Over the past two decades, northern Tasmania has emerged as a world-class golf destination offering a mix of internationally acclaimed layouts and fun, picturesque courses anyone can play.
An ankle-high wave breaks on the perfectly crescent-shaped beach of King Island’s Victoria Cove. Another follows four or five seconds later. The clear waters of this sheltered bay glisten a range of blue-ish hues, as a fishing boat bobs gently offshore. A flock of hungry seagulls hover overhead hoping to nab a free feed. The tall fescue grass bordering the beach sways to a constant rhythm on the light breeze as another wave laps the shore.
“Welcome to Cape Wickham,” the young woman says, breaking my gaze from above the rolling 18th hole that hugs the shoreline. “It’s beautiful isn’t it.”
Indeed, it is. In fact, it is probably one of the most beautiful settings for a final hole anywhere on the planet, on a golf course that boasts an ever-growing catalogue of rave reviews from near and far.
Ranked in the Top-100 Courses in the World and the No.1 Public Access Course in Australia, as rated by Golf Australia magazine, Cape Wickham – on the northern tip of Tasmania’s King Island – is simply breath-taking. This is where stunning views combine seamlessly with a well-crafted design by Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver that is superbly maintained.
It is just on a decade since former chief of golf course construction company Programmed Turnpoint, Andrew Purchase, discovered this patch of golfing wonderland – struck by the beauty of the Cape Wickham landscape spread out beneath the heritage-listed lighthouse bearing the same name.
Oliver along with the owner and developer of Victoria’s The Dunes and Thirteenth Beach courses, Duncan Andrews, brought American course designer Mike DeVries into the mix as each began to see the enormous potential of the site. Then, after three years of planning and construction, Cape Wickham opened for play in October 2016 and has been a bucket list course for golfers worldwide ever since.
The aforementioned par-4 18th is a major drawcard having been religiously photographed by every visitor in its short history. Google ‘Cape Wickham images’ and its iconic closing hole – incorporating the cove, beach, surrounding sand dunes and lighthouse – will appear. As will plenty of other cracking hero course shots, because Cape Wickham is golf’s version of a supermodel.
Given the quality of the land, designers DeVries and Oliver were careful not to overdo their work. The design is carefully considered, bearing in mind the impact of Mother Nature. DeVries and Oliver could easily have played the role of Dr Frankenstein and produced a monster of a course but, thankfully, opted to create 18 holes of fun and challenging golf with no two rounds ever being the same.
Cape Wickham has been crafted to take the wind strength and direction into account, with generously wide playing corridors and holes providing fair strategies regardless of the wind are the order of the day. A scheme of fairway bunkers might be unreachable one day and squarely in the zone the next. The focus of the design team on playability no matter what the conditions is an enticement to play this layout time and time again to experience all it has to offer … from the serene to the climatically violent.
The opening tee shot provides plenty of excitement as you play to an expansive rolling fairway that is flanked by scrub covered dunes to the left and stops at the edge of a cliff to the right. The 340-metre par-4 is the first of eight holes set hard against the ocean, and while it isn’t the hardest of the bunch it does challenge you to hit the correct side of the fairway to leave the best line into the pin position of the day.
While DeVries and Oliver could easily have hung their hat on the stunning ocean side holes, thankfully they didn’t – and the inland holes at Cape Wickham are as thrilling to play as those by the water. The 447-metre par-5 6th is a fine example. Here, the fairway rises gradually before veering right around a pod of deep bunkers cut into the side of a grassy dune to the right. The massive green is reachable in two shots in the right conditions and the ‘Wickham experienced’ player will aim left of the greenside bunkers and let the dramatic slopes feed their ball around to a right half flag.
The seaside par-3s at the 3rd, 11th and 17th will always catch the attention of photographers, although one of the best to play is the 7th. The hole climbs slightly during its 137 metres to a green angled from front left to back right with a giant swale capturing any shot coming up short or right. A hump short and left and a dune hugging the left edge provide the key contours and will allow canny shots to feed close to certain pin positions. It’s a genius short hole where the correct strategy might reveal itself only after you have played it a few times.
