Golf Australia magazine presents our Top-100 Courses list for 2026, a feature-length guide to the best golf courses in the land. The list, compiled with input from an expert panel of golfers, travellers and architecture buffs, is a celebration of the country’s finest layouts, from coastal masterpieces to inland gems.
10
PENINSULA KINGSWOOD CGC – NORTH COURSE
Frankston, Victoria
Designers: Sloan Morpeth (1969); Mike Clayton (2002); Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Clayton, Mike Cocking & Ashley Mead – OCCM (2019)
Stunningly beautiful piece of undulating sandy land for golf. The original course transformed by OCCM to its true potential. - Rob Williamson
An incredible golf complex at the start of the Mornington Peninsula — 36 holes with incredible facilities, one of the best in Australia. The North Course has plenty of wow factor, huge elevation changes, masses of bunkers and waste areas. Choose the right tees if you are mid- to high-handicap, otherwise you could be in for a miserable day. - Ashley Clinch
Condition incredible; course layout superb. And just a fun course to play. - Clint Rice
9
SEVEN MILE BEACH
Seven Mile Beach, Tasmania
Designers: Mat Goggin, Mike Clayton, Mike DeVries (2025)
Once grown in, this will be an absolute beauty and amongst the best in the country. Holes perhaps not as individually spectacular as Barnbougle’s or Wickham’s, but overall ambience is better with ocean views all over the course. - Rob Evans
Brand new with little infrastructure, but you know it’s going to be special. - Mick Houston
With the Barnbougles and Port Fairy, one of the great links golf courses in Australia — and the world. When the fescue fairways knit together, it will be hard to fault. Future top-three in this space, is my tip. An exhilarating place to play golf. It will make you laugh. - Matt Cleary
Wow, what a site and what a sight to behold! We copped it on a pretty bad day weatherwise, but even the most stoic of people would be blown away by the views. The course has some amazing holes; three of the four par 3s are insanely good, and with another growing season under the belt, 7MB will surely challenge those courses that are firmly entrenched in the top five in the country. - Kevin Nolan
Will be Australia’s best match-play course from the get-go. - Josh Petterwood
Lived up to huge wraps despite bitterly cold weather. The routing is superb, with short 4, 5 and 10 the initial highlights. - Alex Johnston
Flowing design with some long par 4s and tricky greens. Will benefit from a few more years of grass establishment. Most tee shots are set up for driver. Will be one of Australia’s premium courses in a few years once further facilities have been constructed. - Craig Sebbens
The view from the 5th tee is spectacular! - Peter Martin
Seven Mile Beach is the most exciting recent addition to Australian links golf and comes with serious pedigree from concept through to execution. Set across one of the most stunning stretches of coastal land imaginable, the course offers breathtaking vistas and a layout that feels both natural and strategic. While the conditioning remains a little raw — a reflection of the challenging, arid growing conditions southern Tasmania has faced — the design brilliance is undeniable. As the turf matures, Seven Mile Beach will quickly rise to its rightful place among Australia’s most iconic links experiences, and with the sister course Five Mile on the horizon, this site is poised to become a complete world-class golf destination. - Clint Rice
Amazing place which will be at the top of my list after a couple of growing seasons. I found it spectacular and beautiful in that rugged Irish-links way. Each hole sets out before you and gives plenty of links options. Par 3s are brilliant, and I am a sucker for a short par 4, of which there are a couple of rippers. If there is better golf turf than fescue, I haven’t played on it! - Brett Papworth
Amazing setting alongside the elements of mother nature. Greens with several tiers made it incredibly challenging. - Clint Steindl
8
VICTORIA GC
Cheltenham, Victoria
Designers: Oscar Damman, William Meader & Dr Alister MacKenzie (1927); Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Clayton, Mike Cocking & Ashley Mead – OCCM (2019)
Continuing to improve with each visit, Victoria is a joy to play. The course has been routed well, taking advantage of the undulating parts of the property. I love the uniqueness of starting with a short par 4 and also having both nines finish with consecutive par 5s, which all play quite differently. - Carl Murphy
Victoria is a great golf course over incredible golf country right in the heart of the Sandbelt. The work of OCM a few years back is settling in nicely with wonderful vistas across the property and great nurturing of indigenous heathland. It has some world-class short fours — 1 and 15 — and a great set of par 3s that test every shot in your arsenal. Victoria GC is world-class. - Ashley Clinch
