Melbourne or Muirfield...
A heathland treat Down Under or a links classic in Scotland?
Royal Melbourne East & West – Australia
Royal Melbourne West, designed by Dr Alister Mackenzie, is perhaps Australia’s premier inland layout. Played through rugged heathland, there is a touch of the Surrey classics as you walk this hallowed terrain on the Melbourne Sandbelt.
The course is beautifully maintained and is a classic in every way. The bunkering, as with all Mackenzie designs, is perhaps the layout’s most prominent defence.
For major golfing events, the neighbouring East course is used to create a hybrid-style layout in order to create the necessary length for the game’s best players. But whichever course you play at Royal Melbourne it will leave an indelible mark on your golfing journey.
Best hole: 15th - A splendid par 3 played through a tight line of trees to a well-guarded green. This is a classic short hole that may look easy on the eye but devilish run-offs could prove costly for your scorecard.
W: royalmelbourne.com
Muirfield - Scotland
One of the most revered stretches of linksland in the world, and a long-time No.1 on Golf Monthly’s Top 100 courses in the UK and Ireland. Muirfield has delivered some of the finest moments in Open Championship history and while getting to play a round here may not be the easiest, it is a must-play track for all golfing purists.
Watch out for the bunkering – they swallow up balls at will. A respectful upgrade in recent times has given the course a modern lift but it remains one of the purest tests in the game of golf.
Best hole: 17th – a right-to-left dogleg with a pot bunker lurking down the left-hand side to catch errant drives. The clever design leaves another series of bunkers waiting for your lay-up, while the green is narrow, which makes running the ball in tough. W: muirfield.org.uk