People who enjoy golf go to Melbourne annually, and not just to enjoy the city's many dining and nightlife options. Melbourne is sometimes referred to as "golf capital" of Australia because it is home to some of the best courses in the country (including 4 of the top 10 courses in the country). And there are more top-notch golf courses in the area known as the "Sandbelt" than could be mentioned in a single article, which is astounding in and of itself.
Given our penchant for a test of skill, we've prepared a list of the top 10 golf courses in Melbourne, some of which are open to the general public and perfect for the rank amateur. If you're in the market for a new set of clubs or even just a new glove, go no further than Melbourne's finest golf shops or the finest online golf retailers. If the enormity of the big game is too much for you, there are plenty of great mini golf courses in Melbourne to keep you entertained.
Golf is a popular sport, but it is a frequent misconception that it is a costly or exclusive activity. Melbourne is home to a number of affordable public courses where golfers may work on their swing and receive professional instruction. In addition to offering casual play and passes for more serious golfers, several of these courses also provide lessons for golfing newbies who have only seen Happy Gilmore. You may rent golf clubs, golf balls, and even golf carts, so you have no excuse to avoid hitting the links. Some golf courses also have mini-golf for those who don't feel ready for the larger holes.
FAQs About Melbourne’s Golf Courses And Clubs
Other clubs can be added as you become more involved. However, you may not carry more than 14 clubs in your bag. Advice about the equipment you need to start playing is available from golf professionals based at golf clubs, driving ranges, or on-course and off-course golf retail stores.
While professional golfers can hit their drivers well over 300 yards, a typical male golfer will hit anywhere between 230 and 290 yards, depending on his skill level. Women will hit the ball 230 yards on a great drive, but most will hit it less than 200.
What counts as a stroke in golf? Under the Rules of Golf, any stroke in which you intend to hit the ball counts. It doesn't matter how far the ball goes. If you swing and miss, and you were trying to hit the ball, then it counts. If you take another swing at it, then you're counting your next stroke after the whiff.
The most expensive suburb close to the Melbourne CBD is the leafy suburb of Toorak. Arguably the suburb people most Australians consider to be the most expensive in Melbourne, Toorak has a median house price of $3,043,600 and is located just five kilometres from the city centre
If it is your first time visiting the city, you'll find it is entirely possible to experience Melbourne in 3 days, although 5 days is ideal so you have more time for day trips.
Best Melbourne Golf Courses and Clubs
One possible candidate for golf's Mecca is Melbourne's southeastern suburbs. To be fair, though, Melbourne is home to some of the world's top golf courses.
Several of the best can be found in the same area—the famous Melbourne Sandbelt, a sandy subsoil that has proven to be ideal for sustaining world-class golf courses. Six of these courses are among the top 20 in all of Australia, and three are among the top 10. If you're ever in Melbourne and have the chance to play golf at one of these 11 top courses, you shouldn't pass it up.
Golf Club of Royal Melbourne
If Royal Melbourne says it's the best golf course in Australia, it's hard to argue. Both of Royal Melbourne's 18-hole courses, East and West, consistently rank among the best in the country according to readers of Australian Golf Digest.
This Australian landmark is the first venue outside the United States to hold the PGA President's Cup. Obviously, if you're a golf lover and you happen to be in Australia, you need to play a round at this course. Not for the first time, the Royal Melbourne Golf Club has been named the best course in the world. Each of the three championship courses features 18 holes.
The West Course is frequently placed in the top three courses worldwide, and it was been named Australia's greatest. Not to be outdone by its celestial neighbour, the East Course is also listed in the top 20 by the same Golf Digest ranking and features one of the best par 3s among Melbourne's top courses. By combining the 18 holes from the West Course and the 18 holes from the East Course, the world-famous Composite Course was born. The end product is the greatest mashup since Linkin Park and Jay-Z, and the best 18 holes of golf in the country.
It's true that most of these courses are accessible by vehicle or on foot from local public transportation stops, but Royal Park Golf Course takes it to the next level by having tram and train lines pass right through it. You may play golf here and then stroll to Royal Park, Carlton, or Brunswick for some takeaway afterwards. Spend merely $8 on a one-hour practise session instead of spending more than that on playing all nine holes. In this case, you can just hire the required equipment.