Shot-by-shot, hole-by-hole, a round at Cape Wickham builds to an incredible crescendo on the beach of Victoria Cove. The rocky shore alongside the testing par-4 16th and equally stern par-3 17th give way to sand on the dogleg par-4 18th, which calls for a drive from a dune top tee across the edge of the beach to a rolling fairway, set diagonally to your approach. The beach is in play, which makes your playing line decision all the more important … bite too much off the dogleg and you’ll be hitting your second shot from the beach.
It’s a brilliant closing hole on a course that is quite rightly gaining a global reputation for high quality design and presentation.
Cape Wickham isn’t the only Tasmanian course earning a ‘must-play’ status here and abroad. It’s nearest King Island neighbour – the Graeme Grant-designed, Ocean Dunes – is highly acclaimed and is ranked No.6 in Golf Australia magazine’s list of the Top-100 Public Access Courses in this country. A 45-minute drive south of Cape Wickham, near Currie, Ocean Dunes hosted its first rounds a few months after Cape Wickham opened and it, too, has since received rave reviews.
The short walk from the car park to the clubhouse lifts the veil on the dramatic nature of the site on the shore of King Island’s east coast.
“I couldn’t believe how good this site was,” Grant told Golf Australia during construction. “There were golf holes to be found everywhere, not just along the shoreline but through the wide natural valleys created by the dunes. There are some very spectacular ocean holes and then you go inland to the dunes and then there’s a creek that flows through the course, so there’s a lot of variety.
“The quality of the land away from the ocean is such that we didn’t have to move a lot of earth to create some memorable holes.”
Ocean Dunes is exciting from the first tee shot. Grant’s creation opens with a 500-metre par-5 that rises over the crest of a hill as it veers right, around a massive bunker scooped out of the edge of a dune, before plunging down to the green set against the edge of the rocky shoreline. It’s a brilliant opener which offers several options for you to get from tee to green and, once you have reached your destination, the views up and down the coast are truly spectacular.
While the 4th hole will be reached with a short club on most days, there will be times when Mother Nature will turn up the fans and turn this diminutive hole into a beastly test.
Good quality short par-4s are a thrill for all golfers and Ocean Dunes’ 280-metre 2nd hole – known as Outcrop – is already widely regarded among the finest short two-shotters in the country. It is a wide driving hole but the green only opens up to those players prepared to take a route near the right edge of the fairway and the ‘Kelp Track’, which weaves along the shoreline. The further left you go, the more difficult the second shot approach becomes as it is a blind pitch over a bunker carved out of the face of a large dune. There is simply no other green complex in Australia quite like the 2nd. It’s a sliver of a target, which is 45 metres wide but only ten metres at its deepest point. All but the far-right edge of the split-level green is blind as the surface sits between two dunes that create a ramp effect, potentially slinging balls close to, or well away, from the flag. Miss the ‘ramps’ short or long, and the ball will find a sandy, grassy dune or bunkers.
Ocean Dunes’ first of four brilliant par-3s, each with its own wonderful traits, is unforgettable. The 130-metre 4th hole is played across an ocean inlet with rocky edges on both sides of the water. The tee is perched just above the waves, while the expansive bentgrass green features a lone, deep bunker cut into the middle of its front edge. This pinches the target to its narrowest, almost creating two greens left and right of the bunker. While the 4th hole will be reached with a short club on most days, there will be times when Mother Nature will turn up the fans and turn this diminutive hole into a beastly test.
As a visual spectacle the par-3 10th rivals the short 4th but is 70 metres longer. Appropriately named ‘Bay’, each of the tees is separated from the waves of Bass Strait by surrounding rocks. The tee shot here must carry the bay to find land and, ultimately, the large green, which is protected by deep bunkers left and right. It’s a hole demanding a hero tee shot, and if you pull it off you won’t forget it for some time to come.
In just five years, Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes have put King Island on the world golf map, pulling the little isle’s original course into the global spotlight as well.
The King Island Golf and Bowling Club was the island’s first layout established back in 1932, having moved from grazing land near Currie. For much of its 90 years it existed in relative anonymity. But with golfers significantly increasing the number of tourists visiting the island in the past five years, many have made the wise decision to check out the course.
