Fairways of Melbourne and Beyond

Visit Victoria

MEDIA BACKGROUNDAugust 2016

Fairways of Melbourne and beyond

Located in the bayside region of Black Rock, a short drivesouth of the city centre, the Royal Melbourne is Australia’s oldest existinggolf club. Formed in1891, then relocated in 1901. In 1926, legendary architect Alister Mackenzie was hired to design what is now considered one of the seven wonders of the golfing world. The Royal Melbourne is the jewel in the crown that istheMelbourne Sandbelt, a band of rolling, grey sand terrain that roughly follows the eastern shore of Port Phillip Bay, home toeight of the best golf courses in Australia.

Among them,Kingston Heathis Australia’s number two ranked course and another Alister Mackenzie masterpiece featuring sculptured bunkers and unforgettable par threes;theVictoriais located in the centre of the Sandbelt and comes with 15 boutique rooms for overnight stays. TheMetropolitanrecently completed a major rebuild of its Clubhouse facility; and theHuntingdale Golf Clubhosted the inaugural Australian Masters.TheCommonwealth, thenewly refurbishedYarraYarra,and thePeninsula Golf and Country Clubalso call the Sandbelt home.

Just under one hours’ drive south of Melbourne, theMornington Peninsula– also known as the ‘Cups’ for its proliferation of superb courses – deserves its popularity as a top golfing, gourmet food and wine destination thanks to its coastal plains,sand dunes, and rustic vineyards. The Peninsula’s landscape is spectacular, offering golfers views out into the thundering Bass Strait on one side and Port Phillip Bay against the city skyline on the other. With19 coursesall within a 30kmradius of each other, golf tourists are spoilt for choice in this stunning region.

The most acclaimed courses run east along the Peninsula’s coast, starting with theMercurePortsea Golf Club and Resort, which relaunched earlier in 2013after a multi-million dollar redevelopment.The course featurespanoramic views of Port Phillip Bay, a premiere club house, events facilities and 24 boutique accommodation rooms.

Not far away, the quaint beachside town ofSorrentopresents plenty of challenges for golfers of all standards. The acclaimed Moonah Linksofferstwo 18 hole championship courses, 92 deluxe suites and rooms with balconies that overlook the course and putting green, plusendota spafor post-game relaxation;while a Scottish-style links layout with 60 hectares ofcoastal sand dunescan be found atThe Dunes Golf Links.

American architect Robert Trent Jones Junior designed a magnificent 18 hole, par 70course atRACV Cape Schanck Resortwith stunning views – the 14th looks straight down the Peninsula with vistas of the Strait tothe left and Port Phillip Bay on the right.Next door, theNationalhas three world-class courses to choose from:Robert Trent Jones Junior’s original Old Course, Greg Norman’s The Moonah, and the Ocean Course from Peter Thomson. Onthe far east side of the Peninsula theFlinders Golf Club, with its famous fourth designed by Alister Mackenzie,is the most scenic and accessible of courses in the region.

Another stunning gourmet region with great golfing isYarra Valley. The Eastern Golf Club in the Yarra Valley is international golfing champion Greg Norman’s newest course. The new club is already open and an official media launch is planned for mid October. This new arrival is one of many reasons to tee off in Victoria, with more than 320 public golf courses to suit players at every level.

Surrounded by vineyards and walking trails, the newly openedEastern Golf Clubhas been developed for golfing all year round, with 18 holes and the clubhouse now open to the public. A further nine-hole, par three course will follow by mid 2016. Accommodation is available onsite, along with with conference facilities, and formal and casual dining options.

TheHeritage Golf and Country Clubin Wonga Park offers two championship golf courses split by the Yarra River. The Jack Nicklaus ‘Signature’ St John course greets players at the gates, while its sister course takes players on a journey around the foothills beyond. Each offers a unique but equally engaging experience for any skill level.