Kingston Heath Golf Club
Kingston Heath Golf Club, which has been the site of the Australian Open no less than seven times, is renowned for its challenging course and excellent bunkering. The world's best golfers agree that Kingston Heath is one of the best courses because of this, with Tiger Woods praising it after his 2009 victory in the Australian Masters. If you want to join one of the most exclusive clubs in the country, you'll need to get recommendations from current members and stand in line for quite some time. But trust me when I tell the wait is more than worth it when you play on this hallowed turf.
Kingston Heath is not content with always coming in second on rankings of Australia's greatest golf clubs; instead, it distinguishes itself by being the sandiest course in the country. There are a whopping 128 bunkers on the course, most of which surround the greens. If you play poorly, you may find yourself in the sand more often than David Hasselhoff. Nonetheless, Kingston Heath is ranked in the top 20 of Golf Digest's list of the world's 100 best golf courses and has hosted the Australian Open seven times and the Australian Masters on many occasions.
Victoria Golf Club
The Victoria Golf Club has entered the ring as a contender for the title of best golf club in the Melbourne Sandbelt. The Victoria is a worthy addition to this collection of amazingly good golf courses, and it holds its own against its more well-known rivals. Tiny, lightning-fast greens reward accurate shots, thoughtful club selection, and a flawless short game; professionals and amateurs alike struggle to escape the intimidating bunkers set up close to the greens' collars.
If you're looking for the most challenging course in Melbourne, look no farther than the Victoria Golf Club. The course at Victoria Golf Club was created by Oscar Damman and Bill Meade with the help of golf course architecture legend Dr. Alister MacKenzie. The par-72 courses have hosted several prestigious events, such as the Australian Open and Women's Australian Open, and even President George Bush Sr. for a round in 1998. That's not a resume or CV, if there ever was one.
Brighton Golf Course
It might be surprising to see a $30 course among Australia's most exclusive clubs. We're not snobs, but we don't think only those who live in smoking jackets and chinos have a right to play on the top golf courses in Melbourne. With bunkers around nearly every green and a reasonable price tag, Brighton has all the identifying features of a Sandbelt course without the intimidation factor.
The front nine holes at Brighten Golf Course are relatively short and demanding, but the back nine holes are somewhat longer and more difficult. Par fours and fives dominate, and the course is littered with bunkers, making it difficult even for experienced golfers. You can rent golf clubs and golf carts.
Metropolitan Golf Club
One of the best courses in the world can be located in the Melbourne Sandbelt, and it's the Metropolitan Golf Club, which was established at the same time as the Royal Melbourne and is widely regarded as one of Australia's finest championship courses. The native scrub has been sculpted into fairways that are as uniform as a carpet, while bunkers surround every green and pivot at the turns in the road.
The Metropolitan has played host to several major sporting events, and in 2018, it will play host to the PGA World Cup of Golf. Even the name "Metropolitan" suggests an air of refinement. Its reputation for exclusivity, however, is well-deserved, since the course has hosted the Australian Open on many occasions and is often ranked among Australia's top 20 courses by Golf Digest. In a playoff at The Metropolitan in 1997, Greg Norman famously lost after missing the green on the third and fourth attempts. Certainly, everyone can identify with this.
Ranfurlie Golf Club
If you're looking for a great place to play golf in Australia, look no further than Ranfurlie, one of the country's finest courses. This is because, as you've probably figured by now, Ranfurlie mixes elements of both traditional links design and Sandbelt golf, which means plenty of bunkers.
You can join Ranfurlie and play whenever you please if you like, but on specific days of the week, anyone can play for a low price and enjoy the course.
Woodlands Golf Club
With its undulating fairways, threatening bunkers, and high greens, Woodlands Golf Club is a true test for even the most accomplished golfers, and it shares many characteristics with Melbourne's top courses. The casual slugger will not do well in Woodlands, due to the many difficult intricacies that need a certain level of finesse to handle the small roadways and troublesome bunkers properly.
Woodlands is an oddity among Sandbelt courses, which often require guests to be accompanied by a member, in that visitors satisfying the handicap and club membership requirements are welcome to taste the joys at Woodlands.
Commonwealth Golf Club
The Commonwealth Golf Club is highly regarded as one of the best courses in Melbourne because to its strategic design and challenging, narrow fairways. Originating in 1914, the vision of the original planners is evident in the towering native eucalypts that have been meticulously selected and nurtured over the past century to serve as sentinels over the motorways and the gently sloping greens.
