The Great Golf Weekend Guide Part I

BARNBOUGLE, TASMANIA

Barnbougle is one of Australia’s, if not the world’s, great golf destinations.

The dramatic Dunes layout, beautifully designed by Tom Doak and Mike Clayton, and Bill Coore’s outstanding Lost Farm course are both listed highly among the best courses on the planet. Then there is the newest addition – the 14-hole Bougle Run short course – which joined its longer neighbours in Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking earlier this year.

When Barnbougle Dunes opened in 2004, some questioned its viability saying it was too isolated to attract enough golfers to succeed. Those critics have since been well and truly silenced. Its subsequent success has been based on the model of providing world-class golf on spectacular land and, no matter how isolated, golfers will come.

The 2010 opening of Barnbougle Lost Farm next door further transformed the six-kilometre stretch of north Tassie coastline into a powerhouse golf destination because it appeals to golfers far and wide as both courses fully complement each other.

While both offer their own spectacular golfing attributes and visually striking memories, a poll of golfers who have played both would probably find the votes almost split down the middle as to which course was their favourite.

Where Dunes offers one visually dramatic hole after another, Lost Farm combines the spectacular with holes that place the highest possible value on good strategy and shot execution from tee-to-green.

Dunes is a brilliant layout that encapsulates all that is fun and challenging about links golf.

A round opens with a strong par-5 and par-4 combination, but the real fun begins at the 271-metre par-4 4th, which is known as ‘Homestead’ as the ruins of the original Barnbougle homestead lie beneath the dunes here. The prevailing wind is into your face, but long hitters might be tempted into smashing a drive over a massive bunker on the right edge of the fairway in a bid to find the punchbowl green. It is a huge risk, but the reward is an almost certain birdie if your drive is long enough.

The course winds back to the clubhouse from the 5th tee onwards, with each fairway occupying a corridor beneath and between large dunes. These corridors rise and fall with the natural lie of the dunes land creating a real test for each player’s shot-making ability.

The inward nine is more open but the fairways and greens are easily more affected by the undulating terrain they have been laid upon.

Some of the best and most interesting holes on the back nine cover the most striking topography. For example, the long par-3 13th features a massive, dramatically undulating green that is purely an extension of the rippled fairway. The dramatic putting surface demands a tee shot that needs to finish on the same level as the flag, at the very least not above the cup, or there is every chance you could three- or four-putt.

Unlike Dunes where many of the fairways twist and turn across the flattest land between high sand hills, Lost Farm’s fairways weave through much wider valleys. On the 253-metre par-4 3rd, for example, the fairway is wider than a four-lane highway, but the key is hitting to the right part of the expanse to get the best approach into the angled green. Arguably the best line is to get your tee shot, with a long iron or hybrid, into the right half of the fairway and perhaps onto a raised shelf, which offers a flat lie for the second shot. Into the wind, a well-struck driver might be needed from the tee to find this position.

The 3rd is one of several fun short holes Coore has incorporated into his design. The 124-metre par-3 4th hole is as stunning in its design as the 3rd is strategic. With a tee sitting above the beach, the hole runs along the edge of a sand dune to a huge rolling green on a point, with the ocean to the right and the mouth of the Forester River behind. The exposed nature of the hole may demand anything from a wedge in still conditions to a mid-iron from the tee when the prevailing winds are at their strongest. The tee shot must carry a deep bunker near the green, while other sand traps left and right catch out misguided shots.

And just when you thought you had played enough golf in a weekend, there is Bougle Run.

The 14-hole layout – consisting of 12 par-3s and two short par-4s –and has proven as popular as its big brother and sister. Designed by Bill Coore, Bougle Run is great fun, and some are already calling it the best short course in the world. Time will tell.

Coore’s ingenious design walks the tightrope of not being too hard for beginners and casual golfers, while remaining fun and challenging for the better player. In fact, the shortest tee on every hole has been purposely located to allow players to use a putter only.

While the golf at Barnbougle is unmistakably world class, the quality of the accommodation, the incredible food and wine as well as the amazing setting seduce you back time and time again.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION: Bridport, Tasmania.

HOW TO GET THERE: Barnbougle is about 70 minutes’ drive north-east of Launceston. Airport transfer bookings can be made via Barnbougle’s website. Several private airline charters fly direct to Barnbougle from Melbourne’s Moorabbin and Essendon Airports. Again, enquiries can be made via Barnbougle’s website.

GREEN FEES: $149 (18 holes, high season October 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024), $180 (all day golf, one course), $230 (all day golf, two courses). $95 (14 holes, Bougle Run).

WHERE TO STAY: Barnbougle offers several accommodation options including luxury villas, The Dunes Cottages as well as suites in Lost Farm Lodge.

The lodge will have you waking up right on the golf course with stunning views across the Lost Farm layout and the coast. Each of the single and double queen suites is just a short walk from the Lodge Restaurant, Sports bar, spa, clubhouse and, of course, the 1st tee.

The 22 two-bedroom Dunes cottages include a deck with outdoor seating and stunning views of the Dunes course and coastline.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK: The Lost Farm Restaurant has views of the course and coast that are as stunning as the food, most of which is Tasmanian sourced. There is also a very generous selection of fine Tasmanian and Australian wines from the cellar.

If you head into Bridport, check out the Sugar N’ Spice Bakery and if you are partial to a good pie, try the scallop mornay pie.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Seven of Australia’s best cool climate vineyards are a short drive away from Barnbougle. Piper Brook is world renowned for its premium cool climate wines, while next door neighbour Jansz, is home to one of Australia’s most popular sparkling wines. The Dalrymble Vineyard is across the road, while other nearby vineyards include Delamere, Brook Eden, Clover Hill and Bay of Fires.

WEBSITE: www.barnbougle.com.au 

MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VICTORIA

Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula offers a smorgasbord of golfing delights with nearly 20 courses spread across the region, many of which are ranked in Australia’s Top-100 Courses.

One weekend getaway we recommend will have you playing, eating, and sleeping in The Cups, an area of the Peninsula once described by five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson as “Mother Nature’s gift to golf.”

