As more people begin to poke their heads out of their respective states and both domestic and international travel ramps up again, Australia’s top golf clubs are getting ready to shine once more. Whether it’s a links course or a parkland vibe, there’s no denying this country offers a (very) wide range for anyone wanting to shake off any lockdown blues and swing amongst the best golf courses in Australia. Fortunately, the reopening of all these golf clubs also means specialist publication Golf Australia Magazine has returned with its authoritative Top 100 Courses list.
The Top 100 Courses by Golf Magazine Australia was a regular round-up until the pandemic kicked off. A reasonable hiatus followed, but now it seems like the publication and its panel of 56 contributing judges has been steadily keeping tabs on Australia’s top-rated golf courses to ensure a consistent and meaningful ranking. Those familiar with the list probably know the panel isn’t typically this large. This time around, however, extra judges were necessary to account for the lack of interstate travel.
“Long periods of lockdown in various states, state border closures at different times, and golf courses across the land filling tee timesheets with members and locals has made it more difficult than usual for our judges to view courses,” writes Golf Australia Editor Breandan James.
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“When it became apparent that in early 2020 there would be problems arising from the pandemic, we recruited extra judges to the Top 100 panel from each state to overcome the likelihood of interstate travel being restricted.”
The various judges would visit as many courses as possible during the pandemic, despite the public not really having access to the country’s favourite fairways. The list, which this year is topped by the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, examines each course and scores them according to design, operation, and various other points that are left up to the individual judge’s discretion.
From South Australia, Mornington Peninsula, and Melbourne’s Sandbelt to great golf that can be found near hotspots like Hunter Valley and Gold Coast, there’s clearly plenty to get reacquainted with now that travel restrictions are (hopefully) a thing of the past.
We’ve included the full list from Golf Australia Magazine below with details about the Top 10. All golf courses have been given a score out of 100.
Best Australian Golf Courses For 2023
1. Royal Melbourne Golf Club – West Course, Victoria
As far as Golf Magazine Australia is concerned, Royal Melbourne Golf Club – West Course is the best golf course in the country. Manging to nab the leading score of 99.86 points out of 100, the famously challenging course is a mecca for Australia’s most serious golfers and a marvel of modern architecture boosted by excellent conditioning and bold bunkering.
Designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie with ongoing work from Tom Doak, Royal Melbourne Golf Club clearly still has a firm grip on the hearts of Australia’s most serious golfers as well as newcomers who may have punched up their game by visiting the best golf driving ranges in Melbourne while travel restrictions were in place.
For a really good analysis of just why Royal Melbourne Golf Club’s West Course is so revered check out this piece over at Golf Course Gurus.
Score: 99.86
Address: Cheltenham Road, Black Rock VIC
Contact: (03) 9599 0500
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (7 AM- 5 PM)
2. Cape Wickham Links, Tasmania
While Tassie golf courses are generally considered some of the best in the South-Pacific, the state did miss out on the coveted lead spot. But this isn’t a “if you ain’t first, you’re last: type of situation. Cape Wickham Links, situated on the north coast of Tasmania’s King Island, is no doubt number one in a lot of books.
It just missed out on the leading charge with a score of 98.07, with plenty of praise heaped towards the design handled by Darius Olivier and Mike DeVries in 2015. Accentuating the dramatic, theatrical surrounds of King Island, the links golf course is an undeniable classic for the country and there’s little surprise seeing it ranked this high given the amount of acclaim Cape Wickham Links regularly attracts from golfers all around the world.
Score: 98.07
Address: Cape Wickham Road, Wickham TAS
Contact: (03) 6463 1200
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (7 AM – 6 PM)
3. Barnbougle – Dunes, Tasmania
A Boss Hunting favourite and the third-runner in Golf Australia Magazine‘s Top 100 Golf Courses in Australia for 2022. Not much needs to be said about Barnbougle Dunes, which was designed by Tom Doak and Mike Clayton around the Bridport surrounds on the northeast coast of Tasmania.
“Tom Doak and Mike Clayton built a raft of holes that are not only some of the best in the country but are equal to anything overseas,” writes Top 100 judge Brian Walshe.
“The 7th shows that you don’t need to have a 450-metre par-4 to scare golfers, in fact, a par-3 that is often more than a flick with a wedge can be absolutely terrifying.”