Classic Sandbelt, immaculate condition, a brilliant experience. Everyone is super welcoming and the course is as good as any in the world. - Brett Papworth
Around the corner from Royal Melbourne, this course is a marvel with its mix of holes and beautiful playing surfaces. A tranquil-looking short par 4 greets golfers, but beware — at 227 metres it’s no easy hole. The transformation by OCCM/OCM from 2018 has seen bunker edges and greens touch. The rolling terrain, generous playing corridors and large putting surfaces with plenty of undulation make this course a must-play if you ever get the chance. - Simon Tyndale-Biscoe
7
ROYAL MELBOURNE GC – EAST COURSE
Black Rock, Victoria
Designers: Alex Russell (1932); Tom Doak – Renaissance Golf Design (ongoing)
Royal Melbourne East is often overshadowed but never undeserving. There’s an elegance to its questions — a quieter intelligence that only reveals itself when you stop rushing to the West. - Kevin Nolan
Only just below its famous brother. Great collection of short 4s. - Josh Petterwood
6
NEW SOUTH WALES GC
La Perouse, NSW
Designers: Dr Alister MacKenzie (1928); Eric Apperly (1937 & 1951); Greg Norman & Bob Harrison (2010); Greg Norman (2018); Tom Doak – Renaissance Golf (2019); Mackenzie & Ebert (ongoing)
With green complexes redone in 2024, this is now a magnificent track that ticks all boxes. - Rob Evans
One of Australia’s best and most challenging courses. And better again since the renovations.- Mick Houston
After years of tinkering by various design firms, Mackenzie & Ebert have brought consistency throughout the course, particularly with sandy waste and bunkers, along with major overhauls to improve green shaping and contours. - Carl Murphy
Simply mint. The best refurb I have ever seen. The new third hole is amazing. Many architects have had a crack but never got it right. Standing in the middle of the third fairway, the green now looks at you; in the past it was always a hit-and-hope. Now you can see where the ball finishes. The 12th is now one of the premier par 5s in the country. With the hill taken out and a saddle formed for the tee shot, the hole is fully visible and more playable for the average golfer. - Matt Laverty
Spectacular. Fun. A test of golf. Love what they’ve done with the third hole; a blind tee shot is no longer followed by an approach where you can’t see the ball land. Too bad the wind can blow balls off greens, because I’d love to see it host another Aussie Open. Watching the big boys “golf” their ball around this marvellous, rolling, fast and firm land is very cool. Always fun to play, particularly if you enjoy shaping the ball in the wind. - Matt Cleary
5
BARNBOUGLE LOST FARM
Bridport, Tasmania
Designer: Bill Coore (2010)
The most playable golf course imaginable for all abilities. Top notch. - Josh Petterwood
Stunning, and complements a great location. - Rob Evans
Fairways the size of polo fields. Greens like frozen seas of aqua bumps. If you can’t have fun at Lost Farm, you need to find another sport. - Matt Cleary
Lost Farm might be the best example of a course that invites golfers of every skill level to think rather than fear. It’s architectural generosity at its finest. - Kevin Nolan
Stunning collection of flat and undulating holes combined with coastal and inland holes. Twenty holes of heaven. - Rob Williamson
The opening five holes are about as fun as golf gets. If you’ve got 10 rounds at Barnbougle, you play five on each course … it’s that simple. - Alex Johnston
With two great courses to play in the one location, I always tend to favour Lost Farm. Although generally over flatter terrain, the great design and routing take advantage of the most interesting parts of the land. - Carl Murphy
Barnbougle Lost Farm for me plays a supporting role to its big brother Barnbougle Dunes — another great design — and my only harsh marker is that 11 goes inland and feels like it loses its coastal appeal for a moment. In summary, another links icon of Australia. - Clint Rice
4
BARNBOUGLE DUNES
Bridport, Tasmania
Designers: Tom Doak & Mike Clayton (2004)
Getting better with age. - Josh Petterwood
Still the great and gnarly beast of Tasmania’s north-east. Fun, a test of golf, exciting, windswept, natural … for the golf tourist, they do everything right. - Matt Cleary
Barnbougle’s pair of marquee layouts remain almost impossible to separate in pure quality, but the Dunes offers more moments that burn themselves into your golfing memory. - Kevin Nolan
Close to the perfect golf experience that must include the seafood chowder to end the day. - Rob Williamson
Holes 3–7 remain an absolute thrill ride. Doak and Clayton created a masterpiece that changed Australian golf forever. - Alex Johnston
There is a lot to love about Barnbougle Dunes. It has some stunning holes offering risk and reward throughout the dunes on the property. I just hate playing this course into an easterly wind due to the limited change in hole direction. - Carl Murphy
