A TASTE OF TASMANIA
Over the course of two decades, the Apple Isle has emerged as a world-class golf holiday destination, with the quality of its courses matched by the incredible food, cool climate wines, award-winning whiskies and natural attractions
The Apple Isle has emerged as a world-class golf holiday destination, with the quality of its courses matched by the incredible food, cool climate wines, award-winning whiskies and natural attractions, writes Brendan James.
Two years ago, Tasmania was named the world’s best ‘undiscovered’ golf destination. The 200 judges for that award simply validated what Australian golfers have known for at least two decades.
Leading the way, of course, are the Barnbougle courses, Dunes and Lost Farm, as well as King Island’s dynamic duo of Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes – all of which are ranked by Golf Australia magazine in the top-10 Courses in the nation.
But it is the rising quality of Tasmania’s other layouts, Royal Hobart, Tasmania, Launceston and Ulverstone ( just to name a few), which should entice you to extend your golfing holiday to Tassie from a few days to, perhaps, a few weeks.
No golfing trip to Tasmania would be complete without a round or two, or three, at Barnbougle Dunes or the neighbouring Barnbougle Lost Farm – both of which have been ranked in the top-30 courses in the world that are found outside the United States.
The Dunes course put Tasmania on the international golfing map as soon as it opened in 2004. It was ranked Australia’s No.1 Public Access Course by Golf Australia magazine for 13 years, before being pipped at the post by newcomer Cape Wickham in 2017.
Located four kilometres east of the small town of Bridport, about one hours’ drive north east of Launceston, Dunes was designed by American Tom Doak in collaboration with Mike Clayton. It is a brilliant layout covering land that was deemed unsuitable for farming by its owner, Richard Sattler, which is exactly how some of the great links courses of Scotland came to being. In fact, treading this course early in the morning or late