The Cups is just 40 minutes’ drive south of Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs via the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, which means an early Friday afternoon tee time is not out of the question.

Having left your luggage and checked in to the Peppers Moonah Links Resort, you can be standing on the 1st tee of the nearby Open Course within minutes.

Originally designed to host the Australian Open on a regular rotation, the Peter Thomson, Mike Wolveridge and Ross Perrett creation was routed over, through and around rolling sand dunes that are a real feature of this Cups region of the Peninsula.

For the average golfer, the Open layout provides a stiff, but fair, challenge. Thomson liked to refer to the Open Course as a “leviathan” and, indeed, at 6,783 metres from the championship markers it can be a monster. The peninsula is no stranger to strong winds and the Open Course really bares its teeth on such days.

There are more than 80 bunkers scattered across the layout but arguably the toughest hole on the course has no sand at all. From the tips, the par-4 6th measures 403 metres and follows a valley between dunes left and right as it gradually rises to the green. On a calm day the 6th green is a strong drive and a long- or mid-iron away but as the hole runs in a south-westerly direction, into the prevailing wind, it becomes a real brute when there is any hint of a breeze. During the final round of the 2005 Australian Open, few players could reach the green here, but Rod Pampling was successful hitting two full-blooded drivers into the middle of the putting surface.

Conversely, the closing hole – a 582-metre par-5 – is a minefield of bunkers. There are 11 cavernous bunkers lying in the fairway between tee and green. The fairway has also been crafted so its contours feed rolling balls towards some of the sandy pits.

The neighbouring Legends Course – where every hole has been named after an Australian Open Champion – opens with a series of holes that rise and fall through valleys and in between long and dense stretches of ancient Moonah trees.

The course then takes on a new complexion as the Moonah trees thin out and wild, rugged bunkering and high sand dunes stand alongside gently rolling fairways.

Very little earth was moved in the creation of the Legends layout, which offers the impression it has been in the ground far longer than just two decades. Perrett’s routing follows the pitch and roll of the land, sticking to the low ground wherever possible, while the bunkering is not only intimidating but adds to the visual appeal of the course.

The Legends layout is home to one of the best short par-4s in Australia. The 272-metre 11th hole is a driveable two-shotter named after South African legend, Bobby Locke. Six bunkers can be found en route, with three near the huge putting surface, while the edges of the green slope towards its middle. The subtle slopes of the green can be difficult to read, which Locke would have enjoyed.

Moonah Links has a lengthy list of impressive neighbouring courses (three of which we will cover in the next issue of Golf Australia) but for this getaway we chose the Tom Doak-designed St Andrews Beach, a few minutes’ drive south of Moonah Links.

This was Doak’s second Australian design behind Barnbougle Dunes and it didn’t disappoint when it opened for play in 2005. Nearly two decades on, it is ranked No.4 in Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Public Access Courses in the country.

Doak created a course with plenty of space, making it very playable and enjoyable for all golfers. For the better player the key is in the playing lines from the tees and the angles those lines subsequently leave into the greens. Some holes are wide open and exposed; others funnel between dunes or between stands of untouched vegetation.

The bunkering is wild and rugged, while the often-dramatic green complexes gather or repel a bouncing approach shot depending on the line of attack.

The American’s minimalist design philosophy where you simply tweak what nature has provided has given rise to some outstanding holes at St Andrews Beach.

For example, when a natural split-level fairway was exposed by clearing scrub, Doak turned it into a brilliant short par-4. The 276-metre 14th features a tiny green – by modern standards – sitting at the end of a wide, split-level fairway and is surrounded on three sides by dunes. The right side of the putting surface features a steep drop off, which can repel a miss-hit nearly 15 metres down a hill into high, wispy rough. This is a wonderful hole that can be played three or four different ways and all result in the same score.

You won’t find this hole, or any of the other 17 holes, anywhere else on the Peninsula or anywhere else in the world for that matter. St Andrews Beach is a wonderful original. 

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION: The Cups, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.

HOW TO GET THERE: The Cups is about 40 minutes’ drive south of Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs via the Mornington Peninsula Freeway.

GREEN FEES: Moonah Links – $125 (18 holes, October 1 to April 30), $250 (all day play). St Andrews Beach – $105 (18 holes).

WHERE TO STAY: Peppers Moonah Links Resort is located between the Open and Legends Courses, just a short walk from the clubhouse.

This stylish resort has landscaped garden views outside your deluxe room or suite, while Pebbles Restaurant offers an exceptional dining experience with a modern Australian menu and course vistas.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK: The Mornington Peninsula is a wine-growing region with at least 50 wineries and just as many cellar doors, so it shouldn’t shock you to discover there are plenty of first-class dining options here, especially at Red Hill, an easy 20-minute drive away. Here you will find acclaimed and award-winning restaurants including Ten Minutes By Tractor, The Epicurean Red Hill and the brilliant Tedesca Osteria.

If you’re looking for somewhere closer to the resort, the St Andrews Beach Brewery is perfect. The property here once housed nearly 80 thoroughbred horses in its stables including champions Makybe Diva, Mummify and Alinghi. Today, the brewery is the centrepiece and has gained a reputation for great beers and seltzers, as well as a wonderful restaurant menu.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Immerse yourself in geothermal mineral springs at Peninsula Hot Springs, which can be found next door to Moonah Links. Geothermal mineral springs contain various healing properties that contribute significantly to your overall health and wellbeing, which might be in order after a weekend of golf.

WEBSITES: www.moonahlinks.com.au; www.standrewsbeachgolf.com.au. 

HUNTER VALLEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

The Hunter Valley seemingly has all the bases covered for a great golf weekend away.

Foodies can certainly rejoice, while lovers of good vino are spoilt for choice in this world-renowned wine-growing region. And golfers don’t miss out either, with three terrific courses to be found right in the heart of the area.

Appropriately named for the region, The Vintage Golf Resort has been satisfying golfer’s palates with its mix of challenging holes and beautifully manicured playing surfaces for more than two decades.

