RANKING: AUSTRALIA’S TOP100 COURSES
Here is your biennial guide to Australia’s premier layouts. From the usual suspects to some big movers and newcomers; see how your favourites fared.
So here it is. The culmination of two year’s work to comb the country and come up with Australia’s Top-100 Courses.
I am sure you won’t agree with the positioning of all the courses in the list over the following pages. The exercise of ranking golf courses is not an exact science but based on the various points of our criteria, I think our judging panel has contributed to a list that won’t let you down if you let it guide you to the layouts where you will have the most fun.
Written by readers and golfers themselves, this Top-100 list recommends the best courses for our fellow golfers to play; where you will have the most memorable golfing experiences. That’s what we think is the most important aspect of this ranking – great golf, great memories.
This Top 100 list has been compiled by a panel of 25 judges, each with their own ideas of what makes a good golf course. It is a subjective exercise, so the end result will always raise some debate.
Therefore, you won’t find the word ‘definitive’ used here, as that would be arrogant nonsense. What you will find is a thorough and transparent ranking of the best courses to be found throughout the nation.
It has been a thorough process that began in late 2015 with judges being selected and notified as well as courses being visited around the country, sometimes covertly.
The common thread between all of our passionate golfing judges is that they see a lot of courses during our two-year rolling ranking period.
The criterion used by each judge places greater emphasis on a course’s design and less on its conditioning. While a layout’s general presentation remains important, we felt it was unfair to place too much weight on this element for two main reasons. A judge might happen to visit a course at a time of year when the conditioning is not at its best. Less emphasis on conditioning also addresses the problem of courses being elevated beyond their true rank based on immaculate conditioning courtesy of a huge budget, rather than its overall design and conditioning qualities.
Judges work through their thoughts on design (60 percent of their working guideline), condition (20 percent) and visual appeal (20 percent) and then submit their ranking list of courses. The scores are then tallied and average score across the voting judges is attributed to each course.
This year there were several courses not considered for ranking. We have an ongoing request from the management of Capital Golf Club, in Melbourne, not to be ranked.
A similar request not to be considered for ranking was received by the recently opened Greg Norman-designed Cathedral Lodge. Hopefully, we will get the opportunity to see where this Victorian gem enters the ranking for our January 2020 edition.
Several courses were not ranked because of major ongoing redevelopment work, which was still ongoing when voting closed. They include Peninsula Kingswood CC South and North Courses and Sydney’s Concord Golf Club, which is undergoing a Tom Doak redesign.
This year’s ranking sees several layouts making their debut. The Greg Normandesigned Eastern Golf Club has two courses, the North and South Courses, while the completely redesigned Westbourne Course at Royal Canberra re-enters the Top-100 after ocially reopening in early 2017.
King Island’s Ocean Dunes course missed appearing in our 2016 ranking by just a few months. It appears in our list for the first time and has made a big impact on the top-10 of this ranking.
With our Top-100 Courses ranking completed for another year its time to start planning the next, with the aforementioned absent courses at the top of our judge’s lists to look at.
100. THE FEDERAL GC
Average points: 36.89 2016 rank: NR. Designer: Prosper Ellis (1967)
Judge’s Comments: “Since converting its fairways to the hardier Santa Ana couch and addressing some of its water issues, Federal has improved year-in, year-out. Given its location so close to the centre of Canberra, a round at Federal feels like a country escape with beautiful bushland surrounds with great views across to the Brindabella Ranges.” – Brendan James.
99. ROYAL PERTH GC
Average points: 37 2016 rank: 88. Designer: Club members (1908); David Anderson (1930); Terry Gale (1988 and ongoing).
Judge’s Comments: “Despite averaging similar points from our judges than it did in 2014 and 2016, Royal Perth has suered a drop in this ranking, which is indicative of the congestion of courses in the second half of this list. Cannot be faulted for year-round high quality presentation.” – Brendan James.
98. ROYAL HOBART GC
Average points: 37.67 2016 rank: NR. Designers: Vern Morcom (1963); Richard Chamberlain (ongoing).
Judge’s Comments: “I was pleasantly surprised at how good Royal Hobart was. There are still issues with bits of the routing but it was in great condition and there is lots of interesting movement in the fairways. Best of all they are addressing tree encroachment and have started to open the course up and get a bit of width back.” – Brian Walshe.
97. INDOOROOPILLY GC (West course)
Average points: 38 2016 rank: 98. Designer: Ross Watson (1985 & 2008).
Judge’s Comments: “The West course at Indooroopilly probably deserves to have climbed more than one spot and with two more points on board it would have. The ongoing agronomy works around the greens have bedded well and have easily added to the enjoyment of playing this layout.” – Brendan James.