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Score: 97.5
Address: 425 Waterhouse Rd, Bridport TAS
Contact: (03) 6356 0094
Hours: Monday – Friday (7 AM – 10 PM); Saturday – Sunday (7 AM – 10:30 PM)
4. Barnbougle – Lost Farm, Tasmania
Barnbougle takes out both the third and fourth spots with Lost Farm following Dunes. The second golf course from Barnbougle was designed to be significantly different from The Dunes, with 20-holes sprawled across the coast and through the coastal dunes.
US golf course design company Coore & Crenshaw and head designer Bill Coore shaped Lost Farm to perfection, paying tribute to the natural landscape by creating a seamless course that builds upon and nods to Tasmania’s majesty.
Score: 97.31
Address: 425 Waterhouse Rd, Bridport TAS
Contact: (03) 6310 8400
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (7 AM – 6 PM)
5. Kingston Heath Golf Club, Victoria
Par-3 lovers have a particular love of the legendary Kingston Heath Golf Club in Cheltenham, Victoria. Designed by Dan Soutar and Dr Alister MacKenzie, the golf course is sweeping and all-encompassing, offering some of the best green complexes in Australia and some truly immaculate bunkering. There’s no faulting this one, and even it only clocks in at 95.75, it’s still a winner in our books.
Score: 95.75
Address: Kingston Road, Cheltenham VIC
Contact: (03) 8558 2700
Hours: Monday – Sunday (9 AM – 9 PM)
6. Peninsula Kingswood – North Course, Victoria
Found along Melbourne’s sandbelt, Peninsula Kingswood – North Course has benefited from a number of extensive redesigns over the past years. With a combination of clever design from a crack team consisting of Geoff Oglivy, Mike Clayton, Mike Cocking, and Ashley Mead, and spectacular luxury accommodation on-site, it’s obvious Peninsula Kingswood is still one of the greatest destinations for Aussie golfers.
Score: 96.33
Address: 211-279 Skye Rd, Frankston VIC
Contact: (03) 9789 2222
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (7 AM – 6 PM)
7. Royal Melbourne Golf Club – East Course, Victoria
Royal Melbourne Golf Club may lead the pack when it comes to the West Course, but the East Course drops most likely due to ongoing refurbishments. With Tom Doak currently working on getting it up to scratch with its more famous neighbour, the West Course still puts up a considerable fight to get into the Top 10 with a score of 94.9. We expect this one to climb in subsequent years after Doak is done working his reliable magic.
Score: 94.9
Address: Cheltenham Rd, Black Rock VIC
Contact: (03) 9599 0500
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (7 AM – 5 PM)
8. The National Golf Club – Gunnamatta Course, Victoria
Continuing Victoria’s dominant status as the Australian state with the best golf courses, The National Golf Club clocks in with a score of 92.9 for Gunnamatta Course. The 18-hole beauty was designed by Tom Doak in 2019, once again featuring a visionary mix of strategic bunkering and working seamlessly with the natural curves of the region’s sandy landscape.
Score: 92.9
Address: The Cups Dr., Cape Schanck VIC
Contact: (03) 5988 6666
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday (8 AM – 5 PM)
9. New South Wales Golf Club
NSW finally gets its first lick in with the state’s signature Golf Club, situated on the rocky cliffs of La Perouse. The Par-72 private golf club is still one of the most sought after in the country and is widely considered the state’s best courses for experienced golfers looking to further master their craft.
With the most recent redesign headed by Tom Doak (and before that Greg Norman), the score of 91.33 seems well-deserved for a golf course that asks as much as it offers.
Score: 91.33
Address: Kamay Botany Bay National Park, 101 Henry Head Lane, La Perouse NSW
Contact: (02) 9661 4455
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (9 AM – 6 PM)
10. Victoria Golf Club
With its green renovation program and continued work on vegetation management being cited as a major driving factor behind Victoria Golf Club’s considerable acclaim, the state’s namesake course rounds out the Top 10 with a score of 94.5.
Part of Melbourne’s sandbelt, the course has always been a constant lure for Australian and international golfers and its modern evolution has obviously been paying dividends with its impressive inclusion on this list. Look for this to climb a bit higher in subsequent years if the design, most recently headed by the likes of Geoff Oglivy and Mike Clayton, continues on this path.
Score: 94.5
Address: Park Rd, Cheltenham VIC
Contact: (03) 9584 1733
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (8 AM – 6 PM)
The Best Golf Courses In Australia (#11 – #100)
Although the Top 10 should give you more than enough to work through as you get back into the swing of things, pay equal attention to the rest of the Top 100. We’ve included the remainder of the list below alongside the scores out of a possible 100 credited to each golf course.
