{"id":236946,"date":"2025-10-24T06:43:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T06:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/236946\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T06:43:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T06:43:24","slug":"simply-the-best-victorias-finest-golf-escapes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/236946\/","title":{"rendered":"Simply the best: Victoria’s finest golf escapes"},"content":{"rendered":"

In celebration of the Australian Open returning to the hallowed fairways of Royal Melbourne, we take a closer look at Victoria\u2019s finest golf escapes that showcase why the Garden State is a true golfer\u2019s paradise.\u00a0<\/p>\n

No mainland state is smaller in area than Victoria, yet none rivals Australia\u2019s Garden State for golf majesty and variety.<\/p>\n

Golf in Victoria is characterised by a series of defined regions that neighbour one another while offering truly different design traits and backdrops. A Murray River excursion? How about a dozen-plus courses lining the great watercourse. The Mornington Peninsula? It\u2019s only home to 11 layouts ranked in Australia\u2019s Top 100 Golf Courses. Across Port Phillip Bay on the Bellarine Peninsula? A whole bunch more. And that\u2019s before we discuss the crown jewel of Victorian golf: the Melbourne Sandbelt.<\/p>\n

It would take at least a month to tour the very best of the state\u2019s golf courses, but what a month it would be. You might not be blessed with such a long window of opportunity, nor the capability of travelling right across the state with golf clubs in tow, so we\u2019ve segmented Victoria into regions that can be tackled in more manageable pieces, sampling and savouring each one before moving onto the next.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

MELBOURNE<\/p>\n

What\u2019s not to love about a city that exudes cosmopolitan sophistication with a dash of volatility? Golf in the Victorian capital mirrors the city\u2019s undeniable swagger, blending underrated suburban layouts with world-class arenas \u2013 sometimes side by side. Golf in Melbourne is whatever you choose to make it. Reach high by never leaving the golf \u2018penthouse\u2019, dabble on the fringes, or do both. It\u2019s that sheer variety that makes it one of the world\u2019s most revered golf cities.<\/p>\n

Peak Melbourne: It\u2019s the Sandbelt, of course, most prominently Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath, but with a talented support act featuring the likes of Peninsula Kingswood, Victoria, Metropolitan, Commonwealth, Yarra Yarra, Huntingdale and more. Playing that roster alone would represent the golf week of many players\u2019 lives and you wouldn\u2019t waste much time getting to and from each one, as the huddled nature of the Sandbelt is one of its most enduring traits. It is, in every way, top-shelf golf.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overlook: Woodlands Golf Club is sometimes viewed as the Sandbelt\u2019s stepchild \u2013 it either is or isn\u2019t part of the famed family, depending on whom you ask. It matters not, for the layout is a gem and only getting better as design tweaks and improved vegetation management bring out the best in the site. Woodlands is a throwback course. A mere 6,111 metres long and tight in places, it frequently tempts golfers to venture out of their comfort zone. Precision trumps power in most instances in a test that is never boring.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Also consider: Closer to the city, Latrobe Golf Club offers a treelined circuit beside the Yarra River. It has the added benefit of a short-and-sweet \u201cThe Island\u201d course \u2013 a five-hole loop of par 3s tucked within a bend in the river that can easily be toured in an hour. Then there\u2019s the Yarra Bend course, with its CBD views and fantastic practice facilities. The course is no slouch, either, presenting a challenge that\u2019s navigable for golfers of all handicap levels.<\/p>\n

Other options: We also recommend checking out the golf in Melbourne\u2019s west, including Sanctuary Lakes, Kooringal and Eynesbury.<\/p>\n

\"\"Rosebud Country Club<\/p>\n

MORNINGTON PENINSULA<\/p>\n

So close to Melbourne that, at least from a golf perspective, they essentially touch, the Mornington Peninsula feeds off the Sandbelt\u2019s wonderful natural attributes and in many ways amplifies them. With courses unconstrained by suburban boundaries, there\u2019s a bucolic appeal to the Mornington courses that the Sandbelt can\u2019t duplicate.<\/p>\n

