While everyone else is spending time on the onerous drive to Uluru in the centre of Australia, or trying to pick up surfing on Bondi Beach in Sydney, you can enjoy a much more relaxing escape on some of the best golf courses along the south Australian coastline.
We looked at two of the top courses in Melbourne, as well as one in Adelaide, and a top tip for getting between the two locations in a unique manner.
Kingston Heath Golf Club
Photo Credit: ed_at_ivy
Once Australia’s longest course, an eye-watering Par 82 to boot, Kingston Heath is more traditional these days at a Par of 72 and a comfortable 6,500-metre length.
Although membership of the Club is highly exclusive, anyone can play it as long as you are already a member of another club, but even then getting a tee-time is difficult.
Kingston Heath has been rated Asia’s number one course and in the top 30 in the world in recent years, hosting the Australian Masters in 2009 and the regular venue of regional qualifying for The Open Championship.
A range of challenging yet playable holes await – the Par 5 14th can be reached in two by even modest hitters with the wind behind you – while the Par 3’s are some of the best anywhere in the world.
Royal Melbourne Golf Club
Photo Credit Johan Fantenberg
Just around the corner from Kingston Heath is Royal Melbourne, perhaps the better known of the two having hosted the LPGA Australian Open last year and the President’s Cup in 2011.
Australia’s oldest club, Royal Melbourne has two challenging courses that frequently rank in the country’s top 10, with the West Course often deemed one of the best anywhere outside the US.
Both courses at Royal Melbourne offer something for everyone, from picturesque Par 3’s to short yet tricky 4’s and beastly 5’s, it is not for the faint-hearted, as anyone watching any of the aforementioned events will already know.
That said, this is a terrific resort, and if you can play all three of the courses mentioned so far during your break, you’ll struggle to top the experience for the rest of your days.
Royal Adelaide Golf Club
Photo Credit Russ Glasson
Another championship standard course considered one of the best in Australia, the beauty of Royal Adelaide is that you don’t appreciate its difficulty until you get out there and even the faintest of breezes starts to blow.
It is a popular resort in Australia given its links-style layout, a refreshing change from most of the country where parkland courses are found everywhere. That alone adds to the devil and quirkiness that lurks on every fairway at Royal Adelaide, and is made even more unusual by the fact it is close to the city centre in the middle of a busy suburban area.
For a unique golf experience Down Under, Royal Adelaide is the place to go.
Getting There
We promised you an idea for moving from Melbourne to Adelaide, and you’ll be pleased to know it doesn’t involve risking your clubs in the oversized baggage hold of an aeroplane.
Instead, hire a vehicle from Transfercar or another car hire company. You can usually hire cars or campervans free with Transfercar, and it gives you the opportunity to take in the Great Ocean Road or some of the great wine valleys throughout the route.
Going through the air might be quicker, but nothing like the same experience, and no chance of your clubs being thrown around like a rag doll by an angry baggage handler, either!
Rob is a keen golfer who will often travel to far flung places in order to experience some of the world’s best courses. Rob also enjoys checking out the local lifestyle and cuisine on his globetrotting golfing tours.