The upper balcony of the magnificent clubhouse is one of the best places to relax with a drink after a round. The Commonwealth Golf Club, another member of the Seven Sisters and a shining example of Sandbelt golf, is located just a short distance from the Metropolitan. You can travel around very quickly (and cheaply) if you're visiting from another state or even another nation, albeit, as is customary, you need to be a member of a club in the state or country where you now reside.
Huntingdale Golf Club
Huntingdale Golf Club, located on Melbourne's renowned Sandbelt, was the "Home of the Australian Masters" for thirty years running, from 1978 to 2008, and is so routinely ranked among the city's finest golfing facilities. The greens are expertly maintained all year long in Masters condition. Courses in the area are known for their strategic use of bunkers, which makes for a hard but ultimately rewarding play.
By investing $12 million in a state-of-the-art, award-winning clubhouse in 2014, the Huntingdale is rejecting the big old clubhouse aesthetic typical of established golf courses.
Yarra Yarra Golf Club
The Yarra Yarra Golf Club, which was originally designed by some of the most renowned architects of the twentieth century, has recently hired the cutting-edge firm Renaissance Golf Designs to bring back the course's original intent and subtlety.
The Yarra Yarra is being restored and is expected to become one of Melbourne's top Sandbelt courses. It features several holes that are famous all over the world. Executives at the club want to renovate the Yarra Yarra Golf Club so that it may once again be recognised as a top-tier facility for the sport.
Spring Valley Golf Club
Golf Australia recently ranked the Spring Valley Golf Club as the 43rd greatest course in Australia, making it the undisputed crown jewel of the Sandbelt collection.
With a major company so close by, it's easy to forget about Spring Valley. If you do, you'll be missing out on a course that, despite being overshadowed by its more famous neighbours, is a well-designed jewel that deserves to be played by golfers of all ability levels.
Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club
In 2013, the Peninsula Country Golf Club and the Kingswood Golf Club became the first golf clubs in Australia to unite. The Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club has three championship courses that offer a variety of challenges and opportunities for golfers of all skill levels.
The North course rewards strategic play, while the South and Kingswood courses cater to long hitters with spacious fairways and large greens.
Albert Park Golf
It may not be as highly regarded as some of the others on our list, but its accessibility makes it worthwhile. Albert Park Golf is one of Melbourne's top public golf clubs and is located in the city centre at Albert Park, site of the Formula One Grand Prix. This public course is located in the middle of Melbourne, making it convenient for residents and visitors alike to get in some golf throughout the week without having to drive far.
This world-famous golf course is located just off St. Kilda Boulevard, less than two kilometres from Melbourne's central business district. The 18-hole course in Albert Park boasts panoramic views of the cityscape. The F1 Australian Grand Prix is held here year, therefore the course is always in pristine shape for the race. Mini-golf, which is offered at this course as well, is a wonderful summertime pastime for those seeking a more relaxed social experience. But if you're a golf fan, it's time to grab your clubs and schedule a round.
Albert Park, home of the Royal Botanic Gardens, is the setting for this course. Enjoy breathtaking panoramas of the Melbourne skyline as you play all 18 holes. This course is great for novice golfers because of its variety of pars, with most holes being par fives. Rentable equipment includes clubs, golf carts, and buggies; mini-golf is also an option.
Sanctuary Lakes Golf Club
Greg Norman, who designed the Sanctuary Lakes course and named it after the Great White Shark and the adjacent street after himself, is the subject of widespread homage in this golfing community (Greg Norman Drive). Sanctuary Lakes is a fantastic choice if you are willing to spend a bit more on a round of golf in exchange for a truly memorable experience. It has been recognised as Melbourne's best public golf course by Golf Australia.
This championship layout is only twenty minutes from the heart of town, and it features a driving range and every other amenity you'd want from a top-tier course. It is a given, though, that you will always botch the first tee shot.
Sandringham Golf Course
Sandringham Golf Course provides free play for all youngsters under the age of 16 who are enrolled in school. Kids under the age of 18 need an adult supervisor when playing. The earliest time for a tee time is 3:30, and the latest is 5:30. Furthermore, they offer special coaching clinics on Sundays and during school breaks at a very low price.