11. Royal Adelaide Golf Club – 91.26
12. The National Golf Club – Moonah Course – 89.64
13. St. Andrews Beach – 89.13
14. The Lakes Golf Club – 89.1
15. Metropolitan Golf Club – 88.86
16. Peninsula Kingswood Golf Club – South Course – 88.5
17. Yarra Yarra Golf Club – 87
18. Ocean Dunes – 89.63
19. Barwon Heads Golf Club – 86.54
20. Lonsdale Links – 86
21. Kooyonga Golf Club – 85.24
22. Lake Karrinyup Golf Club – 84.93
23. Royal Queensland Golf Club – 82.9
24. The National GC – Golf Club – 82.15
25. Woodlands GC – 81.62
26. Thirteenth Beach Links – Beach Course – 80.46
27. The Dunes Golf Links – 79.73
28. Port Fairy Links – 79.42
29. Newcastle Golf Club – 79.15
30. Concord Golf Club – 79.13
31. Royal Canberra – Westbourne Course – 78.7
32. Commonwealth Golf Club – 77.55
33. Magenta Shores Golf Club – 77.16
34. Brookwater Golf Club – 77
35. Bonnie Doon Golf Club – 76.88
36. The Australia Golf Club – 76.61
37. Portsea Golf Club – 76.11
38. Bougle Run – 76
39. The Grange GC – West Course – 75.15
40. Bonville Golf Resort – 75.05
41. Joondalup Resort – Quarry/Dunes Course – 73.53
42. Hamilton Island Golf Club – 72.85
43. Glenelg Golf Club – 72.56
44. The National Golf Club – Long Island Course – 71.3
45. Spring Valley Golf Club – 70.27
46. Elanora Country Club – 70.15
47. Moonah Links – Legends Course – 70
48. The Grange Golf Club – East Course – 69.86
49. Curlewis Golf Club – 69.75
50. Terrey Hills Golf & Country Club – 69.5
51. Sandringham Golf Links – 69.33
52. The Vintage Golf Club – 69.15
53. Thirteenth Beach Links – Creek Course – 68.33
54. The Eastern Golf Club – South Course – 68
55. Links Hope Island – 67.13
56. Royal Sydney Golf Club – 66.05
57. Meadow Springs Golf Course & Country Club – 65.98
58. Huntingdale Golf Club – 65.25
59. The Grand Golf Club – 65.13
60. RACV Healesville Country Club – 64.37
61. St Michaels Golf Club – 63.9
62. Cranbourne Golf Club – 63.5
63. The Cut Golf Club – 63.15
64. Ranfurlie Golf Club – 62.95
65. Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club – Pines Course – 62.56
66. Kalgoorlie GC – 61.33
67. Sanctuary Lakes GC – 60.75
68. Moonah Links – Open Course – 59.87
69. Rosebud CC – North Course – 59.83
70. Links Lady Bay Resort – 59.65
71. Royal Hobart Golf Club – 58.8
72. Stonecutters Ridge – 58.1
73. Settlers Run Golf & Country Club – 57.67
74. Mt Lawley Golf Club – 57.57
75. The Glades Golf Club – 56.5
76. Avondale Golf Club – 56.13
77. Narooma Golf Club – 55.25
78. Maroochy River Golf Club – 54.33
79. Tasmania Golf Club – 53.25
80. Black Bull Golf Club – 52.9
81. Sun City Golf Club – 51.67
82. Warrnambool Golf Club – 49.67
83. Mt Compass Golf Course – 49.15
84. Sorrento Golf Club – 49
85. Killara Golf Club – 47.87
86. Murray Downs Golf & Country Club – 47.33
87. Joondalup Resort – Quarry/Lake Course – 46.75
88. RACV Cape Schanck Resort – 45.13
89. Belmont Golf Club – 44.25
90. Riversdale Golf Club – 44.1
91. Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club – 43.75
92. RACV Royal Pines Resort – Green/Gold Course – 42.67
93. The Federal Golf Club – 42.15
94. Monash Country Club – 41.9
95. Indooroopilly Golf Club – West Course – 40.33
96. Kew Golf Club – 40.15
97. The Brisbane Golf Club – 40
98. Castle Hill Country Club – 39.95
99. Sanctuary Cover Golf & Country Club – Palms Course – 37.67
100. Pacific Dunes – 37.15
Now that you’ve read all about the best golf courses in Australia, check out the BH roundups for the best driving ranges in Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth.
