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Tee-Rific: Australia’s Best Golf Resorts & Getaways
Written by Madeleine Keck
Championship layouts, expertly designed greens and extraordinary surroundings make these golf courses the best in Australia – and their accompanying resorts are just as spectacular.
Australia’s finest golf resorts bring their ‘A’ game with world-class hospitality, next-level facilities and unique architecture that blends effortlessly into their natural surroundings. The golf courses are no different: avid golfers can expect everything they need to enjoy a truly hole-in-one experience, including one-of-a-kind fairways, challenging hazards and some of Australia’s most spectacular surroundings. Ready to tee up for the ultimate getaway? Read on to discover our pick of Australia’s best golf resorts.
Best golf courses and resorts in Victoria
The Sands Torquay
Uniquely moulded into the dunes, the championship golf course at The Sands Torquay was designed by former Australian golfer Stuart Appleby, with well-groomed greens and fairways matched by panoramic views of Victoria’s southwest coast. The links course offers up to five tee positions on every hole and over 100 bunkers. Accompanying rooms and one- and two-bedroom suites are recently refurbished and bathed in coastal hues, with those staying at the resort privy to packages including buckets of driving range balls and free rounds of 18-holes. The best part? It’s all just an hours’ drive from Melbourne.
RACV Torquay & Cape Schanck Resorts
On the southernmost tip of the Mornington Peninsula lies RACV Cape Schanck Resort, home to an 18-hole, par-70 championship course and luxurious rooms, spa suites and multiple-bedroom villas. Rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Bass Strait, while the main building offers a modern spa and fine dining restaurant Cape.
Across Port Phillip Bay is the RACV Torquay Resort, where spacious rooms nestle an 18-hole, par-71 course developed in conjunction with an award-winning Melbourne design agency and former United States Open champion Geoff Ogilvy. Both RACV properties make the most of their coastal
Best golf courses and resorts in Queensland
InterContinental Sanctuary Cove
Guests staying at InterContinental Sanctuary Cove are fortunate for two reasons. Not only do they get to enjoy the property’s stunning lagoon pool, lush landscaping and deluxe rooms, but they are also the only non-members to have access to Sanctuary Cove’s signature golf courses: The Pines and The Palms. Abundant wildlife and established pine forests are found at The Pines – the only course in Australia designed by golfer Arnold Palmer – which is as challenging as it is scenic. The Palms offers its unique challenges with multiple water hazards and century-old palm trees. Both courses are within walking distance of InterContinental Sanctuary Cove.
Mirage Country Club
Mirage Country Club’s 18-hole course is composed of six par threes, six par fours and six par fives. Each offers a different scenic view, from holes running along Four Mile Beach to those framed by the majestic mountains of the hinterland. The sprawling 6,200-metre course has an incredible pedigree, with design by five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson in conjunction with renowned architect Michael Wolveridge. Just steps away is Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas, where expansive palm-fringed lagoon-style pools, tropical gardens and five-star rooms abound.
Best golf courses and resorts in Tasmania
Elderslie Golf Club
Established in 1947, Elderslie Golf Club in Broadmarsh – just 30 minutes’ drive from Hobart – is a nine-hole, par-70 course with 18 different tee beds (the area from which a golfer begins the hole). Andersons Creek runs through the property and influences most holes, making play difficult yet friendly. Although not officially affiliated, The Pickers Hut, a luxury cabin retreat, is only a six-minute drive away. This secluded, historic escape – once used to house soldiers before they departed for World War II – is located above the Jordan Valley on a working Merino sheep farm and vineyard and features a fully equipped kitchen, two well-designed bedrooms and a spacious deck.
Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links
Designed by renowned golf architect Tom Doak and Australian professional golfer Mike Clayton, The Dunes in Bridport is consistently ranked among the world’s top-ranked golf courses by publications like U.S. Golf Digest, with the fourth of 18 holes boasting the largest bunker in the Southern Hemisphere. Rolling in and out of Tasmania’s northeast dunes, the course sits adjacent to the Lost Farm and Bougle Run, two similarly impressive courses within the Barnbougle estate.
Head to the Dune Clubhouse for panoramic views over Barnbougle Beach, then take your pick of accommodation, from the picturesque Cottages at The Dunes to the four-bedroom Bunker Villas, which come complete with a spacious outside deck overlooking the course. For an extra touch of luxury, book the two-bedroom Ocean Villa – featuring views over Bass Strait – or the Lost Farm Lodge, located directly on the course of the same name.
Best golf courses and resorts in New South Wales
Hunter Valley Golf Club
Stretching nearly 6,000 metres and featuring expansive lakes and views of the Broken Back Ranges, Hunter Valley Golf Club is the undeniable jewel of Rydges Resort Hunter Valley – though the resort’s two pools, spa, electric train, multiple dining options and water parks are not to be missed. Whether residing in a room, suite or three-bedroom villa, stay-and-play packages provide discounts on rounds of golf and buggy hire, meaning golfers of all levels can make the most of the 71-par, 18-hole championship course.
The Vintage Golf Course
Tuscan-inspired Château Élan at The Vintage is set in the heart of Australia’s premium wine country, situated on an idyllic 100 acres of manicured fairways and sprawling vineyards. The property’s 18-hole The Vintage Golf Course was designed by former professional golfer Greg Norman, whose expertise has resulted in an arrangement of superb bunkers, greens sandwiched between thick forest and challenging doglegged (crooked) holes. Stays can include daily breakfast and resort credits, with the option to spend at the onsite bars, at the spa or on the award-winning course and driving range.
location, with each course following the undulating surface of the region’s wetlands and jagged peaks.
Best golf courses and resorts in Western Australia
Joondalup Resort
Less than 30 minutes’ drive north of Perth lies Joondalup Resort, a boutique stay of just 70 rooms, with multiple dining venues, a day spa and a large swimming pool. The golf course is the resort’s masterpiece: the 27-hole championship green winds through lush bushlands, an old limestone quarry and picturesque lakes to provide one of the country’s most compelling plays.
Divided into three nine-hole sections — Quarry, Dune and Lake — each course reflects its namesake’s unique natural features. Renowned American golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. is behind the design, with some of his most dramatic and challenging work featured on holes three to five of Quarry (players face the risk of losing their balls forever with a shot over the large pit.)
Best golf courses and resorts in South Australia
Lady Bay Resort
The Lady Bay Resort stay-and-play package exceeds expectations with a range of premium perks: enjoy a continental breakfast delivered directly to your opulent King Spa Suite and a round of 18 holes (with electric cart hire) at The Links Lady Bay. The resort’s firm, sand-based course was designed by golfing icons Jack Newton, Graeme Grant and John Spencer, with holes strong enough for the best-of-the-best as well as average players. You’ll want to spend more time on the par-four fourth hole: it’s here you’ll get the best views of the course and Saint Vincent Gulf.
Best golf courses and resorts in the Northern Territory
Alice Springs Golf Club
The Alice Springs Golf Club, adjacent to both the Todd River and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Alice Springs, offers a picturesque oasis against the stunning foothills of the MacDonnell Ranges and rugged central Australian terrain. Australian golfer Peter Thomson designed the par-72 parkland and challenging, narrow fairways (some as thin as 20 metres wide). The course features a varied roster of nine par-fours, four par-fives and four par-threes. Part of the magic of the Alice Springs Golf Club is its outback location: keep an eye out for kangaroos, dingoes and lizards on the two-minute walk from DoubleTree by Hilton to the course.
Discover Alice Springs
Feature image: The Sands Torquay.
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