A place where they’ve ventured before, enjoyed the experience, and can’t wait to return to play golf in that town or region again. The charm might have been around the welcoming nature of the club, local pub, or the variety of other attractions. It could have simply been the challenge and presentation of the course or courses. Where is that location that has our esteemed panel ready to assemble a group of mates, perhaps grab the partner or family, to head away to enjoy a game or two at their ideal golfing home away from home?
BUNKER-TO-BUNKER…
By Peter Owen
LIKE most good things in life, a great golf getaway depends more on the mates you’re with than the quality of the courses you’re playing. Not that there was anything wrong with the courses we played when a group of us visited the Murray River a few years ago for a week of golf.
We were playing in an event called the Murray River Challenge, or something like that – visiting courses like Cobram Barooga, Tocumwal and Yarrawonga/Mulwala, and tallying our scores. One of our mates had a holiday house at Mulwala and we bunked there for the week.
I can’t recall all the details because the hospitality of the various clubs was so good, and there were so many pubs and clubs to visit that the week merged into a vague, but very pleasant, blur. Such is often the measure of a very good golfing holiday.
Later, another group of us visited Kooralbyn, near Beaudesert in Queensland, for a weekend of golf. We stayed at the resort, ate and drank at the little pub next door, and twice played a course that remains one of the most challenging and spectacular in the country.
Perhaps the highlight of the trip, though, came on the first night when four or five of us were playing cards at a proper card table in the foyer, and ordering rounds of drinks from an accommodating receptionist.
About 10pm she came from behind the counter, told us her shift was over and she was going home, then asked us to lock the door when we were finished and to record the number of beers we drank and settle the account in the morning.
Now, that’s what I call service – and why I’ll be going back there again and recommending you do, too.
By Michael Court
IT happened as recently as last night.
Wet weather and course closures had me dreaming where I could head next for a relaxing and fun game of golf.
So, I found myself googling accommodation around Port Stephens – and more specifically, Nelson Bay … again.
There are two great golf courses on offer here – there’s the 27-hole masterpiece just a stone’s throw from the Nelson Bay town centre and also a magnificent resort course, Horizons, just up the road at Salamander Bay.
As if that’s not enough for you, you can grab your clubs, jump on a ferry and cross a bay that’s bigger than Sydney Harbour and have a game at Hawks Nest as well. That club will even send a bus to pick you up to go and play and drop you back at the ferry afterwards.
There are few country courses that can match Nelson Bay though because there is accommodation next door and you can walk into town for restaurant or pub food and not have to use your car at all.
But you will want to, because just a few clicks away is the Shoal Bay Country Club, which is a MUST visit and if you’re keen for a swim then Zenith Beach, just past Shoal Bay, offers great surf and a lovely sandy beach.
A bush walk to the top of Mount Tomaree is also on the ‘to do’ list, Take your camera/phone because it offers stunning views across Port Stephens and beyond. Yep, you’ll probably spot a whale or two!
Back to the golf course and there are few courses in the state, make that the world, that can boast as many kangaroos on course as Nelson Bay Golf Club.
And even if you land in the middle of one of their competitions, there is an ‘extra’ nine holes where they can send you off, so you are guaranteed a hit.
You should stay on and grab a meal there too, as the dining room is as good as anywhere in Port Stephens; the wines are good – and not too expensive, and the seafood is also the match of anywhere.
Not far away and there’s Horizons Resort, which has hosted some major professional events and is still one of the best country courses in Australia . . . and a game there won’t break the bank either.
And thanks to that Google search, I was stunned by how much reasonably priced accommodation there was in the area.
Hold on Nelson Bay . . . I’m on my way!
By Michael Davis
Rosebud Country Club, the 36-hole parklands layout on the Mornington Pensinsula, has always been very good.
But now I reckon it’s genuinely in the top few to visit regularly with your mates right in the heart Victoria’s fabled playground
But it’s not just the golf course. The place has a good vibe from the moment you drive in there; the food’s good and reasonably priced; and big noters appear to be few and far between. (It would be ridiculous to expect any golf club to be completely free of them.)