Word spread throughout the golfing community. In 2019, Golf Australia magazine ranked the layout among the best short courses in the country. A year later an American golf publication put King Island at No.17 in a list of the world’s Top-50 nine-hole courses. The secret, about how good this little gem is, was out.
Technically, it’s not a nine-hole layout. The course has 12 greens as well as alternate tees for both nines. The opening two holes set the scene for an enjoyable round. The first drive is blind to a fairway angled away and off to a green set hard against the base of a long sand dune. It’s not by any means the most difficult par-4 you will play but it is a lot of fun.
The same can be said for the 2nd/11th, which plays along the ridge of the aforementioned sand dune. The fairway is wide enough but the player who attacks too hard here can find their ball bounding off the firm fairway into the rough and be left with a difficult shot into the smallish green, which slopes markedly from left-to-right and is cut into the edge of a high dune.
The course continues to rise and fall over the dunes before reaching the edge of the Southern Ocean where several holes play to and away from the water and subject players to the full brunt of the elements. This is links golf in a pure form on a course that plays much the same as it did – but in better condition – when locals laid it out in 1932.
TO THE MAINLAND
Golf was born on the rugged, windswept links of Scotland nearly 600 years ago.
Today, playing across quality linksland – with its firm, fast-running playing surfaces laid across Mother Nature-shaped terrain where sand abounds by the sea – has become revered worldwide.
And it’s easy to see why.
True links golf is a seduction of a golfer’s senses – the smell of the sea, the feel of the wind and the joy of watching the result of a not-quite-perfectly-struck iron bounce left, then right, before catching a slope to trickle down next to the hole.
True links golf in Australia was sadly lacking at the turn of the 21st century. Then came Barnbougle Dunes.
Born out of a three kilometre stretch of Tasmania’s north east coast dominated by untouched sand dunes – land deemed to be of little use to its owner and successful potato farmer, Richard Sattler – Barnbougle Dunes was Australia’s first pure links course built in more than 80 years.
Designed by Tom Doak and Mike Clayton, the layout officially opened in December 2004 and was dubbed one of the best new courses to open in the world that year. It has also finished in the top-three of Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Courses ranking ever since.
The 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 on this hole. The prevailing wind is into your face here but long hitters might be tempted into blasting a drive over a massive blowout 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 carries far enough.
The course winding back to the clubhouse from the 5th tee onwards, with each fairway occupying a narrow corridor 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 land they have been laid upon. It is hard to pick a standout out hole on the back nine but the stretch of holes from the short par-4 15th through to the 400-metre par-4 18th is great finish to a course that offers great variety from the first shot to the last.
Some early critics suggested the course was too isolated to be financially viable. They couldn’t have been more wrong as golfers from near and far trekked to Barnbougle Dunes time and time again, ensuring its success and planting the seed of thought of building a second course.
Almost six years after the Dunes opened for play, Barnbougle Lost Farm was born. A month later Golf Australia magazine ranked Lost Farm in the top-10 courses in the nation, a lofty position where it remains a decade on.
Designed and built by American design firm, Coore and Crenshaw, Lost Farm features 20 holes (with two extra par-3s on the inward half) laid out alongside the beach and inland amongst majestic sand dunes. Despite being neighbours, Lost Farm is significantly different to Dunes, which adds to the appeal of Barnbougle as a golfing destination.
“I think some see it as being better than Barnbougle Dunes because it offers a greater variety of play as the holes run in different directions,” says Mike Clayton, co-designer of the original Barnbougle course. “Barnbougle Dunes follows the low land between the dunes and this dictated that the holes head predominantly east and west. Lost Farm’s holes go to all points of the compass and when there is wind involved in a location like this it means no two rounds can ever possibly be the same.”
Lead architect Bill Coore, who has a reputation for minimalistic course design,
was hands on in the creation of Lost Farm, which boasts some very good, some great
and some absolutely brilliant holes. There isn’t a weak offering among them and during the past decade some of the best holes here have been elevated to the world stage as choice selections.
One of those holes is the short par-3 4th, which calls for a tee shot to be hit parallel to the beach out to a small point that overlooks Little Forester River, the ocean and the original Barnbougle course.