Designed by Greg Norman and Bob Harrison, the land where the par-72 layout now lies was first earmarked for a championship course back in 1983. But the course did not get the green light for construction until 2000 when massive financial backing was secured, and the $450 million golf course resort and residential community project became a reality.

The significant budget afforded to the design team allowed them to extract the best possible holes from a landscape that varies from relatively flat to dramatically undulating. Where possible, native trees on the property were kept and several small creeks and waterholes were incorporated into the course routing, which follows the traditional two loops of nine holes.

The back nine offers the greatest variety of holes and, as a result, is arguably the most fun to play. Two favourite holes on the inward half are at either end of the spectrum in terms of distance.

The 552-metre par-5 10th is the longest hole at The Vintage but the first two thirds of the fairway are downhill. The remainder of the hole is dominated by a lake to the left and a steep sloping fairway that rises to a green lying just beyond a cliff overlooking the lake.

At 331 metres, there is nothing too gruelling about the journey from tee to green on the par-4 13th. But you must be accurate and avoid the line of five bunkers wedged between the fairway and tree line to the right, and the wetland flanking the short grass to the left. The putting surface here slopes markedly from right-to-left and is far more receptive to short iron approach shots flying in from the left half of the fairway. If the flag is in the left half of this green, take aim at the right half of the green and watch your ball feed around to the flag.

The Vintage’s nearest golfing neighbour, just a few minutes’ drive south into the heart of the Pokolbin wine growing area, is the extensively renovated Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort.

Cypress Lakes quickly established itself as one of the country’s best golf resorts after opening in 1992 but the 2000s saw a gradual decline in the quality of the golf course, designed by American Steve Smyers in collaboration with former Aussie touring pro Bob Stanton.

But the past decade has seen Cypress Lakes re-emerge as one of this country’s best golf resorts with a new owner investing heavily in the course. Designer James Wilcher oversaw upgrades to the layout, including an expansive bunker restoration program, while the overall condition of the course dramatically improved and led to Cypress Lakes re-entering Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Public Access Course ranking in 2019 after almost a ten-year absence.

One hole that has changed little since the early 1990 and is arguably the most memorable and visually impressive offering at Cypress Lakes, is the 491-metre par-5 6th. From an elevated tee you get a nice view over vines in front of the tee and then beyond to the fairway and further afield to nearby vineyards. From one of the high points of the course, you can send your drive into orbit and gaze, as it appears to stay in the air forever, before hitting the wide fairway below. The fairway then rises sharply, past staggered fairway bunkers right and left, up to a smallish green that is protected by more bunkers short left and to the right.

Some of Wilcher’s finest renovation work can be seen with the bunkering on the 17th and 18th holes. The large sandy pits dividing the split-level fairway on the par-4 17th have never looked better, while the new fairway traps in the left half of the 18th fairway have added some bite to the closing hole.

Not as widely acclaimed as its more famous neighbours, but equally as busy with players, Hunter Valley Golf Club, operated by Rydges Resorts, is as hidden a secret as it can be when located on one of the main roads through the valley.

The layout is a shorter but still challenging layout compared to the bigger nearby courses. Tight and challenging from the tee, you are best served by packing a GPS here as some of the hazards, not easily spotted from the tee, are easily reachable and potentially harmful to a player’s score. Longer players may take less than driver for safety off many of the tees at Hunter Valley, but the chance to open the shoulders and take on the challenge is available to all players and good shots are rewarded.

A tale of two nines, the front and back sides are very different at Hunter Valley. While the first few holes can lull golfers into a feeling of comfort with their short length and relatively straight forward approach shots, a sudden turn of very difficult holes comes in the stretch of holes 7, 8 and 9. Long and testing all three holes on their own are a stern test but together make for a strong examination midway through your round.

The back nine is longer and is reflected in playing three shots higher to par. Again, driving the ball is key to scoring well, with heavily packed stands of trees lining many of the fairways.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION: Hunter Valley, New South Wales.

HOW TO GET THERE: Pokolbin, in the heart of the Hunter Valley, is 90 minutes’ drive north of the entry to the M1 motorway in Sydney’s northern suburbs.

GREEN FEES: The Vintage – $130 (18 holes, weekday), $160 (weekend) inc. cart; Cypress Lakes – $95 (18 holes, Mon-Thurs), $120 (Fri-Sun) inc. cart; Hunter Valley GC – $70 (18 holes, weekday), $80 (weekend) inc. cart.

WHERE TO STAY: All three courses have on-site accommodation. Chateau Elan at The Vintage has 100 guestrooms, offering a variety of options from one- and two-bedroom villas that overlook the course to suites with easy access to the award-winning spa.

Cypress Lakes Resort is just 10 minutes’ drive south, passing some of the biggest winery names in the district – including Bimbadgen, Roche, Brokenwood, Hope and McGuigan – along the way. The resort has well-appointed one-, two- and three-bedroom villas overlooking the course and set against a stunning backdrop of the Brokenback Range.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK: There are 83 cellar doors in the Hunter Valley, with nearly half of those within proximity to Pokolbin where you will find The Vintage and Cypress Lakes.

The Two Fat Blokes gourmet kitchen has great coffee as well as beautiful cakes and slices. You can also sample local cheese paired with superb wines.

The Legends Restaurant at The Vintage is a memorable dining experience with a menu focused on seasonal and local produce (we can recommend the Black Angus scotch fillet steak) all enjoyed with a glass or two of one of the Hunter’s finest wines.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Between October and March, the valley hosts ‘Day on the Green’ concerts featuring well known musicians, which have included Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Midnight Oil, Simple Minds and Crowded House.

WEBSITES: www.chateauelan.com.au;www.cypresslakes.com.au;
www.rydgesresorthuntervalley.com.au.

FLEURIEU PENINSULA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

As you can see from the previous handful of pages, good wine and good golf seem to go hand in hand. Look at any map showcasing the best wine-growing regions in Australia, and you will undoubtedly find quality golf nearby.

Another case in point is the famous McLaren Vale wine region, which lies at the northern gateway of the popular Fleurieu Peninsula, just 60 minutes’ drive from Adelaide’s CBD.

