The 8 best golf courses in Australia

While it’s only a fairly recent golf course opening in 2015, what Cape Wickham lacks in age it makes up for with stunning coastal vistas and some world-class holes. There are a whole heap of options for visitors ranging from nine holes to a whole day pass for guests staying on the island. It’s just under an hour’s flight from either Victoria or Tasmania and there are villas with beautiful water views up for grabs. Be warned that King Island is no stranger to some strong winds so bring an extra box of balls or two to play it on the safe side. 

You can thank globally renowned golf architect Tom Doak for the pristine green at St Andrews Beach Golf Course. Responsible for designing many of the world’s most famous golf courses, like Oregon’s Pacific Dunes and Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand, Doak’s course has bunkers galore and some pretty steep inclines (i.e. a cart might become your best friend). It’s just over an hour south of Melbourne, but note that while the course is advanced, the facilities are fairly limited so lunch might involve a little drive to nearby town Rye. 

This golf course only 20 minutes from Sydney’s CBD is an institution in the world of Australian golf. You can expect pristinely manicured terrain and good conditions all year round for your visit to the course that consistently ranks in the world’s top 50. Established in the 1920’s, the New South Wales Golf Club is the work of golfing architect legend Dr Alistair MacKenzie whose genius has inspired more than 60 courses around the world, including the Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The course is a private one, but visitors will get their money’s worth touring the coastal stretch and perhaps stopping in at the enchanting clubhouse. 

If touring a lush tropical island in the Whitsundays wasn’t opulent enough, Hamilton added the option for day trippers and guests to hop on over to Dent Island for 18 holes of some of the most challenging golf in the world. The steep terrain, wild winds and some unruly bushland are a recipe for an above-par experience (both figuratively and literally). Ferries will cart you over from Hamilton Island, which you can access by plane or boat from mainland Queensland. After your testing plays, settle in at the Clubhouse with panoramic water views. 

Top-tier traditional golf etiquette is still alive and well at this private golf club 20 minutes from South Australia’s capital. While the club tailors predominantly to members with its playful and creative holes and renowned dining, it's also making golf accessible through its women's and children’s programs where amateurs will be brought up to scratch quickly through clinics and events. There are also options for visitors from partner clubs, interstate and overseas to hit a couple of holes, so be sure to enquire on their website in preparation for your visit. 

A collection of Australia’s best golf courses wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of one of the fantastic facilities along the Melbourne Sandbelt region. The stretch of sandy soil in Victoria makes for such good putting that there are more than ten courses spanning the land. Eight of them are considered premier courses including Kingston Heath. It’s one of the most prestigious courses in the world and you’ll be following in the footsteps of legends like Tiger Woods, Greg Norman and Gary Player. Best of all, the nine-hole course is only half an hour out from Melbourne’s CBD.

You might consider becoming a member at this little gem in the ACT for its whopping 27-hole lineup. In fact, you might forget you’re in Australia at all when your day on the green features rows upon rows of beautiful trees that are part of the Westbourne Woods. It’s a far cry from the rocky outcrops and rolling hills of some of the other features on this list, but it's a global championship venue. In 2023, Royal Canberra began some major work on a grass conversion project, so stay tuned for some pristine terrain in the near future.

Barnbougle has a real Cinderella story – once a potato farm on Tasmania’s coastline, golf course architect Tom Doak worked his magic to create not one but three courses. The Dunes (18 holes), Lost Farm (20 holes) and Bougle Run (14 holes) may all be neighbouring but they vary in length and complexity. What they all have in common is how their coastal dunes replicate some of the legendary golf courses in Scotland and Ireland. If a couple of hours isn’t enough to soak up the striking panoramas, stay the night (or two) at Barnbougle’s cottages, lodges or ocean villas.