The 5th hole is even better. Measuring nearly 400 metres from the back markers, the green is visible off in the distance – sitting hard up against the river bank. The longest drivers in the game, in the right wind conditions, might take dead aim at the green. But the play for 99.9 percent of the golfing population is left, away from the river, and on a dogleg right fairway that follows a valley around the base of a 30-metre high sand dune before rising to the green sitting among wild bunkers and dunes.
Designed by Bill Coore, Bougle Run has been created to add even more fun to a Barnbougle visit and, in time, will be considered among the best short courses in the world.
Another towering dune is a feature of the downhill par-4 14th hole. Measuring just 263 metres from the tips, the 14th is flanked down the right by this majestic dune but really only comes into play when the golfer – tempted to drive the green by carrying the right fairway bunkers – loses their tee shot on the prevailing westerly wind. With a generous fairway to be found left of these bunkers, it can be a costly mistake and a great example of a hole where a player chasing hard for a birdie three can quite often finish with a bogey or worse.
Barnbougle continues to grow with the official opening on March 31 of its new short course, Bougle Run. The 14-hole course consisting of 12 par-3s and two short par-4s covers a wild landscape of dunes and sandy blowouts alongside the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th holes of Lost Farm. Designed by Bill Coore, Bougle Run has been created to add even more fun to a Barnbougle visit and, in time, will be considered among the best short courses in the world.
While any golfer heading to northern Tasmania will have Barnbougle on their itinerary, the region offers plenty more golfing options to entice you into staying a little longer.
If you want to be playing golf within an hour of leaving the airport, Launceston Golf Club is the ideal course to venture to.
The course at Kings Meadow – the oldest 18-hole layout in Tasmania and the fifth oldest in Australia having been established in 1899 – is just ten minutes’ drive from the airport and many visiting golfers to Launceston make this course their first, or last, port of call.
The par-72 measures just 5,965 metres from the back markers but the challenge lies in keeping your ball on the fairway between the long stretches of mature tree-lined rough. This is one reason why the club has hosted the Tasmanian Open and Amateur many times.
Launceston’s strength is in the quality of its shorter holes, and there is no better short par-4 on the course than the 312-metre 12th. The tee shot here is played out of a tree-lined chute to a fairway that sits diagonally to your approach and is receptive to a left-to-right ball flight, which will help avoid the three fairway bunkers that significantly narrow the landing area. A short iron or wedge into the relatively new green complex must be accurate to avoid trickling into a pond left or one of the two bunkers right.
Bunkers are also the main hazard on the memorable par-3 13th, which is known as ‘Spine Cop’. It is not overly long at 152 metres from the championship pegs, but the key is to successfully select a club that will carry your tee shot across a tree-lined valley to the heavily bunkered green.
There are three more courses within close proximity of Launceston – the Peter Thomson and Mike Wolveridge-designed Country Club Tasmania, the enjoyable Riverside Golf Club and picturesque Mowbray Golf Club.
Mowbray, which dates back to its nine-hole roots in 1934, is a layout of hills and dales that offers tremendous variety from one hole to the next, while the views of the city to the south and Tamar Valley are pretty good too.
You are eased into the round here with two short par-4s, with the best of them being the 319-metre 2nd. Your drive here must carry a lake in front of the tee and find the fairway that veers right and climbs gradually uphill toward the green. Tall stands of pines to the right and gum trees to the left flank the fairway, while the relatively small green is set in an amphitheatre and is protected by two bunkers in front. This was certainly one of my favourite holes at Mowbray.
Another good short par-4 is the 315-metre 6th, which presents a big sweeping dogleg left fairway that rises up and over the crest of a hill before descending to a green cut into the side of a hill. There is plenty of trouble down the right of the fairway with huge pine trees grabbing mis-hit drives while an out-of-bounds fence comes into play near the right edge of the green.
Perhaps the least known of the layouts easily reached from Launceston is the nine-hole gem at Quamby Estate, which is located a leisurely 25-minute drive from the city near the historic township of Hagley.