Your first tee time should be at Mt Compass Golf Course, which is just a short drive from many of the McLaren Vale cellar doors.

Brian Crafter was commissioned to design the layout back in the early 1990s, but he passed soon after. His son, Neil, took over the project and the course was completed in 1998.Crafter had excellent land to work with. The deep sand base, which was left alone across much of the property, made it ideal for him to create some wonderful bunkers. There are more than 80 bunkers scattered throughout the layout. Some have a rough, natural appearance like those found on the right edge of the 1st fairway and behind the 6th green, while others are of the smaller pot bunker style but these penal traps have been used sparingly.

Crafter created some very good risk-and-reward holes with the best of them, in this writer’s opinion, being the par-5 10th. Two long and straight blows here can set up an eagle or easy birdie to open the back nine. Most of the 10th fairway can be seen from the elevated tee. The fairway is cut in two at the bottom of the hill in front of the tee. However, it is 290 metres to the end of the first stretch of fairway and, from here, 150-metres up to the elevated green, which sits diagonally to your approach. Seven bunkers, some impenetrable long felt grass and native banksias line the final approach. Any player looking for the green in two had better be on their game as a wild approach shot will be heavily punished.

After new owners took over in 2016, Neil Crafter was recommissioned to renovate the layout which has since been elevated into Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking.

One course that has never missed a spot in that ranking is Links Lady Bay Resort, which is a 35-minute drive south-west at Normanville. In the latest public access ranking published earlier this year, Links Lady Bay and Mt Compass were ranked No.31 and No.38 respectively.

Links Lady Bay covers a coastal plain wedged between rolling hills and the waters of the Gulf of St Vincent and is routed in two loops of nine holes that head out from the luxury resort, which overlooks the front nine. Each hole runs in a different direction to the previous, which challenges the golfer to become a keen judge of the ever-present breeze.

The 339-metre par-4 4th is one of Lady Bay’s most memorable holes. Flanked by steep hills to the left and beyond the green, this hole runs across the highest section of the outward half and offers views of the course, an adjoining vineyard, and the gulf. After playing a blind drive over a gentle rise, you are faced with an interesting approach shot to an L-shaped green. For mine, the green is a little too dramatically shaped, but it does place a premium on club selection and accuracy. The pin placement on the green will certainly affect your approach. When the hole is towards the back, accuracy is so important as the green narrows considerably. When the pin is forward, club selection is paramount with a small creek and a bunker coming into play at the front of the putting surface. Leaving your approach in the wrong section of the green is a major blunder here.

The best par-3 at Lady Bay, and one of the best in South Australia, is the 197-metre 17th. It is a beautiful hole. With the coastline off in the distance and tufted grasses swaying in the breeze and shimmering between tee and green, you feel immediately transported to the great links of Ireland.Played into a westerly, a full-blooded drive might be required to reach the green. Downwind, though, bouncing a mid-iron in short and letting it run to the flag is recommended. There are no hazards in front of the green, but disaster can be found right of the putting surface where several deep bunkers lay hidden.

After your round, you can sit in the resort bar and look over the course and perhaps enjoy the sunset over St Vincent Gulf.

The Wirrina Cove Golf & Country Club is only a 10-minute drive south of Lady Bay and it too offers spectacular views over the gulf … and is home to a wonderful set of par-3s.

Many golfers might prefer the opening one-shotter—the 148-metre downhill 4th hole – because it boasts a look that is not dissimilar to Augusta National’s famous 12th hole.

But for a stern challenge, it is the penultimate hole – a 186-metre excursion across one of the highest points of the course, which makes it susceptible to the wind blowing off the gulf. When the prevailing wind really blows here some may need a driver to reach the green, which is protected by two bunkers left and another short right.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION: Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.

HOW TO GET THERE: Mt Compass is a 60-minute drive south of the Adelaide CBD. Links Lady Bay and Wirrina Cove are a further 35- and 45-minutes’ drive respectively.

GREEN FEES: Mt Compass – $65 (18 holes, weekday),$75 (weekend); Links Lady Bay – $50 (18 holes, weekday), $65 (weekend); Wirrina Cove G&CC – $35 (18 holes, weekday), $45 (weekend).

WHERE TO STAY: Lady Bay Resort has 28 luxurious one-bedroom spa suites with large corner spas and private balconies, which offer spectacular views across the course to St Vincent Gulf.

The three-star BreakFree Wirrina Cove Resort has 87 rooms with stunning views over the course and beyond to Wirrina Cove.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK: The Lady Bay Resort Restaurant and Bar is outstanding. From here you can take in the beautiful surroundings while diving into scrumptious offerings from the menu.

The Forktree Brewery at Carrickalinga, about 10 minutes’ drive north of Lady Bay, has a diverse menu easily washed down with some equally impressive beers, like the Sunset Red Ale.

In McLaren Vale, the D’Arenburg Cube and Winery is not just an eating and drinking experience in the five-storey cube that towers over the surrounding vineyard. Of course, there is a tasting room, a blending room and, among a range of exhibits, a display of Salvador Dali bronze sculptures.

If you’re after some sustenance between rounds, the Yankalilla Bakery is an absolute must. You won’t miss with any of the pies, but the chunky pepper steak pie is recommended.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Take an aerial tour of McLaren Vale and the Fleurieu Peninsula with Helivista Helicopter tours. Wine and lunch packages or 30-minute scenic flight options are available.

WEBSITES: www.mcgc.com.au; www.linksladybay.com.au; www.newterry.com.au.

BELLARINE PENINSULA, VICTORIA

It’s only in the past half dozen years that the rest of the golfing world has started to discover what ‘golfers in the know’ have kept secret for a long time – Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula is among the best golf holiday destinations this country has to offer.

The rising popularity of the VicOpen has certainly shone a spotlight on the region, particularly the courses closest to the tournament venue Thirteenth Beach, on the south, or ocean, side of the peninsula (these courses will be covered in Part II of the guide). But this is only scratching the surface of what the region has to offer golfers, who will find a wonderful mix of quality courses across the Port Phillip Bay side of the peninsula.

