The Sandbelt & Beyond

Australia Top 10

The Melbourne Sandbelt. The Tasmanian coastline. MacKenzie's work in Victoria. Australia has built a compelling case across two very different types of landscape.

Global Top 10 Staple
#1 Royal Melbourne
Sandbelt & Tasmania

The Legacy of the Melbourne Sandbelt & The Tasmanian Vanguard

Alister MacKenzie visited Australia in 1926 for a matter of weeks. The courses he shaped during that visit — Royal Melbourne in particular — helped define the Sandbelt as one of the most discussed concentrations of golf architecture in the world. More recently, Tasmania has added a different kind of case: dramatic coastal dune routing on a scale that the mainland cannot match. These ten represent the clearest picture of what Australian golf currently offers.

5
Sandbelt Masters
1926
MacKenzie's Visit
3
Tasmanian Powerhouses
#6
RM World Rank
80+
Australian Opens Hosted

The Melbourne Sandbelt

Firm, fast fairways, intricately flashed bunkers cut right into putting surfaces, and the genius of MacKenzie. The holy grail of Southern golf.

Royal Melbourne West
AUS #1

Royal Melbourne (West Course)

Black Rock, Victoria

Alister MacKenzie, 1931 • Par 72, 6,645 yds

#6 World — Golf Magazine

Private — Strict Waitlist

MacKenzie's undisputed masterpiece. The greens are lightning fast, heavily contoured, and guarded by the sharpest, most intimidating bunkering in world golf. An architectural triumph.

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Kingston Heath
AUS #2

Kingston Heath Golf Club

Cheltenham, Victoria

Dan Soutar / MacKenzie (Bunkers), 1925 • Par 72, 7,059 yds

#22 World — Golf Magazine

Private — Intro Required

Built on a surprisingly small parcel of land, Kingston Heath is a masterclass in routing. Its par 3s, particularly the 15th, are universally considered among the greatest in the world.

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Victoria Golf Club
AUS #7

Victoria Golf Club

Cheltenham, Victoria

Alister MacKenzie / Peter Thomson, 1927 • Par 72, 6,859 yds

Host: Australian Open

Semi-Private — Stay & Play

Rich in history and intimately tied to Peter Thomson. The course demands exceptional shot-making ability, particularly around its small, beautifully defended green complexes.

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Peninsula Kingswood North
AUS #6

Peninsula Kingswood (North Course)

Frankston, Victoria

OCM Redesign, 2019 • Par 72, 6,750 yds

The Modern Sandbelt Standard

Open — Stay & Play Available

A breathtaking modern resurrection. Built on massive sandy, heathland terrain, the North course merges traditional Sandbelt bunkering with towering, rugged scrub landscapes.

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The Tasmanian Vanguard

Wild, remote, and breathtaking. The Bass Strait's rugged coastline has redefined global destination golf.

Barnbougle Dunes
AUS #3

Barnbougle Dunes

Bridport, Tasmania

Tom Doak / Mike Clayton, 2004 • Par 71, 6,725 yds

#31 World — Golf Magazine

Open — Public Access

Carved entirely from massive coastal sand dunes by Doak and Clayton, Barnbougle brought links golf back to its most raw and spectacular state. It is Australia's Ballybunion.

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Cape Wickham Links
AUS #4

Cape Wickham Links

King Island, Tasmania

Mike DeVries / Darius Oliver, 2015 • Par 72, 6,725 yds

#60 World — Golf Magazine

Open — Public Access

Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver utilize the dramatic Bass Strait coastline, with eight holes playing directly along the ocean. A strategic links that prioritizes ground-game navigation and wind management.

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Seven Mile Beach
AUS #9

Seven Mile Beach

Hobart, Tasmania

Clayton, DeVries & Pont, 2024 • Par 72, 6,800 yds

Highest Rated New Entry

Open — Limited Public

The newest jewel in the Tasmanian crown. A stunning links project routed through immense sand dunes just minutes from Hobart Airport, challenging the supremacy of the northern giants.

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The Coastline Classics

Historic masterclasses outside the Sandbelt, featuring ocean cliffs and pure public access links perfection.

New South Wales Golf Club
AUS #5

New South Wales Golf Club

La Perouse, NSW

Alister MacKenzie, 1928 • Par 72, 6,825 yds

#40 World — Golf Magazine

Private — Visitor Times

Routed across the rugged cliffs of Botany Bay, MacKenzie's design leverages the extreme coastal winds. NSW is a technical test of trajectory control and strategic positioning.

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Royal Adelaide Golf Club
AUS #8

Royal Adelaide Golf Club

Seaton, South Australia

Alister MacKenzie, 1926 • Par 72, 7,006 yds

Train Cuts Through Course

Semi-Private — Guest Access

Famous for its distinctive railway line slicing through the heart of the course. A phenomenal links-like layout that requires constant strategy over power.

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St Andrews Beach
AUS #10

St Andrews Beach

Mornington Peninsula, VIC

Tom Doak, 2005 • Par 70, 6,560 yds

#1 Public Access Mainland

Open — Public Access

Set in the Cups region of the Mornington Peninsula. An exceptional Doak routing that is utterly seamless and natural, standing tall as the mainland's greatest accessible tracking ground.

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