Cape Wickham Links

Few courses interact with the ocean quite like this stunning Australian layout, ranked the 24th best in the world by Golf Digest

Few links layouts interact with the ocean quite like this gorgeous course.

They do golf exceptionally well in Australia with the fabled Sandbelt courses of South Melbourne - Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Huntingdale and Metropolitan chief among them - beacons for tourists and scholars of timeless course architecture. New South Wales does Sydney proud while Tasmania has garnered significant international attention recently with Barnbougle Dunes and Ocean Dunes, a new entry at No.10 in Australian Golf Digest’s Top-100 ranking, showcasing the southern state’s rugged wilderness.

But few courses can match Cape Wickham Links for natural beauty. Troon International has just taken over management of the King Island (which is perched beneath Melbourne and above Tasmania in the fearsome body of water known as Bass Straight) course which is ranked behind only Royal Melbourne (West) and Kingston Heath by our Australian colleagues. Designed by Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver, Cape Wickham includes a dramatic mix of coastal holes routed around the island’s lighthouse, Australia’s tallest, on the northern tip of King Island, with some holes leaning gently toward the ocean and others set atop a rocky headland. Cape Wickham’s accommodation is also unique with all 16 rooms enjoying superb ocean views over the course, Victoria Cove Beach and Cape Wickham Lighthouse. The clubhouse provides breakfast, lunch and dinner, showcasing King Island’s local beef, seafood and cheese produce. Add in the world-ranked golf and it sounds utterly sumptuous.