Victoria’s second largest city, Geelong, lies at the gateway to the peninsula and an easy 20-minute drive east of the CBD will have you ready to tee up at Curlewis Golf Club – the most improved course in the region in recent years.

It’s no coincidence that the course’s resurgence began in July 2015 when local winery owners, Lyndsay and David Sharp, bought the club and injected millions of dollars into upgrading the layout. This included retaining the design services of Mike Clayton, who had already been consulting to the club for more than a decade. His advice over the years has been minimalist rather than massive overhaul. Bunkers have been added, some greens remodelled, trees removed and some subtle tweaks including the realignment of some tees made. More recently, a selection of holes has been redesigned, while the nines have been reversed. Flipping the nines doesn’t always work, but it has at Curlewis with its best holes now coming into play on the inward half and playing a more important role in the outcome of your round.

All this design tweaking has seen Curlewis climb to an all-time high at No.21 in Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Public Access Courses for 2023.

“There have been some fantastic changes made here in recent years. The best work has come on what is now the back nine, with improvements to holes like the 10th, 11th and the short par-4 18th hole. Throw in the always interesting 12th and you have all the elements for an unforgettable round,” Top-100 judge, Hamish Walker, said.

One of Curlewis’ most memorable holes now plays as the 12th and is one of the best short par-4s in the state. The 308-metre two-shotter plays atop a ridge with views to the nearby You Yangs granite ridges on the other side of nearby Corio Bay. There’s out-of-bounds close to the left edge of the fairway and a fallaway towards the 4th hole if you stray too far right. The hole is driveable in the prevailing sou’wester, but you’d better be able to thread the needle on a tilting fairway with multiple bunkers in play.

Continuing the journey east, Portarlington Golf Club is another 20 minutes’ drive along the C123 to the northern tip of the Peninsula.

Portarlington is one of the oldest clubs on the Bellarine, having celebrated its centenary in 2009, but it has never been better to play. Its year-on-year improvement was vindicated earlier this year when the course made its debut in Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking.

Renowned architect Tony Cashmore oversaw major changes to the course, which included the upgrading of all fairways to Santa Ana couch grass, the rebuilding of several greens as well as the reshaping of fairways and bunkers.

Portarlington is a little slice of the Sandbelt on the Bellarine. Several bunkers would look right at home at Kingston Heath, while the small greens and occasional stands of imposing pine trees are reminiscent of the top Melbourne courses.

The design is solid, but the presentation of its fairways is the showstopper. Any Sandbelt course would be proud of these surfaces.

The run home from the Sandbelt-esque 12th hole is strong. The 13th is a 241-metre par-4 that is so tempting it almost forces you into hitting driver from the tee, with the two strongest par-4s on the course following it. The 18th is a deceptive 318-metre downhiller, where squeezing a drive between the left tree line and a small pond fronting the green is hard to do.

At the eastern edge of the peninsula is Queenscliff Golf Club, one of the genuine hidden golfing gems of Victorian golf which also carries some of the highest security to be found entering a golf club.

Why? It sits on Department of Defence land on Swan Island. Before you are allowed to cross the bridge to the golf course, an officious man in a fluorescent jacket will ask you where you’re going and will instruct you not to take any other roads on the island nor take photographs. It makes you wonder what the secret must be.

Turns out it’s the golf course itself. Well, it could be if someone invested some money into it because Queenscliff has the makings of a glorious seaside.

Several holes run to the edges of Swan Island and give golfers a clear picture of how the island got its name, as a multitude of black swans are usually visible in neighbouring Swan Bay. The site has some gentle undulations perfect for golf and a collection of gorgeous cypress trees that are hallmarks of some of the grandest venues in the game.

As it stands, Queenscliff still offers a wonderful place to play. Its best hole is also its toughest, the 387-metre 6th hole, a par-4 with a saddle-shaped fairway and a green positioned near the edge of the island. The next, a 279-metre par-4, is also memorable with Swan Bay running along the left edge of the fairway, but the best angle for the pitch to the green is from right alongside this hazard.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION: Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria.

HOW TO GET THERE: Geelong, at the western edge of the Bellarine Peninsula, is a 70-minute drive southwest of Melbourne’s CBD.

GREEN FEES: Curlewis GC – $75 (18 holes, weekday), $85 (weekend); Portarlington GC – $55 (18 holes, weekday), $65 (weekend); Queenscliff GC – $50 (18 holes, weekday), $60 (weekend).

WHERE TO STAY: Curlewis added to its wonderful golf course by opening a new clubhouse and adjoining accommodation in 2022. No expense was spared in creating the wonderful clubhouse, which lies a short pitch from Eco-suite installations – boasting Signature, Premium Bay, Premium Fairway and Eagle rooms. These are nestled amidst a native landscape, overlooking the golf course and on towards Corio Bay.

Stay and play packages, starting from $375, are available and include 18 holes for two people as well as breakfast for two at Claribeaux.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK: Claribeaux in the Curlewis clubhouse is already an award winner, despite only being opened for a short period. The French influence is obvious with starters including escargot persillade and steak tartare, followed by mains like chicken Cordon Bleu or a vanilla and rhubarb crème brulee to finish. As you might expect given the ownership, careful attention has been paid to the extensive Australian and international wine list.

If you’re in need of a coffee and something yummy in between rounds, the historic Portarlington Bakehouse is the place. It is a traditional bakery where you can get very good bacon and egg roll, a quality coffee and an impressively thick vanilla slice to go.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Step back in time at the Bellarine Railway, which offers steam and diesel train rides between Queenscliff and Drysdale on a unique collection of trains originating from around Australia. Scenic train trips along Swan Bay depart from Queenscliff Station, on most Sundays and public holidays.

WEBSITES: www.curlewisgolf.com.au; www.portarlingtongolf.com.au;
www.queenscliffgolfclub.com.au.

YARRA VALLEY, VICTORIA

Victoria’s Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s most acclaimed, and oldest, wine-growing regions.

As we have seen already in this feature, where there are vineyards there is bound to be a golf course nearby.

High quality golf is a relative newcomer to the Yarra Valley with some of the game’s most-acclaimed course designers only being drawn to the area during the past 25 years.

