Just 90 minutes’ drive north of Sydney along the M1 Pacific Motorway, the Hunter incorporates the wine country of the Hunter Valley with Newcastle, Australia’s second oldest city, at its hub.

Built on the back of steel, coal and shipping, Newcastle has evolved into a cosmopolitan city with terrific bars and restaurants, while maintaining its reputation as a world-famous surfing destination.

To the west, there is the Hunter Valley – Australia’s oldest wine-growing region – where there are dozens of wineries and restaurants to explore. Keep an eye on the events calendar too, as the Hunter regularly hosts ‘Day on the Green’ concerts featuring local and international musicians. Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Blondie and Don Henley are just some of the names that have already rocked the valley this year.

For those that like to swig on a Semillon and sway to the beat by night, but are keen on swinging a club during the day, there is a terrific selection of golf courses from seaside links, to historic suburban layouts and on to impressive resort-style courses. The Hunter has a great mix of layouts to satisfy the most passionate golfer – all within an easy drive of one another.

Heading north from Sydney, it is a leisurely 75-minute drive from the start of the M1 at Wahroonga to the carpark of Belmont Golf Club – a superb links layout that covers wonderful beachside land east of Lake Macquarie and should be a ‘must-play’ for any golfer visiting the area.

Belmont's pretty par-4 17th hole. PHOTO: Brendan James

For nearly 60 years, the outstanding layout was home to the annually held Lake Macquarie International Amateur tournament, which unfortunately had to be postponed this year after its date clashed with the Australian Amateur. The best amateurs from here and overseas were drawn to Belmont to test their game on one of the best courses in the Hunter region.

In the past 30 years, household names like Aaron Baddeley, Geoff Ogilvy, Brett Rumford and Jason Day have all had a shot at the title, while notables from overseas have included Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie, Michael Campbell, Mark O’Meara, Paul Casey and
Luke Donald.

The tournament was highly regarded not just for the players it attracted but for the course on which it was played.

The only true links layout in the Hunter region, Belmont offers some of the best examples of links golf holes in Australia.

Belmont has undergone significant improvements in recent years with more bunkers and water hazards incorporated into the design of the par-72.

Even Belmont’s widely regarded strongest offering has been altered slightly to add beauty to the brute. The 401-metre par-4 15th hole – recognised by Golf Australia Architecture Editor Mike Clayton as one of his favourite holes in Australia – now boasts a new tee that is perched atop of the sand dunes at the back of the beach offering spectacular ocean views. The tee shot here must carry the edge of a sandy wasteland, with its clumps of Bitou bush, to find the relatively generous fairway. For most players, the approach is a long one and needs to avoid two deep bunkers short and left of the large putting surface. It is a great hole that has been made even better by moving the tee.

The next hole – a 500-metre par-5 – has also been altered with fairway bunkers added and the massive green moved to sit right on the back of the beach. There are now nine bunkers between tee and green, with the dogleg left fairway turning between five of the sandy hazards en route to the green. Four more bunkers protect the green, which features rolling slopes and hollows spreading to its surrounds. Even if it takes you five or six shots to reach the green, you won’t feel so bad after the magnificent beach view greets you.

Heading north from Belmont, you’ll find Charlestown Golf Club about 15 minutes’ drive away. Located on undulating land between Lake Macquarie and Newcastle’s CBD, Charlestown is a picturesque course with its holes laid out either side of a ridge, which is home to the clubhouse.

One of Charlestown’s best holes is also its shortest. The 138-metre par-3 2nd hole calls for precise club selection so your tee shot is able to carry the lake that lies between the tee and the fringe of the green. A steep slope at the front of the green may cause a short tee shot here to trickle back down into the water.

Water is not such a major factor at nearby Waratah Golf Club, which is the oldest golf club in the Newcastle area having been established in 1901.

The club moved to its present site alongside Cockle Creek and near the northern tip of Lake Macquarie in 1920. The course was laid out by the club pro Frank O’Brien – a founding member of the Australian PGA – who was keen to preserve as many trees on the site as possible.

These trees were added to over the decades and today the tree-lined fairways at Waratah are well-established and provide a picturesque place to play. They also add to the significant challenge of the par-71, despite the fact the layout only measures 5,905 metres from the tips.

Superbly presented playing surfaces can be found at Waratah Golf Club. PHOTO: Brendan James

Waratah’s challenge, which favours straight-hitting quality ball-strikers, has helped develop some great players over the decades including two-time Australian PGA Champion Colin Johnston, PGA Tour winner Nathan Green and former NSW Open champ Leigh McKechnie, who all started as juniors of the club. Johnston, now 81, still plays once a week at Waratah, which is testament to the playability of the layout for all golfers – the hallmark of a very good members course.

Waratah offers plenty of good scoring opportunities … if you play smart. The first of these holes is the 447-metre par-5 2nd hole. The wide fairway narrows considerably in the driving area, with bunkers right and left to catch anything off line. A series of mounds on the right just past the fairway bunker will also cause havoc with any ball finding its way in there. Finding the fairway from the tee is only half the job at this shortish par-5. The green can be reached in two with a long iron or wood but although it is deep it is also narrow - with bunkers left and right. Those opting to lay up will need to be precise to avoid two bunkers short of the putting surface. It is easy to imagine there are as many birdies as there would be bogies and double bogies here.