Barnbougle Dunes is as pure as links golf gets in Australia — rugged, raw and utterly captivating on all 18 holes. The layout flows naturally through the dunes, demanding creativity around the greens. The tee placements cater for golfers of all abilities. I find Barnbougle generous off the tee, but placement is needed in the fairway to access pins. Approach shots need to be well thought out — you can be on the green but unable to get close to the hole. I love this strategy. It’s a world-class experience that shines differently in every set of conditions. - Clint Rice
I last visited this place in 2018, and to be able to say it had improved since then is a massive bonus. The routing and design are awesome across the course, and the variety of green complexes and differences in holes mean every club in the bag is used — and plenty
of brain cells expended. - Simon Tyndale-Biscoe
3
KINGSTON HEATH
Heatherton, Victoria
Designers: Dan Soutar (1925), Dr Alister MacKenzie (1926), Graeme Grant (1983–1995); Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Clayton, Mike Cocking & Ashley Mead – OCCM (2018); Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking & Ashley Mead – OCM (ongoing)
A masterpiece of a golf course on a tiny parcel of land in the Melbourne sandbelt. “The Heath” is a wonderful mix of challenge and fun, some world-class holes – 3, 6, 9, 10, 15 – within a world-class golf facility. It also has great vegetation management and heathland, indigenous flora and exceptional playing surfaces. Kingston Heath is the full package. – Ashley Clinch
An amazing routing on a small property that is highlighted with intelligent thoughtful work in the vegetation management. A poster child for Greens committees getting it right. – Kevin Nolan
Not possible to get bored playing the Heath. Tests every part of your game, especially your brain. – Rob Williamson
Brilliant course, great layout and very challenging, hospitality and facilities brilliant, highly recommend. – Craig Sebbens
Always among Australia’s best courses with some great facilities and staff to match. A great experience. – Mick Houston
Iconic sandbelt bunkering; the condition on every occasion has been 19/20 for me. I have played this in the Australian Masters and in general play. It can play extremely hard and fast; love the tee-shot strategies required and imagination around the greens. – Clint Rice
2
CAPE WICKHAM LINKS
King Island, Tasmania
Designers: Darius Oliver and Mike DeVries (2015)
Cape Wickham delivers a different kind of authority to other top-10 courses. The back nine, especially the homeward run, is a carnival of decision-making, risk-reward, beauty and intimidation. It overwhelms the senses in the best possible way. – Kevin Nolan
Spectacular. Fun. The homeward-bound holes, particularly the last three, are jaw-dropping – Matt Cleary
1
ROYAL MELBOURNE GC – WEST COURSE
Black Rock, Victoria
Designers: Dr Alister MacKenzie (1931); Tom Doak – Renaissance Golf Design (ongoing)
Some courses demand your respect immediately. Royal Melbourne West, for example, still sets a standard that’s hard to match. When you examine the holes individually and then step back to admire them collectively you gain a greater appreciation of the genius of this golf course. – Kevin Nolan
Without doubt the best in Australia and up there with any in the world. Undulation, space, magnificent greens and design overall – trees part of the scenery and not the action. If you have a tract of land this good and a design just as good, only an Augusta type can match it. A masterpiece. – Rob Evans
Can’t fault it. On every marker, the greatest route in the land. One beauty of it, the 18-marker can plot their way to 36 points while the elite go can go at the holes, risk-reward, all scores on the board. – Matt Cleary
The best golf course I’ve ever played. The best golf course I’ll ever play. When I’m gone sprinkle me on the 18th green. – Rob Williamson
One of the best strategic courses in the country, offering questions on nearly every shot. It is hard to fault, with great routing and superb conditioning. – Carl Murphy
Every hole showcases Alister MacKenzie’s genius; for me East and West together is #1. Played the Composite in the 2013 Australian Masters and it is my #13 in the world. Separately, West is still a masterpiece but it doesn’t surpass Barnbougle Dunes for me. – Clint Rice
A stunning example of what all courses should aspire to. There simply isn’t a bad hole on either RM course. The difference being – the West has memorable holes such as #5, #6, #9 and #11. All holes ask questions continually and test the golfer’s ability throughout the bag. The day I played was almost windless with a full cloud cover overhead which seemed to provide a bit of stickiness to those shots played well into greens. With wide playing lines and little or no undergrowth off the fairway, balls were easy to find and allowed play to continue quickly and without penalty. If anyone reading this ever gets the opportunity to play this course they should cancel whatever might be getting in the way of a round here and grab it with both hands. – Simon Tyndale-Biscoe
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