One of those designers was Greg Norman, who officially opened the 27 holes – and adjoining nine-hole par-3 Shark Waters course – at The Eastern Golf Club.

In creating The Eastern, Norman’s design team carefully considered the prevailing winds as well as the elevation changes within the property to route the layout in all directions. This led to the creation of a host of memorable holes, while also taking advantage of some fabulous views of the nearby Christmas Hills and beyond to the Great Dividing Range in the east and the Dandenongs to the south. Each loop of nine holes is routed to start and finish in front of the elevated clubhouse, which offers commanding views over the property.

The fairways are generously wide with strategically located bunkering to challenge and reward the best placed shots. The bunkering is typical of the style Norman has employed across a range of other course projects, while the T1 bentgrass greens vary in shape and size throughout. The greenside bunkering combines with tightly mown couch surrounds to place a premium on approach shot accuracy.

There are three 18-hole combinations to play – the South (1-18), North (10-27) and East Courses (19-9) – with the South Course being rated No.54 in Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Courses ranking for 2022. The North Course finished just two spots outside the Top-100.

The South Course covers some easy walking terrain as well as elevated ground where the holes follow the broad slopes that were there long before golf holes covered the landscape.

For pure aesthetics it’s hard to go past the 9th and 18th holes, which feature tees at the foot of the ranges, with sweeping views over the course and surrounding farmland towards Lilydale and Coldstream. Both holes take advantage of a right-to-left sloping bowl, presenting a choice to either funnel your ball down the slope and be faced with a much shorter (but more challenging) second shot up a significant elevation, or play it safe out to the right and maintain your commanding position above the hole, albeit with a longer shot in.

The Eastern Golf Club is a private members’ club. However, interstate and visitors (who are golf club members) as well as guests at the adjoining Yering Gorge Cottages are welcome to enquire about tee times.

As the crow flies, The Heritage Golf & Country Club – a 36-hole complex with courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tony Cashmore – is just a few kilometres to the southwest of The Eastern.

Having opened for play in 2000, the St John Course is the first Nicklaus ‘Signature’ course built in Australia and is separated from the Cashmore created, Henley Course, by the tranquil, meandering waters of the Yarra River.

Nicklaus’ unerring golfing instincts are evident throughout the lengthy St John’s layout, which combines challenge with natural beauty. Boasting impeccable greens flanked by artfully conceived bunkers that complement the rolling fairways.

The Henley is an inland links-style layout and offers a stark contrast to the American parkland-style St John course. Henley features predominantly rolling fairways, wild rugged bunkering and massive sloping greens.

It is a wonderful location. The vast river floodplain, with its ancient oxbows and billabongs, frame the holes of the opening nine as well as the final two holes. These holes were elevated above the wetlands during construction and have been shaped to create beautiful rolling fairways.

From the wetlands, the 5,944-metre par-72 (from the Blue tees) climbs gradually up a broad valley on the memorable par-5 13th hole to reach land perched high on a plateau where you will find the 14th and 15th holes. While the climb up the hill is slow, the par-4 16th is a dramatic drop from the tee to green. The steep descent really shortens the 447-metre hole that links the high holes with the remaining flat holes.

The presentation of both courses at The Heritage has improved dramatically in recent times, which better showcases the wonderful Nicklaus and Cashmore designs.

This is a private member’s club. However, guests of the Yarra Valley Lodge can take advantage of play and stay deals, while interstate golfers can enquire with the club for a limited tee time.

There are several other nearby courses to choose from, including Yering Meadows and Gardiners Run, but it is the highest ranked RACV Healesville Country Club we suggest you try.

Healesville has only been nationally ranked since the redesign work of Mike Clayton was revealed in 2009. Since then, the little course nestled in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range has received rave reviews.

Clayton’s layout covers some nicely undulating land, which offers stereotypical Australian bushland vistas at the foot of the Great Dividing Range. The views of rolling hills in the distance and gums on either side of the fairways add to the layout’s visually impressive appeal.

The highights of any round here are the 423-metre par-5 8th, the driveable (for some) 265-metre par-4 12th and the closing four holes. Among the closing quartet is most noticeably, the reachable par-5 15th, which features a creek fiendishly weaving through the fairway, and back around the right of the green. The 18th green, a boomerang-shaped putting surface with a bunker cut into its middle, is different and memorable.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION: Yarra Valley, Victoria.

HOW TO GET THERE: The heart of the Yarra Valley is less than an hours’ drive from the Melbourne CBD via the M3 Eastern Freeway.

GREEN FEES: On application. Tee times available for guests at Yering Gorge Cottage (The Eastern), Yarra Valley Lodge (The Heritage) and RACV Healesville.

WHERE TO STAY: Yering Gorge Cottages, which overlook parts of The Eastern layout, offer 4.5-star cottage-style accommodation featuring separate living and bedroom areas, with a private deck. There are 13 self-contained cottages with one-, two- or four-bedroom configurations.

The cottages are in a private nature reserve offering bushwalking trails and an abundance of Australian wildlife including Eastern Grey kangaroos, wombats, echidnas and more than 85 species of birdlife.

Guests will also enjoy full use of the clubhouse and driving range – which offers unlimited range balls –fitness centre and tennis courts during their stay. Tee times must be booked in advance and are subject to availability.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK: From small boutique vineyards, distilleries and breweries to well-known estates, every taste is covered in the Yarra Valley.

Rochford winery has become renowned for creating memorable experiences through its entertainment, fine dining and classic local wines.

If spirits are more to your likening, check out the Four Pillars Distillery, which was built in a former timber yard, on Healesville’s main street. The Distillery Door is open seven days a week, where guests can do a tasting of all the gins in the range or enjoy a multitude of gin drinks from the bar, including gin and tonic paddles.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Get a different perspective on the Yarra Valley … from above in a hot air balloon. Drift on the breeze over the valley at sunrise with Global Ballooning, before tucking into a buffet breakfast at the beautiful Balgownie Estate.

WEBSITES: www.easterngolfclub.com.au; www.heritagegolfclub.com.au; www.racv.com.au.