96. TWIN WATERS GC
Average points: 38.15 2016 rank: 93. Designer: Peter Thomson, Michael Wolveridge & Ross Perrett (1991).
Judge’s Comments: “Twin Waters oers generous fairways and equally receptive putting surfaces. Always in very good condition but I have to wonder why there are strips of greenside ‘rough’ on the upslopes approaching greens like the par-3 11th and the par-5 18th. Surely these only hamper the shorter hitter who tries to run their shots onto the putting surface.” – Brendan James.
95. YARRAWONGA-MULWALA GC (Murray course)
Average points: 38.75 2016 rank: 92. Designers: Peter Thomson & Michael Wolveridge (1991).
Judge’s Comments: “The Murray course has been improving year-on-year for most of the past decade. Considering it’s one of the busiest public access courses in Australia, the quality of the playing surfaces should be the envy of any private city club.” – Joe Thomas.
“Always enjoy playing the Murray Course. The tall stands of gums that line most of the fairways provide a theatre for golf that is very Australian and typical of golf on the mighty Murray.” – Lucas Andrews.
94. MANLY GC
Average points: 39.66 2016 rank: 76. Designers: Peter Thomson & Ross Perrett (2012).
Judge’s Comments: “Five years on from the redevelopment of the layout, the playing surfaces have matured nicely and are consistently very good. The redesign has addressed all of the drainage issues that previously aicted the course but there are some holes, like the back-toback par-5s at the 2nd and 3rd, which are devoid of any risk-and-reward strategy and demand a layup from the tee to avoid a water hazard cutting the fairway in two.” – Brendan James.
93. TWIN CREEKS G& CC
Average points: 40 2016 rank: 97. Designer: Graham Marsh (2006). Judge’s Comments: “Twin Creeks has reclaimed
some of its lustre during the past two years after going to a ranking free fall in the handful of years before when conditioning was a real issue. The level of presentation has improved markedly and this has enhanced the Graham Marsh design.” – Alex Chapman.
92. THE BRISBANE GC Average points: 41.15 2016 rank: 95. Designers: Carnegie Clark (1904); Ross Watson (2007 & ongoing).
Judge’s Comments: “The conversion of all the putting surfaces to Champion Ultra Dwarf – the first Australian course to do so – has done wonders for this layout.” – Lucas Andrews.
“The relatively new ‘Champion’ greens are a delight to putt on and are only getting better.” – Peter Martin.
“Not a tough course but enjoyable for golfers of all abilities. If you possess a good short game you’ll love this layout.” – Brendan James.
91. RIVERSDALE GC
Average points: 41.25 2016 rank: 91. Designer: Alex Russell (1930).
Judge’s Comments: “I really like the variety of dierent holes, played in dierent directions across good rolling terrain. The presentation of the layout has been impressive each time I have been there.” – Joe Thomas.
“I’d really like to see something done to the short par-4s, like the 10th and 18th, to oer a little more strategy. Both are under 300 metres and little more than a long iron and pitch for a par. I’d love to be tempted to have a go at both greens.” – Brendan James.
90. ROYAL FREMANTLE GC
Average points: 41.67 2016 rank: 83. Designer: Arthur Oliphant & Peter Anderson (1906); Michael Coate (2004), Richard Chamberlain (ongoing).
Judge’s Comments: “For a course that is not overly long, Royal Fremantle presents plenty of challenges. The undulating terrain provides the platform for a significant number of interesting holes like the long uphill par-4 7th hole, which can be a brute. The par-4 15th is arguably the most memorable of the back nine holes.” – Brendan James.
“There have been some subtle design improvements here over the past few years, which have been good. A constant here is the good quality kikuyu fairways and bentgrass greens.” – Lucas Andrews. 89. SANCTUARY COVE (Palms course) Average points: 44.25 2016 rank: 75. Designer: Ross Watson (2011). Judge’s Comments: “The Ross Watson design here is a far better oering than the previous Fred Bolton layout. There are a greater variety of holes, more dynamic bunkering and more undulating greens, which certainly makes it more interesting to play.” – Brendan James. “My last round of the Palms left me thinking the previous high standard of conditioning had dropped o slightly.” – Scott Neilsen. 88. EYNESBURY Average points: 44.63 2016 rank: 77. Designer: Graham Marsh (2008). Judge’s Comments: “At a tick over 6,500 metres from the back pegs, Eynesbury is one of the longest layouts in the country. Even though I play o single figures I would never consider playing
from the tips, although all the trouble would certainly be out of range. Playing forward, the wide fairways and big greens all feature plenty of bunkering that are best avoided.” – Joe Thomas.