Built between 1828 and 1838, Quamby was the ancestral home of Sir Richard Dry,
the Premier of Tasmania for several years during the 1860s. Today, Quamby is a magnificent homestead boasting ten fully-restored guest rooms within the ambience of a boutique guesthouse.
Surrounding the homestead is the Peter Toogood-designed nine-hole course, which was named in 2019 as one of the nation’s Top-100 Nine-Hole Courses by Golf Australia magazine.
When played from the alternate tees used for an 18-hole round, Quamby measures 6,006 metres across a gently rolling landscape dotted with 170-year-old deciduous trees and hedges.
Built in the early 1990’s, the Quamby course provides enough width in the fairways and size in the greens to not overawe players by the challenge it presents. Arguably the best of the holes here is actually its shortest offering and Quamby’s only par-3 – the 158-metre 2nd, which plays marginally shorter as the 11th hole. The tee shot here must carry a lake and a huge bunker stretched across the front edge of the large putting surface.
Toogood’s Quamby design is a fun one but it is the outstanding presentation of the playing surfaces that you will remember most from your round.
Like Quamby, Greens Beach Golf Club is one of Tasmania’s finest nine-hole courses and is ranked in the best 100 short courses in the country.
A 70-minute drive north from Launceston, just west of the Tamar River mouth, Greens Beach is a pretty seaside hamlet of no more than 300 people with the links-style layout lying at its hub.
Greens Beach is a wonderful course that was built in 1950 – with little to no earth moved – which has remained largely unchanged for seven decades. Alternate tees, offering different angles of play to the fairway, have been added to create diverse holes, played to the same greens, from one nine-hole loop to another.
The natural ebb and flow of the fairways ensures there are few, if any, flat lies to play your approach shots. Despite the sandy soil that lies beneath these fairways, the bunkering is not overdone, even where an afternoon with a shovel would expose some wild sandy hazards. But the layout doesn’t need them.
There are 22 bunkers spread throughout the layout, with six of them surrounding the downhill par-3 6th/15th hole. From the slightly elevated tee, all half dozen sandy hazards lay in view wrapping in a semi-circle around the front of the putting surface. The only safe miss here is long and right of the green. Complicating the tee shot is the ever-present breeze and the linksland firm playing surfaces.
The club has recently started the process of remodelling its clubhouse to become a community sporting hub overlooking its greatest asset – a fun and challenging golf course.
Devonport Country Club, about 65km west of Greens Beach, has already completed an extensive $11 million upgrade of its clubhouse after the golf club merged with the Devonport Bowls and Croquet Club as well as the Spreyton Bowls Club.
The new club features a state-of-the-art sports centre, an international standard indoor bowls area, four grass greens and a two croquet courts, while the acclaimed Vern Morcom-designed course now includes a remodelled par-3 10th hole, crafted by Ocean Dunes creator Graeme Grant.
The new hole plays shorter than the original, whilst covering the same terrain, and still has the tidal Mersey River as a backdrop to the hole. Grant created a new green complex, with a pear-shaped putting surface protected by three small pot-like bunkers and a more expansive sandy hazard. Narrow at the front and wide at the back, the green is only a few metres from scrub on the edge of the riverbank.
There are future plans for Grant to return the layout to its Morcom design origins, with the shape and positioning of bunkers across the course set to be remodelled.
Devonport has long been regarded as one of the best courses in Tasmania. A regular host of the Tasmanian Open and Amateur, it is an unpretentious beauty. The visitor drives down an ordinary country lane, through narrow gates into an almost park-like setting. It belies the challenge that lies ahead and it is not until you step onto the 1st tee that you can really appreciate the strength and beauty of this layout.
The opening hole – a 386-metre par-4 – is one of Devonport’s best. The fairway bends slightly to the left and calls on you to drive down the right side to leave an unobscured long approach to the green.
This is a traditional bushland course so trees tightly flank many of the fairways, making birdies hard to come by. With most greens elevated slightly with steep slopes off each side, chipping and putting can also be tricky.
All these elements come into play on the toughest of all Devonport’s holes – the 404-metre par-4 6th. This gentle dogleg right has a thick row of trees covering the left edge of the fairway while an innocuous looking bunker lies just 50 metres from the putting surface, ready to catch the duffed or slightly miscued approach shot. The green is large and receptive but off line shots are repelled away by steep slopes into thick rough.