SUNSHINE COAST, QUEENSLAND

Wedged between more than 100km of pristine beaches and the beautiful Glasshouse Mountains, the Sunshine Coast is an idyllic location to relax and unwind. It’s a place where you can spoil yourself at a day spa, feast on five-star cuisine, feel the sand between your toes on a beach walk or, of course, play golf under deep blue skies.

Golfers are spoiled for choice with a broad range of layouts but here’s three we recommend for a great weekend away.

Maroochy River Golf Club is one of Australian golf’s great success stories of the past decade. The formerly known Horton Park Golf Club was being squeezed out of its original home in the heart of the Maroochydore CBD and, after a decade of searching, the club settled on a new home and a new name on 102 hectares of flood prone former cane fields at Bli Bli – about seven kilometres outside of town on the north side of the Maroochy River.

Graham Marsh was commissioned to design the layout, which opened for play in 2015. Given the flood-prone nature of the property, the land profile was raised considerably during construction and provided a relatively blank canvas for Marsh to create a layout, which needed to appeal as a challenge for players of all standards.

Marsh nailed the brief. The expanse of land allowed Marsh to create wide fairways, big greens and four tees on each hole. The broad avenues of play are welcoming to the high handicapper or casual player, while the accomplished player is offered the opportunity on most holes to take a more aggressive line – skirting a scheme of bunkers or water hazard – to get a shorter or more straight-forward line to a flag.

The bunkering is a real feature of the journey. The shape and size fluctuate a lot, and while the depth of many leans towards the shallow side, they are visually intimidating enough to make you second guess your club selection or playing line to avoid them.

The only hole devoid of bunkers is the 399-metre 18th hole, which ranks as the hardest hole at Maroochy River courtesy of its length and the only forced water carry during the round. It is a tough closer that may have been inspired by similar holes that regularly feature on the PGA Tour. With water all down the left side of the hole – and separated from the slight dogleg left fairway by a wide cut of rough – few players will willingly drive to the left half of the fairway. Shorter hitters will need to lay-up short of the water hazard, cutting the fairway off from the green that lies beyond, and rely on their wedge and putter to make par. There are water hazards scattered right across the layout, with hazard stakes to be seen on 14 of the 18 holes, but it is only with the clubhouse sitting in front of you and 17 holes behind you that it can have the greatest impact on your scorecard.

Despite still being relatively young, Maroochy River’s playing surfaces and, in particular, the Bermuda Tifeagle greens are superb.

Beautifully presented fairways and greens are also a feature of the nearby Twin Waters Golf Club.

With its spacious fairways, rumpled putting surfaces and vast tracts of sub-tropical vegetation, the Peter Thomson and Mike Wolveridge-designed Twin Waters has been a ‘must play’ of Sunshine Coast golf ever since it opened for play in 1991.

The course doesn’t appear to be the most difficult test around, yet it plays far tougher than first impressions suggest. Trademark Thomson and Wolveridge pot bunkers are dotted across most fairways like moon craters, all designed to swallow anything bouncing in proximity to them. The greens are mostly broad and feature gentle rather than wild undulations, but those subtleties ensure they can be difficult to read. Many are ‘push-up’-style putting surfaces with runoffs that turn many a good iron shot into a missed green and a challenging up-and-down.

One of Twin Waters’ most memorable holes is the 379-metre 8th, where your drive must carry diagonally across a lake and bunkers to reach the fairway. The approach here is a tough one with a raised green protected by a single, deep pot bunker guarding the left side and all manner of strife over the back.

Two more differing par-4s on the back nine examine your shot-making. The 12th fairway narrows the longer you hit the tee shot as ten bunkers tighten the landing zone on the 325-metre hole, while the 13th doglegs left around two pot bunkers with water further left. The green is defended by a large scoop in the front that will send any weak approach shot back into the fairway.

From one Sunshine Coast golf icon to another, is just a 15-minute drive north to Palmer Coolum Resort.

In its early years, Coolum was regarded by many pundits to be among Australia’s top-25 courses. The improvement of dozens of other courses and new layouts opening combined with Coolum’s own steady decline in presentation saw it slip out of Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Courses ranking for the first time in 2016.

But it has dramatically improved in recent times with many ranking judges impressed by its conditioning. Hence it pushed its way back into the Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking earlier this year.

The foundations of a Top-100 ranked course remain. There are still thrilling, fun holes, like the downhill lakeside par-3 2nd, the short par-4 7th hole that finishes in the shadows of Mt Coolum as well as the iconic 385-metre par-4 9th hole beside the lake and scene of so much tournament dramas when the course hosted the Australian PGA and Coolum Classic before that. Improved conditioning is already evident and with a significant investment as promised by its owner in 2021, the stature of Palmer Coolum appears to be rising again.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION: Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

HOW TO GET THERE: It is a 90-minute drive from the Brisbane CBD to Maroochydore, while the Sunshine Coast Airport is 10 minutes’ away.

GREEN FEES: Maroochy River GC – $90 (18 holes, seven days); Twin Waters GC – $90 (18 holes, seven days); Palmer Coolum Resort – $135 (18 holes, inc. cart, seven days).

WHERE TO STAY: Magnolia Lane Luxury Holiday Apartments in Twin Waters features a selection of fully self-contained and spacious one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with stunning panoramic views over the Twin Waters course. All apartments offer four-star amenities and facilities, while the 1st tee is just a short pitch away.

Magnolia Lane has a range of excellent stay and play packages, which all include accommodation in a superior apartment and rounds can be organised at most Sunshine Coast courses.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK: The Hot Chilli Bean Thai café has become a Coolum Beach institution over the past 25 years. We can’t recommend more highly the deep-fried coconut prawns served with fresh mango and chilli in a coconut cream sauce. The Chilli Bean roast pork belly is also hard to pass on.

After a round at Maroochy River, take a right turn out of the car park towards Bli Bli. There you will find the Bli Bli Bakery, at River Markets on your right, and a delicious range of pies. The steak, egg and bacon pie is a winner, as is the curry chicken and vegetable.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Take the Sunshine Coast craft beer trail and discover more than 20 brewers scattered between Caloundra and Cooroy to the north.