Peak Mornington: The National is home to four courses, three of them in one location at Cape Schanck. With at least one layout available for non-member access on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, it\u2019s more than possible for interstate golfers to build a Mornington Peninsula golf itinerary around the mighty hub. Each of the Moonah, Old, Gunnamatta and (currently mid-redesign) Long Island courses are sublime in differing ways, so whichever course or courses you get to play, there\u2019ll be no disappointment.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overlook: The primary challenge of playing golf on the Mornington Peninsula is deciding which courses to leave off your list. But playing at least one course at each of Moonah Links and Rosebud Country Club is a must, as is weaving in rounds at The Dunes, St Andrews Beach, Portsea, Sorrento and RACV Cape Schanck if time permits. The 36 holes at Moonah Links possess such variety that playing both loops makes most sense, but if time allows for only one, you should peer deep into your golf psyche to determine which. If you\u2019re a golfer who craves a stern, even brutal, test, tackle the robust Open course; if you like a more sedate yet strategic challenge, opt for the Legends layout. Over at Rosebud, the North course is the logical choice, as its redesign under the watch of OCM has allowed that course to fully blossom. The South will get its turn in time, but the tournament-hosting North is one not to be passed by.<\/p>\n

Also consider: Flinders\u2019 quirky holes and stunning seaside location make it well worth playing, while Mornington Golf Club\u2019s gateway location makes it an ideal option to open or close a golf tour of the peninsula.<\/p>\n

Other options: We also recommend the semi-rural Devilbend and aesthetically rich Eagle Ridge for something a little different.<\/p>\n

\"\"The National Gunnamatta<\/p>\n

BELLARINE PENINSULA<\/p>\n

Tournament identity and a growing number of top courses has seen the Bellarine Peninsula slip out from underneath the Mornington\u2019s spotlight in recent years. Armed with a strong collection of top courses and a wealth of off-course attractions, the Bellarine plays second fiddle no more. But don\u2019t take our word for it; take Marc Leishman\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a sleeper [region], that\u2019s for sure,\u201d says Leishman, who hails from Warrnambool, just a few hours\u2019 drive down the coast. \u201cYou\u2019ve got Lonsdale, Queenscliff, 13th Beach \u2013 and Barwon Heads is one of the best courses going around. They\u2019re not that far from Geelong. It\u2019s a good spot. I used to love going down there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peak Bellarine: The neighbouring Barwon Heads and 13th Beach clubs \u2013 with now three-and-a-half courses between them \u2013 can\u2019t be missed. Barwon Heads\u2019 old-world charm and recently renovated clubhouse give it icon status on the Bellarine Peninsula. And for anyone who\u2019s watched even a millisecond of a Vic Open broadcast on TV, you\u2019ve no doubt salivated at the prospect of tackling either the Beach or Creek courses.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overlook: Lonsdale Links and Curlewis. Lonsdale\u2019s courageous renovation a few years ago sought to give the layout a look and feel that\u2019s partly its own but also partially borrowed from the great courses of the world via the \u2018template\u2019 holes now in place. Modern takes on Biarritz, Redan and Punchbowl greens, the Road and Alps holes and more homages dot the course in a foray that remains authentic. Curlewis has improved immensely in recent years, however the most striking elements are beside the course. Stylish accommodation beside the first tee and 18th green plus a striking clubhouse precinct and an adjoining driving range have raised the bar at the popular facility.<\/p>\n

Also consider: Queenscliff, which occupies its own island, and Portarlington both showcase several Sandbelt qualities on markedly different sites. Queenscliff touches Swan Bay in numerous instances and being entirely sand-based, it\u2019s a haven for golfers during periods of heavy rainfall. Over at \u201cPort\u201d, there\u2019s a heathland feel alongside stout bunkering and exceptional couchgrass fairways that repeatedly draw praise.<\/p>\n

Other options: We also recommend Geelong and Anglesea; the former for its fresh and innovative nine-hole course and the latter for its scenery and abundant mobs of kangaroos.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lonsdale Links<\/p>\n