Deception is one of Devonport’s defences as there are several holes where the correct line and length into the green only becomes clear once you have reached the putting surface.
Club selection is also of paramount importance at one of Tasmania’s most underrated layouts, Ulverstone Golf Club.
Located about 20 minutes’ drive west of Devonport, Ulverstone was designed by the late Al Howard, who extracted the best holes from a wonderfully undulating and heavily-treed landscape.
Heading another 45km west from the majestic tall timbers of Ulverstone to the edge of Bass Strait, you will find another Tasmanian nine-hole jewel.
Wynyard Golf Club is wedged between Bass Strait to the north and the Inglis River to the south. The great South African player Bobby Locke visited the course in the 1950s and proclaimed it to be the best nine-hole layout he had seen. Our Top-100 Courses judges were also impressed and Wynyard was listed in Golf Australia magazine’s best 100 nine-hole courses in Australia for 2019
Wynyard, established in 1924, is a true links course and the short par-4 3rd is reminiscent of some of the classic Scottish courses that hug the North Sea. The 275 metres between tee and green is not intimidating but the dogleg right fairway sloping down to the beach and ocean presents some concerns especially for the right-handed slicer. Into the prevailing westerlies, this hole can play up to 100 metres longer. Selecting the right club and swing to hit the wide, shallow green beyond four bunkers is made all the more difficult by swirling winds around Fossil Bluff, which also offers a stunning backdrop to the hole.
There is a treasure trove of courses to be found across northern Tasmania. At one end of the spectrum there are the world-ranked links like Cape Wickham, Ocean Dunes and the Barnbougle courses. At the other end there are the little known nine-hole gems, like Greens Beach and Wynyard. All have something to offer the visitor seeking fun and challenging golf, which positions this region alongside the best golfing destinations in the world.
HOW TO GET THERE
BON VOYAGE
Voyages.Golf, in association with Events Travel, has chartered Coral Expeditions’ new vessel, Coral Geographer, for a one-way golf cruise departing from Melbourne to Hobart on February 8, 2022.
The cruise will take in world ranked golf courses including King Island’s Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes, before venturing onto Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm near Bridport, as well as Tasmania and Royal Hobart Golf Clubs in the capital.
An optional two-night pre-cruise experience playing the famed Royal Melbourne West Course, while staying at Sofitel on Collins, is also available. The cruise ends with three nights’ accommodation in Hobart at The Tasman, a Luxury Collection hotel, creating an 11-night or a 13-night trip with further extensions possible.
“We have a pedigree in luxury cruise and rail charters dedicated to golf and around major sports events in New Zealand, the Caribbean, South Africa, Vietnam, France, and Croatia,” says Director of Events Travel and Voyages.Golf, Glenn Hedley. “Partnering with Coral Expeditions – the Australian owned, flagged, and crewed small ship expedition company – we have great pleasure adding Tasmania to this iconic line-up.
“What makes these cruises even more attractive to discerning golfers is the world-class golf, but also the experience of our team managing their golf clubs throughout the Tour from the minute they get off their flight. They just need to sit back, relax, play golf, wine and dine, make new friends and enjoy the unique experience.”
Sailing for eight days, the tour will also visit the Tarkine wilderness, the Tamar River, cruise down the East Coast via Wineglass Bay, Ile de Phoques, Schouten and Maria Islands. Ultimately, cruisers will enjoy Bruny Island’s rugged coastline whilst on board experiencing what Bruny Island offers in the way of produce accompanied by superb Tasmanian wines.
This is an all-inclusive cruise with complimentary Wi-Fi, all transportation; airport to airport, six rounds of world-class golf, an interesting escorted itinerary for non- golfers, premium beers and a selection of quality wines with gourmet lunches and dinners throughout the itinerary all included.
All guests will receive a golf travel kit from Voyages.Golf including a cap, a Signature Experience polo shirt, and a high-quality souvenir traveller’s windbreaker. Golfers will also receive branded golf accessories including golf balls and tees.