WEBSITES: www.maroochyrivergolfclub.com.au; www.twinwatersgolfclub.com.au;
www.palmercoolumresort.com.au. 

SOUTH COAST, NEW SOUTH WALES

The stretch of NSW South Coast between Mollymook and Narooma developed a reputation as one of Australia’s best golf road trips.

There is the postcard scenery, great food, wine and some impressive golf courses – including a trio ranked in Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses – to test your game.

Narooma Golf Club is a mandatory inclusion for any golf trip to the region, no matter whether it is the first or the last port of call on your getaway.

Narooma reigns as the best layout on the NSW south coast. The oceanside course achieved its highest ever position at No.15 in Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking (making it No.1 in NSW) published by Golf Australia magazine earlier this year.

It is one of this country’s most visually striking layouts with eight holes set against a backdrop of panoramic ocean views with the remainder of the course covering dramatically undulating inland holes darting through a tall timber landscape.

The six links holes laid out closest to the cliff tops are the star attraction.

There are two holes that really hug the cliff line. The 330-metre par-4 2nd starts from an elevated tee, which plunges steeply to the fairway below. The majority of drives slam into the fairway as it rises sharply again to bend left around the cliff top. Depending on the direction of the wind, anything from a long-iron to a wedge may be needed to cut across the bend, and a deep bunker, to hit the small putting surface. Taking the safe route to the right of the green can also find a bunker well short. Narooma’s signature hole, the 141-metre par-3 3rd, also calls for a brave water carry. Your tee shot must be played over a chasm with waves crashing onto rocks and into the sea cave below. The ocean will also claim balls mishit left or struck long of the green.

The quality of John Spencer’s design does not drop off when the course winds inland to undulating holes that are played out and around a large lagoon. The best of these holes, arguably, is the 460-metre par-5 11th, which is played from a well elevated tee to a fairway that turns sharply left between high trees left and right. The fairway rises and falls one more time before reaching the green, perched on a ridge where the lagoon can be seen through the trees.

The pretty holiday haven Batemans Bay lies almost halfway between Narooma and Mollymook to the north. Here, just south of the Clyde River, you will find Club Catalina Golf & Country Club, which was named after the World War II ‘Catalina’ sea planes that would land in the nearby bay.

The 27-hole Catalina layout is renowned for its beautifully manicured kikuyu fairways and bentgrass greens, both of which impressed judges enough to see the club’s Old Course (Holes 1 to 18) debut in the 2023 Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking.

There are some standout holes at Catalina, but the one most will recall is the 137-metre par-3 14th. This has always been a pretty hole, which many wild birds and ducks call home, but its playability was enhanced a few years ago with the rounding off of the green surrounds to slope down into an adjoining pond. Previously, a log wall and a sliver of fringe grass had separated the green from the water, leaving absolutely no room for error in just missing the green right or short. The green is now slightly bigger and more receptive but no less challenging, particularly when the wind blows.

The following hole – a lengthy par-4 – was extensively remodelled by course designer Harley Kruse a few years back. Kruse gave the hole a terrific facelift with dramatically shaped bunkering added and a new, much larger, green built. This was the first hole to be redesigned as part of an extensive golf course improvement plan.

The third layout of the trio is the acclaimed Hilltop Course at Mollymook Golf Club, which is about 45 minutes’ drive north of Batemans Bay.

Back in the mid-1970s, the club commissioned its course superintendent Bill Andriske and professional Ken McKay Snr to oversee the design of the layout, which was carved from a thick eucalypt forest. The layout opened for play in 1977 and today, some 46 years on, it has rarely been more highly commended.

Both nines open from in front of the clubhouse, which is perched on the highest point of the layout and offers views above the towering treetops to the Pacific Ocean off in the distance.

Mollymook’s most memorable holes are on the inward nine, which covers more hilly terrain and demands a greater variety of shots. Having made the steep descent down the 10th fairway to the green, the 380-metre par-4 11th hole weaves left through a narrow gap in the trees to become more spacious near the green, which features a bunker wedged between the putting surface and a lake.

This gem of a layout is one of the best presented courses between Sydney and the Victorian border. The fairways always have a good cover of grass and the putting surfaces wouldn’t be out of place at a private city club with a far more handsome maintenance budget.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION: South Coast, New South Wales.

HOW TO GET THERE: Mollymook is a two hour and 30-minute drive from Sydney’s southern suburbs via the Princes Highway. Batemans Bay is two hours’ drive southeast of Canberra and Narooma is a further 60 minutes’ south.

GREEN FEES: Mollymook GC (Hilltop) – $69 (18 holes, weekdays), $79 (weekends); Club Catalina – $60 (18holes, Sun-Fri), $70 (Sat); Narooma GC – $80 (18 holes, seven days).

WHERE TO STAY: With views across the Narooma course to the ocean and beyond to Montague Island, Amooran Oceanside Apartments is the perfect place to stay on any golf trip to Narooma. There are accommodation options to suit all needs.

Bannisters has three unique accommodation options in Mollymook. From the panoramic ocean views and luxury of By the Sea to the contemporary style of the Pavilion to the relaxed vibes of the nearby Beach House, Bannisters has a style to suit all guests.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK: If you plan to stay at Bannisters in Mollymook, you must book a lunch or dinner at Rick Stein’s iconic seafood restaurant. Bookings are essential and should be made well in advance.

Narooma has become a wining and dining hotspot in recent times, with Justin Hemmes’ Merivale opening several restaurants including Lynch’s pub, Quarterdeck bar and restaurant and the Cantonese gem, Queen Chow.

If you like oysters, this stretch of coastline is regarded by many as the oyster capital of Australia. On the banks of the beautiful Clyde River at Batemans Bay, you’ll find The Farm Gate and Oyster Shed. Here you can enjoy freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters and a view.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: More on the oyster theme … there is also the Narooma Oyster Festival in the first weekend of May to consider for your itinerary.

WEBSITES: www.mollymookgolf.com.au; www.clubcatalina.com.au; www.naroomagolf.com.au.