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.

Maroochy River GC. PHOTO: Brendan James.

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.

Twin Waters GC. PHOTO: Brendan James.

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.

Palmer Coolum Resort. PHOTO: Brendan James.

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 GC. PHOTO: Brendan James.

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.

Club Catalina. PHOTO: Brendan James.

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.

Mollymook GC Hilltop Course. PHOTO: Brendan James.

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.