With four decks to choose from, the Coral Geographer is an ideal vessel for the numbers of guests anticipated. This ship is the best of its kind in Australian waters for a high-quality, hands on golf-cruise experience.
For more information or to book your spot on the February 2022 cruise, visit the website www.voyages.golf
TOUR IN LUXURY
Luxury Golf and Scenic Tours Tasmania has a wide range of tour options and packages to suit the wishes of all golfers.
Their four-day Barnbougle and King Island Golf Adventure package is popular. Having landed in Launceston, you will be transferred in luxury comfort to Barnbougle for two days of golf across the Dunes and Lost Farm courses. The third day brings a short flight from Launceston to King Island before playing Ocean Dunes and Cape Wickham.
World class golf, stunning scenery, amazing produce, and exemplary customer service makes this tour the perfect golfing getaway.
The Pinnacle Package of this tour includes all green fees, shared cart hire at the King Island courses, flights from Launceston to King Island and then on to Melbourne, three hot breakfasts, three three-course dinners and three nights’ premium twin share accommodation.
For more information about this package or others the Luxury Golf and Scenic Tours portfolio, visit the website www.luxurytourtas.com.au
ISLAND TRANSFERS
The King Island Coach Company is your one stop shop if you are looking for transfers around the Island, to and from golf, restaurants or a special tailored tour.
And if you want to do a spot of fishing when you’re not playing golf, owner Matthew Archer can organise a fishing tour during your stay.
For more information and to book, visit www.facebook.com/king-island-coach-company
AN AIR ADVENTURE
Air Adventure Golf Tours specialises in remote Tasmanian golf and it’s no surprise their four-day / four-round trip to both Barnbougle and King Island is extremely popular.
Designed by golfers, for golfers, the tours make getting there easy. Golfers can carry their full set of clubs (in a travel tube, which are provided) plus 10kg of extra luggage. They also supply full size cart bags at each venue so you can play out of a normal golf bag.
The company’s Ultimate Tasmanian golf adventure includes four rounds – one each at Barnbougle Dunes, Lost Farm, Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes – all in the one trip and includes round trip flights, green fees and accommodation.
Flights to King Island take only 35 minutes from Melbourne’s Essendon Field Airport, and Barnbougle’s private airfield is a 45-minute flight from Essendon. Therefore, in the time it takes to just check-in at the major domestic airports you can be on the course at any of these top-four courses.
For more details or to book, visit the website www.golftoursaustralia.com.au
WHERE TO STAY
KING ISLAND HOTEL
The King Island Hotel has beautifully decorated twin or double rooms, plus two connecting rooms for larger groups or families.
Room facilities include Wi-Fi, TV, bar fridge and tea and coffee making facilities.
The hotel, which is five minutes’ drive from Ocean Dunes in the main street of Currie, has a large restaurant/bistro, public sports bar and beer garden. The bistro is available for breakfasts, lunches and dinner with a variety of local produce to tempt you.
www.oceandunes.com.au/accommodation
CAPE WICKHAM
Cape Wickham has 16 villa-style accommodation rooms with each room boasting unparalleled views across the links with Cape Wickham Lighthouse in the distance. Take in the view from your private deck and indulge in the amenities available to each guest.
BARNBOUGLE
Barnbougle has a range of accommodation options to suit different tastes and budgets.
The Dunes Cottages are very popular, particularly with small groups. There are 22 two-bedroom cottages, each with a deck that affords stunning views of Barnbougle Dunes and the ocean. Luxurious villas are also available.
Across at Lost Farm (pictured above), the lodge offers hotel-style accommodation with single and double open-plan suites. Each suite is only a short walk from the Lodge Restaurant, spa, clubhouse and 1st tee.
QUAMBY ESTATE
Quamby Homestead is a Tasmanian heritage hotel offering ten beautifully restored luxurious guest rooms, each uniquely decorated with an eclectic collection of original art and antique furniture.
Rooms are appointed with king, queen and optional twin bedding, marble or stone bathrooms with heated floors, flat screen TVs, DVD players and heating units or fireplaces.
Related Articles
RANKING: Australia's Top-100 Courses for 2024
RANKING: Australia's Top-100 Public Access Courses for 2025
