Best Golf Courses in Australia (Top 5 Ranked)

Want to play Australia’s best golf courses? GolfReviewsGuide.com selects the best courses to play in Australia.

Australia is an immense country, one of the largest in the world in terms of geographical size, and home to more than 1,800 golf courses.

The peak of the country’s golf season is from September to May, but due to its size, expect some variation within the country.

Plan ahead and research specific regions when planning a golf holiday to Australia, with different golf seasons in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, among others.

In general, you can expect a tropical influence in the north and a cooler climate in the south.

In our list we have a preference for public golf courses because these are the courses that regular golfers have the easiest access to. However, we have added one private course and something that is a little different from most.

Below is our list of the best golf courses in Australia and you can get it too New Zealand’s best golf courses.

1. Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West Course)

Australia doesn’t have the old golf courses you find in some parts of the world. Historically, the nation state is new compared to its European counterparts.

But the Royal Melbourne Golf Club‘s West Course still dates back to 1931 and today is played as a par-72 test over a total length of 6,645 yards.

Alistair Mackenzie and the legendary Tom Doak are the architects most closely associated with this course, both historically and contemporary.

The West Course was ranked number one in Australia by Golf Digest, with Royal Melbourne hosting the 2019 Presidents CupAustralian Open and Australian Open Women.

Golfers can expect sandy soil, a clean appearance, difficult bunkers and a second course, the East Course, which should entice many to stay in the area for longer.

2. Barnbougle dunes (the dune course)

The Dune course at Barnbougle opened in 2004, and is the creation of Tom Doak and Mike Clayton.

The course is also located in Tasmania, an island off the south coast of Australia.

The course is par-71 and the total distance of the course is only 6,724 yards. The public course is easily accessible at The Dunes Course, as it is located in a golf resort.

It ranks seventh for the best golf resorts in the world. Such a distinguished ranking put it in the same ballpark as better-known courses, such as Pinehurst and Gleneagles.

There is a second course in the resort called “Lost Farm”, a course that also has an excellent reputation.

3. Kingston Heath Golf Club

Kingston Heath Golf Club is located in Cheltenham, Victoria in the Melbourne region and is one of Australia’s best golf courses.

The course has hosted the Australian Masters, including the year Tiger Woods won the title, the World Cup of Golf, the Australian Open and the Women’s Australian Open and will host the Presidents Cup in 2028.

Kingston Heath is widely praised as one of the best tests, with the final five-hole stretch considered one of the most impressive in Australia.

The course is one of the oldest in Australia, dating back to 1909. It is also the longest, as Dan Soutar and Alister MacKenzie’s creation plays as a par-72 course with a total distance of 7,087 yards.

It’s a private location with a number of hoops to jump through to get a starting time, but when you do, it’s more than worth it.

4. New South Wales

Golf Club of New South Wales is a beautiful 18-hole venue and one of the best courses in the greater Sydney region of Australia.

Located in the Botany Bay National Park, approximately 20 miles outside Sydney, the NWS Golf Club was opened in 1926 and designed by the famous Alister MacKenzie.

Interestingly, MacKenzie has designed the four par-five and four par-three holes so that one of each hole points north, south, east and west for the ultimate test, regardless of wind direction.

New South Wales is a par-72 course over 6,800 yards and features a number of picturesque holes, including two overlooking Botany Bay.

The final six-hole course is considered one of the best in Australia, and as the venue for the Australian Open, the course has played host to the world’s best players.

5. Cape Wickham Golf Links

The Cape Wickham Golf Links golf course is the most modern on our list. This creation by Mike De Vries, opened in 2015, is a par-72 course with a length of 6,726 meters.

Located at the northern end of King Island in the Bass Strait, it is a public course that tourists to Australia or visitors to Tasmania should aim to play. Apple Isle’s island location means it’s a little difficult to get to.

Conditions are often windy on this course, which is not a surprising fact as there are plenty of ocean views. This course features at least one on every hole.