Their event space can host as many as 150 guests, and they provide a range of menu options at varying price points. Brendan Green, a PGA professional who works there, is available for individual or small-group lessons. Sandringham is a serious golf course in every way, despite its reasonable greens fee. Sandringham is a great course for novice and seasoned golfers alike since it emphasises the need of planning each shot and playing with finesse. It's one of the greatest public courses in Melbourne, and it's a tremendous bargain for the quality you get.
Northcote Public Golf Course
This nine-hole course along Merri Creek is not for the faint of heart, as it boasts 12 bunkers and undulating fairways. All the holes are just the right length; some are only three pars, some are four or five.
Playable for intermediate golfers looking to improve their short game. You can rent clubs and a golf cart, and if you end up really liking the layout, a five- or seven-day pass will save you some money.
Conclusion
The best Melbourne golf courses and clubs are located in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and are some of the finest anywhere in the world. Six of the courses on this list rank in Australia's top 20 golf courses, and three are in the top 10. The Golf Club of Royal Melbourne is the best golf course in Australia, and is the first venue outside the United States to hold the PGA President's Cup. The West Course is frequently placed in the top three courses worldwide, and the East Course is also listed in the top 20 by the same Golf Digest ranking. The Composite Course is one of the best golf courses in Australia, with 18 holes from both the West Course and East Course.
Kingston Heath Golf Club is renowned for its challenging course and excellent bunkering. It is ranked in the top 20 of Golf Digest's list of the world's 100 best golf courses and has hosted the Australian Open seven times and the Australian Masters on many occasions. The Victoria Golf Club is a contender for the title of best golf club in the Melbourne Sandbelt, and its tiny, lightning-fast greens reward accurate shots, thoughtful club selection, and a flawless short game. The Victoria Golf Club is the most challenging course in Melbourne, created by Oscar Damman and Bill Meade with the help of golf course architecture legend Dr. Alister MacKenzie. Brighton Golf Course is a $30 course with bunkers around nearly every green and a reasonable price tag.
The front nine holes are relatively short and demanding, but the back nine holes are longer and more difficult. The Metropolitan Golf Club is one of the best courses in the world, established at the same time as the Royal Melbourne and is widely regarded as one of Australia's finest championship courses. It has hosted the Australian Open on many occasions and is often ranked among Australia's top 20 courses by Golf Digest. The Metropolitan has played host to several major sporting events, and in 2018, it will play host to the PGA World Cup of Golf. Ranfurlie Golf Club is a great place to play golf in Australia, mixing elements of both traditional links design and Sandbelt golf.
Woodlands Golf Club is an oddity among Sandbelt courses, requiring guests to be accompanied by a member, but visitors satisfying the handicap and club membership requirements are welcome to taste the joys at Woodlands. The Commonwealth Golf Club is highly regarded for its strategic design and challenging, narrow fairways.
Content Summary
- Best Melbourne Golf Courses and Clubs If the game of golf had a Mecca, it might just reside somewhere in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
- However, some of the best Melbourne golf courses are indeed some of the finest anywhere in the world.
- Several of the standouts cohabit the famed Melbourne Sandbelt, a rich vein of sandy subsoil that has proven particularly adept at supporting extraordinary golf courses.
- Six of the courses on this list rank in Australia's top 20 golf courses; three are in the top 10.
- If you ever get the chance to play at one of these 11 best golf courses in Melbourne, we suggest you jump at the opportunity.
- Best Melbourne Golf Courses and Clubs One possible candidate for golf's Mecca is Melbourne's southeastern suburbs.
- To be fair, though, Melbourne is home to some of the world's top golf courses.
- Several of the best can be found in the same area—the famous Melbourne Sandbelt, a sandy subsoil that has proven to be ideal for sustaining world-class golf courses.
- Six of these courses are among the top 20 in all of Australia, and three are among the top 10.
- If you're ever in Melbourne and have the chance to play golf at one of these 11 top courses, you shouldn't pass it up.
- Golf Club of Royal Melbourne If Royal Melbourne says it's the best golf course in Australia, it's hard to argue.
- Both of Royal Melbourne's 18-hole courses, East and West, consistently rank among the best in the country according to readers of Australian Golf Digest.
- This Australian landmark is the first venue outside the United States to hold the PGA President's Cup.
- Obviously, if you're a golf lover and you happen to be in Australia, you need to play a round at this course.
