excited and I'm never let down. There are so many great shots to play, so many wonderful chips and putts to stimulate your brain while the rest of your senses get an overload from the surroundings. It's just a wonderful place to play golf.” – Kevin Nolan.
“I am not sure this place can get any better – the variety, playability and fun that it provides is world class. You can score as quickly as the course can bring you to your knees – the right spots to hit it are there on every hole. I could play this course every day.” – Troy Scott.
“Barnbougle Dunes has amazing natural green complexes, while great strategic qualities are the course’s hallmarks.”– Matt Mollica.
2. CAPE WICKHAM LINKS
King Island, Tasmania
Designers: Darius Oliver and Mike DeVries (2015).
Average points: 98.07
2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012 rankings: 2, 2, 2, 2, 3.
Comments: “Dramatic, remote, true links destination golf of the highest global standard.” – Ross Flannigan.
“This is an absolute masterpiece on the north coast of King Island – playability in just about any weather (we got the best and worse during our visit) is evidence of how good the design is.” – Troy Scott.
“There’s not a soft hole to be seen at Cape Wickham, not a blade of grass out of place. This is a paradise with a cool breeze.” – Peter Martin.
“Every shot you hit at Cape Wickham is like playing into a postcard. There is no better golfing experience in the country.” – DJ Loypur.
“I’ve never come across a piece of land so ideally suited for the building of a golf course. This serene links is perched on the rugged King Island coast, and represents a true paradise for those willing to take on the challenge.” – Cameron Howell.
“Cape Wickham continues to rightly receive critical acclaim around the world. The sensible and sophisticated design accommodates the diverse and sometimes strong winds. Shot after shot is thrilling and the course is visually spectacular.” – Matt Mollica.
“Cape Wickham is the only course in Australia capable of knocking Royal Melbourne’s West Course of its perch as the premier layout in the country. The firmly presented fescue surfaces are brilliant to play off, especially around the greens where every club in the bag comes into play. This is such a fun course to play.” – Rich Macafee.
1. ROYAL MELBOURNE GC – WEST COURSE
Black Rock, Victoria
Designers: Dr Alister MacKenzie (1931); Tom Doak (ongoing).
Average points: 99.86.
2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012 rankings: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1.
Comments: “Royal Melbourne West is 18 holes of pure golf delight testing every club in the bag and every shot in your arsenal. The joy of finding solutions to all the questions the course asks never gets old. Indeed, some of these questions are rarely asked on other courses around the world, let alone Australia.” – Michael Green.
“Simply as good as golf gets in Australia. Sublime architecture matched by great conditioning and wonderful vegetation management … it has width, amazing green complexes and some of the best bunkering on the planet. One of the few courses anywhere that still asks questions of the world’s best but is playable by all.” – Brian Walshe.
“The golfer who doesn’t feel emotionally stirred when they golf at Royal Melbourne beneath these clear blue skies and with the ti tree fragrance in his nostrils is one who should be ruled out of golf for life.” – Cameron Howell.
“The architecture at Royal Melbourne West is without peer, as is the leadership shown by Australia's premier golf course – sustainable maintenance practices, native heath regeneration, a duty of care for its public golf neighbour Sandy Links, preservation and restoration of its own historic layout. A course and club that all Australian golf courses can take their lead from.” – Adrian Logue.
“The scale, grasses, vegetation, architecture and buzz of Royal Melbourne is always there. So many fun shots to try and play, if you are good enough. The recent vegetation management with some ti tree removal has improved playing lines and encouraged wildflowers to grow.” – James Bennett.
“Royal Melbourne’s ongoing attention to detail on the West course provides a valuable lesson to clubs that dream of challenging it for plaudits: the job is never over when absolute excellence is the goal.” – Scott Warren.
“A true masterpiece.” – DJ Loypur.
“Royal Melbourne West has gone from strength-to-strength in the past decade. It is one of the world’s best courses, and the premier layout in the Southern Hemisphere. The stretch from the 2nd to 7th is perhaps the best string of half a dozen holes on Earth.” – Matt Mollica.
“Will always be No.1. The end.” – Rob Williamson.
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