Ian Todd, from elite sandbelt club, Victoria has really his stamp on the golf course over the last few years.
It is now genuinely not drawing too long a bow to say that the back nine of the North Course at Rosebud Country Club (RCC) has shades of Augusta National about it, although many believe this was always the case.
And if you think we are gilding the lily here, take the hour of so drive from Melbourne to experience RCC firsthand.
It is one of the best nines on the Mornington Peninsula because it just highlights the beautiful undulations of the property.
The club is thrilled with the work of Todd and his assistant, Damien Windsor.
RCC lost its way a little during its 60-year journey when so many new courses were built on the Mornington Peninsula in the 1970’s and 80’s.
But green fee players often remark how well they are treated when they play RCC – especially in the clubhouse. That’s why I keep going back and will continue to do so.
By Sam Arthur
FOR many decades, the magnificent layouts stretching from Far North Queensland to Western Australia and beyond have stirred the imagination of the golfing traveller.
There are so many dazzling golf gems to choose from a plethora of golfing regions.
We, at Inside Golf, explore and audition as many as 16 golfing regions in our golf and travel pages each year so that readers get a taste of the golf pleasures that await.
In this issue, we feature the NSW Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Port Stephens and Forster Tuncurry.
In the past 25 years, I’ve visited and experienced hundreds of courses. One golf region that always gives me goose bumps is the Mornington Peninsula – an hour from Melbourne’s CBD. The courses are sensational and always in great condition. What’s not to like with the ocean on both sides, panoramic views, links-style layouts, parkland settings, award-winning wineries, weekend tee times, plenty of accommodation options on- and off-course, great pubs and restaurants.
For me, must-play courses include St Andrews Beach, Moonah Links, The Dunes, Portsea, Eagle Ridge, Rosebud, Bay Views, Cape Schanck, Devil Bend, Flinders and Sorrento … the list goes on.
And if you get the opportunity, play the three amazing courses at The National. You won’t be disappointed.
I can also recommend going West because the courses in Western Australia are awesome.
From Perth, head straight to Joondalup Golf Resort for 27 holes of world-class golf. Then point yourself in the direction of The Vines Golf Resort and visit the nearby wineries. Don’t forget Wembley Park, arguably the best 36-hole public golf facility in Australia. Then there’s Lake Karrinyup (a must-play layout). Other highly-rated layouts are Mount Lawley, Cottesloe and Kalgoorlie Golf Course, which is in my top-5 in Australia despite being a little off-the-beaten-track.
While you are in the West, head south to Mandurah and play the Robert Trent Jones-designed Meadow Springs, Secret Harbour, Links Kennedy Bay, The Cut, Mandurah, Bunbury, Capel and Busselton.
And don’t forget the Margaret River for golf, surf, seafood … and more wine, of course.
Also, add to your bucket list regions like the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Murray River, NSW South Coast, Cairns, Port Douglas, Hamilton Island, NSW Mid to Far North Coast, Coffs Harbour (Bonville), NSW Central West, Tasmania, King Island, Toowoomba, NSW Central Coast, Great Ocean Road (Port Fairy is a must), Bellarine Peninsula and Adelaide.
So, pick a region, go stay-and-play because you will collect wonderful memories that will linger for a lifetime.
What do you think? Email comments to rob@insidegolf.com.au
Australia's Golf News Leader, Inside Golf gives you in-depth coverage of Australian golf news, golf events, golf travel and holiday destinations, Australian and international golf course reviews, the hottest new golf gear and tips and drills to improve your golf game. Written by award-winning journalists, Inside Golf also features interviews with Australia's top professional golfers, the game's rising stars, industry leaders and golf equipment manufacturers. You can even win great golf prizes and equipment. It’s all in Inside Golf. FREE at Australian golf courses, driving ranges and golf retailers across Australia. 