Across the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, theRACV Healesville Country Cluboffers a variety of onsite recreational facilities including a Mike Clayton-designed, 18-hole golf course, a four-hole short course and a practice putting green. There are also tennis courts, a bowling green, a croquet lawn and a jumping pillow for children.

Torquay is located at the start of the iconicGreat Ocean Road, one of the most scenic drives in the world.The Sands, located in Torquay, is a Stuart Appleby-designed, 18-hole, private course, also ranked as a top 100 course in Australia. Facilities include motorised carts and a clubhouse complete with restaurant, three private function rooms and full catering. The Sands sits alongside Peppers The Sands Resort, a spacious 112 room resort offering dining, health club facilities and private balconies.

Golfers deciding to make the road trip will also delight in a round atAnglesea Golf Club, where the kangaroos outnumber the golfers teeing off on this unique course. The 42 bunkers throughout the course have been likened to sand-belt bunkers and combine with eucalyptus-lined fairways to produce a stunning backdrop

Thirteenth Beach Golf Linkssits on a prime waterfront site and offers two 18-hole courses – The Beach and The Creek. The Beach Course is consistently ranked in the top 20 best courses in Australia. The Creek Course is a parkland layout and was co-designed by golfing greats Sir Nick Faldo and Tony Cashmore. Thirteenth Beach Golf Links allows exclusive use of either course for groups larger than 80 players.

Around a three hour drive north of Melbourne, theMurray Regionis one of the most popular and accessible golf regions in Australia. TheYarrawongaMulwala Golf Club Resortis Australia’s largest public access golf resort, offering three distinct golf courses for players. The resort offers on-course accommodation, with guests able to choose to stay in either cabin style accommodation a luxurious suite.

Murray Downs Golf & Country Clubis consistently voted in the top resort courses around Australia. Known as a challenging and picturesque course, golfers play alongside majestic river gums. The par 72 course is a striking contrast to the Mallee plains that surround it and has some great signature holes, including the 5th with a long water carry over to the green.

TheMildura Golf Resortis nestled among an 18-hole championship course and features onsite accommodation, a clubhouse, bar and function facility. Acclaimed for its immaculate greens and challenging championship layout, the par 71 course is rated as one of the Murray River’s most challenging and enjoyable golf rounds.

Many private clubs allow visitors who are members of interstate or overseas clubs to play on selected weekdays; fees and availability can be obtained from the clubs or via selected golf tour operators such as Golf Tourism Australia,Gimme Golf,Golf Select,Teed Up Golf. More information can be found atGreat Golf Courses of Australia.

Melbourne, mit vier Millionen Einwohnern Australiens zweitgrößte Stadt, gilt als Trendschmiede des fünften Kontinents. Spiegelnde Wolkenkratzer und viktorianische Herrenhäuser, weitläufige Parks und verschachtelte Laneways bilden eine imposante Kulisse für Veranstaltungen von Weltformat wie Australian Open, Formel 1 und das Food and Wine Festival. Designer und Künstler lieben die unkonventionelle Metropole am Yarra River - die Kultur- und Restaurantszene pulsiert. Den Studien der britischen Zeitung Economist zufolge macht diese Kombinationen Melbourne zur lebenswertesten Stadt der Welt. Nur wenige Kilometer entfernt zeigt sich im Bundestaat Victoria Australiens landschaftliche Vielfalt auf kleinstem Raum: lange Sandstrände neben Steilküsten, dichter Regenwald vor fruchtbaren Weinregionen und schneebedeckte Gipfel im alpinem Hochland. Im Norden bildet der Murray River das Tor zum Outback, während an der Great Ocean Road im Süden die Zwölf Apostel-Felsen aus dem Ozean ragen. Überall warten Begegnungen mit Koala, Känguru und Co., die sich in den 36 Nationalparks besonders wohlfühlen. Die deutschsprachige Website zu Melbourne & Victoria bietet weitere Informationen. Broschüren können unter bestellt werden.

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