- Not for the first time, the Royal Melbourne Golf Club has been named the best course in the world.
- Each of the three championship courses features 18 holes.
- The West Course is frequently placed in the top three courses worldwide, and it was been named Australia's greatest.
- The end product is the greatest mashup since Linkin Park and Jay-Z, and the best 18 holes of golf in the country.
- It's true that most of these courses are accessible by vehicle or on foot from local public transportation stops, but Royal Park Golf Course takes it to the next level by having tram and train lines pass right through it.
- You may play golf here and then stroll to Royal Park, Carlton, or Brunswick for some takeaway afterwards.
- Spend merely $8 on a one-hour practise session instead of spending more than that on playing all nine holes.
- In this case, you can just hire the required equipment.
- Kingston Heath Golf Club Kingston Heath Golf Club, which has been the site of the Australian Open no less than seven times, is renowned for its challenging course and excellent bunkering.
- The world's best golfers agree that Kingston Heath is one of the best courses because of this, with Tiger Woods praising it after his 2009 victory in the Australian Masters.
- If you want to join one of the most exclusive clubs in the country, you'll need to get recommendations from current members and stand in line for quite some time.
- Kingston Heath is not content with always coming in second on rankings of Australia's greatest golf clubs; instead, it distinguishes itself by being the sandiest course in the country.
- There are a whopping 128 bunkers on the course, most of which surround the greens.
- If you play poorly, you may find yourself in the sand more often than David Hasselhoff.
- Nonetheless, Kingston Heath is ranked in the top 20 of Golf Digest's list of the world's 100 best golf courses and has hosted the Australian Open seven times and the Australian Masters on many occasions.
- Victoria Golf Club The Victoria Golf Club has entered the ring as a contender for the title of best golf club in the Melbourne Sandbelt.
- The Victoria is a worthy addition to this collection of amazingly good golf courses, and it holds its own against its more well-known rivals.
- If you're looking for the most challenging course in Melbourne, look no farther than the Victoria Golf Club.
- The course at Victoria Golf Club was created by Oscar Damman and Bill Meade with the help of golf course architecture legend Dr. Alister MacKenzie.
- The par-72 courses have hosted several prestigious events, such as the Australian Open and Women's Australian Open, and even President George Bush Sr.
- for a round in 1998.
- Brighton Golf Course It might be surprising to see a $30 course among Australia's most exclusive clubs.
- We're not snobs, but we don't think only those who live in smoking jackets and chinos have a right to play on the top golf courses in Melbourne.
- With bunkers around nearly every green and a reasonable price tag, Brighton has all the identifying features of a Sandbelt course without the intimidation factor.
- The front nine holes at Brighten Golf Course are relatively short and demanding, but the back nine holes are somewhat longer and more difficult.
- Par fours and fives dominate, and the course is littered with bunkers, making it difficult even for experienced golfers.
- You can rent golf clubs and golf carts.
- Metropolitan Golf Club
- One of the best courses in the world can be located in the Melbourne Sandbelt, and it's the Metropolitan Golf Club, which was established at the same time as the Royal Melbourne and is widely regarded as one of Australia's finest championship courses.
- The Metropolitan has played host to several major sporting events, and in 2018, it will play host to the PGA World Cup of Golf.
- Its reputation for exclusivity, however, is well-deserved, since the course has hosted the Australian Open on many occasions and is often ranked among Australia's top 20 courses by Golf Digest.
- In a playoff at The Metropolitan in 1997, Greg Norman famously lost after missing the green on the third and fourth attempts.
- Ranfurlie Golf Club If you're looking for a great place to play golf in Australia, look no further than Ranfurlie, one of the country's finest courses.
- This is because, as you've probably figured by now, Ranfurlie mixes elements of both traditional links design and Sandbelt golf, which means plenty of bunkers.
- You can join Ranfurlie and play whenever you please if you like, but on specific days of the week, anyone can play for a low price and enjoy the course.
- Woodlands Golf Club With its undulating fairways, threatening bunkers, and high greens, Woodlands Golf Club is a true test for even the most accomplished golfers, and it shares many characteristics with Melbourne's top courses.
- Commonwealth Golf Club The Commonwealth Golf Club is highly regarded as one of the best courses in Melbourne because to its strategic design and challenging, narrow fairways.