“I liked every hole at Eynesbury until I reached the par-4 18th where I was forced to lay-up from the tee to avoid hitting into a creek that I would have had to hit a career shot to carry. Not a great hole for the ladies.” – Jacqui Lee.
87. NAROOMA GC
Average points: 44.75 2016 rank: 90. Designer: John Spencer (1980).
Judge’s Comments: “I can’t think of any other course in Australia that makes the quantum leap from links to undulating parkland and back as successfully as Narooma. The ocean side holes are unforgettable and Spencer’s routing of inland holes across dramatic terrain ensure this layout will be on my ‘must play’ list for some time to come.” – Brendan James.
86. SORRENTO GC Average points: 45.25 2016 rank: 79. Designer: Members (1908); J.D Scott (1929); Peter Thomson, Mike Wolveridge & Ross Perrett (ongoing).
Judge’s Comments: “Sorrento’s standard of presentation can never be questioned. The course has some of the best playing surfaces to be found on the Mornington Peninsula.” – Brendan James.
“There were some really nice shorter holes, but even some of the longer ones required good strategic play.”– Carl Murphy.
“Great presentation, and some terrific holes laid across rolling terrain. My only criticism would be some of the mounding and swales don’t really fit the landscape.” – James King. 85. COTTESLOE GC Average points: 46.13 2016 rank: 74. Designer: David Anderson (1931); Graham Marsh (1998 and ongoing). Judge’s Comments:“Graham Marsh’s changes here over the past two decades have extracted the best possible golf out of a small parcel of land. The playing surfaces are among the best in Perth.” – Joe Thomas.
“Like many courses in the bottom half of the Top-100 ranking, Cottesloe actually averaged more points per judge than it did in 2016 but dropped places in this ranking. This is indicative of the close nature of the voting rather than any decline in the layout.” – Brendan James. 84. WARRNAMBOOL GC Average points: 47.25 2016 rank: 89. Designer: George Lowe Jnr. (1928); Peter
Thomson & Ross Perrett (ongoing)
Judge’s Comments: “The program of clearing vegetation to expose sandy wasteland midway through the front nine has turned these o erings into great holes. They are now visually more appealing and they ask questions of your strategy on the tee. I expect Warrnambool will continue to rise in the ranking as more subtle changes are made.” – Brendan James. 83. MURRAY DOWNS G& CC
Average points: 47.95 2016 rank: 85. Designer: Ted & Geo Parslow (1988 & 2009).
Judge’s Comments: “For a regional course I was extremely impressed with the layout and conditioning. The fairways were wide and forgiving, and the greens receptive. Though, I felt the strategy of the design was forgotten at times.” – Carl Murphy.
“One of the best manicured layouts to be found in regional Australia. There are some memorable holes – the 4th, 5th, 11th, 16th and 17th – that are among the best to be played anywhere along the Murray River.” – Joe Thomas. 82. LAKELANDS GC Average points: 48.67 2016 rank: 73. Designer: Jack Nicklaus (1997). Judge’s Comments: “Whenever I head to the Gold Coast to play golf I have Lakelands on my list. Nicklaus’ design is certainly a challenge but I love the immaculate fairways and greens. Lakelands has some of the best Bermuda greens in the country.” – Scott Nielsen. 81. ST MICHAELS GC
Average points: 49.25 2016 rank: 69. Designer: Michael Moran & C.W Cole (1938).
Judge’s Comments: “Reconstruction work on several greens as well as other redesign work has been undertaken during past year and once they are bedded in St Michaels will be better for those changes.” – Brendan James.
“The best holes here for mine is the sequence of holes starting at the par-3 12th through to the uphill par-5 17th. They cover superb natural terrain and have always been worth the cost of the green fee alone.” – Joe Thomas. 80. TASMANIA GC
Average points: 49.75 2016 rank: 80. Designer: Al Howard (1972).
Judge’s Comments: “You can’t help but enjoy Tasmania’s variety of short, fun holes mixed with lengthier examinations that challenge all players.” – James King.
“Wonderful golfing terrain with no better than the par-5 3rd hole, which ranks as one of the best three-shotters in the country. Would be even better if they cleared even more trees from the water line to the left of the fairway to expose more of the hole from the tee.” – Brendan James. 79. THE VINES RESORT & CC (Lakes course) Average points: 49.78 2016 rank: 65. Designer: Graham Marsh & Ross Watson (1989). Judge’s Comments: “The Lakes course, especially the back nine, is fun and challenging. I always love the closing trio of holes where you can birdie home or rack up a high number. While the