SHIPWRECK COAST<\/p>\n

Upon encountering Victoria\u2019s Shipwreck Coast, Matthew Flinders said, \u201cI have seldom seen a more fearful stretch of coastline.\u201d On certain days, the explorer\u2019s phrase can easily be adapted to describe the region\u2019s golf courses. It\u2019s a wild stretch of coastline and one that has ruined as many scorecards as sailing vessels. Yet such precariousness is what draws golfers back, time and again. What the Shipwreck Coast, which spans Port Fairy in the west to Cape Otway in the east, lacks for quantity it makes up for in the quality and quaintness of its golf courses.<\/p>\n

Peak Shipwreck: Port Fairy sits 50th in Australian Golf Digest\u2019s biennial ranking of the nation\u2019s Top 100 Golf Courses, drawing an armada of admirers who\u2019ve made the journey to the far reaches of the Shipwreck Coast. When they get there, golfers encounter a genuinely exposed and natural course. Sure, golf might be nearly unplayable some days in the strong winds, but this is links golf, pure and simple. You get what you get, adapt and push on. Port Fairy is the kind of place where golfers learn a little bit more about the examination each time they tee it up.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overlook: Warrnambool joins its stablemate in the Top 100 (sitting 93rd) and is famous for nurturing Leishman\u2019s game as a youngster. It\u2019s a little more protected than Port Fairy, with several holes lined by coastal scrub. It does, however, own one of the more menacing stretches of holes in Victorian golf \u2013 the Shipwreck Bend that takes in holes four to six. Par you way through there and your round has embarked safely.<\/p>\n

Also consider: Peterborough has just nine holes, but it\u2019s an epic nine \u2013 arguably among the best nine-holers in Australia. Dramatic cliffs frame many fairways and they\u2019re close enough to the ocean to feel its spray on your cheek, while a series of elevated tees enhance the visual and playing experience.<\/p>\n

\"\"Black Bull<\/p>\n

MURRAY RIVER<\/p>\n

The largest and most expansive of Victoria\u2019s golf regions is technically the domain of New South Wales, as all but one course are found on the northern side of the Murray River. However, their closer proximity to Melbourne compared to Sydney and the number of twin towns that straddle the river give the area at very least a shared feel. In fact, it\u2019s easy to forget which side of the border you\u2019re on as you duck either side of the majestic watercourse while touring its golf courses, such is the uniqueness of the environment. Several courses are close enough to the river to see it or even have the water in play, while throughout are the towering gum trees so synonymous with the region. There is a sameness to the design style of most Murray courses, yet that welcoming similarity is what helps make it among the most popular golf destinations in Australia.<\/p>\n

Peak Murray: The newest addition to Murray River golf ranks as its best. Black Bull is only 10 years old \u2013 which is young in Murray golf terms \u2013 but has captured the imagination of the legions of golfers who return to the area each year. Set on the shores of Lake Mulwala, the final course design in Peter Thomson\u2019s illustrious portfolio gave the region a standout modern newcomer. Thomson and design partner Ross Perrett weaved holes in and away from the lake in a compelling layout.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overlook: As with Victoria\u2019s other golf havens, it can be a challenge to contain a golf trip along the Murray. However, if you can get there, Murray Downs near Swan Hill has long been considered the pick of the river\u2019s \u2018old\u2019 courses, perhaps more so after hosting last year\u2019s NSW Open. Elsewhere, several Murray courses double up by offering 36 holes, including Yarrawonga Mulwala (where the Executive nine brings it to 45), Rich River, Cobram Barooga and Tocumwal. Each venue makes it possible to have a great golf weekend without needing to move on, although doing so limits your exposure to the breadth of golf the Murray possesses.<\/p>\n

Also consider: The ever-evolving cluBarham course is certainly recommended, while Howlong and Corowa are quintessential Murray layouts, the latter in particular.<\/p>\n

Other options: We also recommend Commercial Albury, Thurgoona and Wodonga to the east, as Albury-Wodonga\u2019s golf options shouldn\u2019t be ignored.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In celebration of the Australian Open returning to the hallowed fairways of Royal Melbourne, we take a closer…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":236947,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-236946","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-golf","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236946\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}