This is the definitive guide to the best Melbourne golf courses for your Australian itinerary.
So prepare to tee off across the iconic Sandbelt…
That scenic stretch of sacred soil where Dr Alister MacKenzie revolutionised Australian golf during 10 seminal weeks in 1926.
And where, a century later, world-ranked championship courses greet you at every turn. It’s something else.
First, a brief geography lesson before we get underway.
Where in Australia is Melbourne?
Melbourne is the capital city of the southeastern state of Victoria. This tasty, trendy, thrumming metropolis is worth the journey to Australia on its own.
Just south of the city, scattered throughout picturesque seaside suburbs, the best golf in the world awaits you on that firm, fast, and beautifully contoured Sandbelt turf.
Explore the top Melbourne golf courses
Reminder: This illustrious lineup features on your Australian golf tour with Carr Golf Travel.
Simply click to get cracking on the greatest golf courses in Melbourne:
1. The Royal Melbourne Golf Club: West Course
Est. 1931 | Par: 72 | Yards: 6,646
Sumptuous terrain. Ingenious design. Rich history. Championship pedigree.
The West Course at Royal Melbourne ticks every box.
Perennially ranked No.1 in Australia and a mainstay of the world’s top 10, the West Course is the jewel of the Sandbelt and standard-bearer for all Melbourne golf courses.
Notably, this is where Alister MacKenzie ushered in the new golden age of golf design across the Southern Hemisphere.
Already, you’re in bucket-list territory.
Located in the suburb of Black Rock, the West Course plays over a glorious piece of undulating, sandy land and boasts a beautifully natural appearance.
It’s also a masterclass in inch-perfect routing and strategic design that rewards precision over power.
Expect umpteen doglegs, fast-moving fairways, mammoth, crisp-edge bunkers, and vast, perfectly edged greens framed by a multicoloured mix of native grasses.
Pure Sandbelt!
There are no weak holes, but the 2nd, 5th and 10th are particular highlights on the West.
- Where to stay. Located along the vibrant Southbank Promenade, The Langham, Melbourne, offers you 5-star accommodations, award-winning cuisine, heavenly wellness facilities, and enchanting riverside views. Plus, you’re a 30-minute drive from the Sandbelt.
2. Kingston Heath Golf Club
Est. 1925 | Par: 72 | Yards: 6,812
Depending on who you ask, Kingston Heath could even surpass Royal Melbourne as the top course on the Sandbelt. But that’s for you to decide on your Australian golf trip.
Either way, Kingston Heath ranks among the very best golf courses in Australia and the world.
As evidenced by the club’s modern tournament resume:
- World Club of Golf (2016)
- Australian Open (2022, ’24 & ’26)
- Presidents Cup (2028)
- Women’s Australian Open (2022 & ’24)
Unlike other Melbourne golf courses, Kingston Heath was not blessed with prime terrain. In fact, it’s largely flat.
Instead, you can thank creator Dan Soutar (with help from Dr MacKenzie) for this brainteasing beauty in Cheltenham, Victoria.
Unsurprisingly, the crafty bunkering and lilting greens are delightful and make every shot feel like an all-or-nothing gamble.
Meanwhile, the ceaseless variety of holes – short, long, linear, doglegged – keeps you guessing throughout.
Just wait for the finishing stretch.
- Beyond the fairways. Between Melbourne golf courses, set off from your downtown hotel for the glorious Great Ocean Road, where you’ll behold soaring cliffs, golden beaches, and the staggering 12 Apostles limestone stacks.
3. Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club: North Course
Est: 2019 | Par: 72 | Yards: 6,769
The next stop on your tour of magnificent Melbourne golf courses is the product of a groundbreaking 2013 merger between two deep-rooted clubs. Then the upgrades began.
Today, Peninsula Kingswood is a premier 36-hole venue that offers you the quintessential Sandbelt experience.
First up, the acclaimed North Course.
Simply put, it’s a pleasure to play and a joy to behold. From the rumbling, tumbling turf to the many shades and hues of the surrounding sands, grasses, trees, and heathland vegetation.
Strategically, the North Course at Peninsula Kingswood matches Kingston Heath.
Here, you encounter broad fairways, immense bunkers, punishing rough, and slick, tilted greens.
If your driving is amiss, things suddenly become claustrophobic.
As for topography, with its wild undulations and elevation changes, only Royal Melbourne is better endowed. In case you’re wondering, the conditions are immaculate.
Signature holes? The 2nd (par 3) and 3rd (par 5) are quite a combination.
- After you play. Journey into the heart of Melbourne on a sightseeing cruise along the Yarra River that reveals its dashing Victoria buildings, idyllic botanical gardens, world-famous sports stadiums, and hidden foodie hotspots.
4. The Metropolitan Golf Club
Est. 1908 | Par: 72 | Yards: 7,170
‘It’s such an amazing place. It’s always been the benchmark for conditioning. The best fairways in the world, and probably the best greens in the world.’
That’s how Geoff Ogilvy, Australia’s 2006 U.S. Open winner, described the Metropolitan Golf Club.
Few who’ve played this flawless, hand-carved Sandbelt classic would quibble.
The playing surfaces resemble a vast, meandering billiards table and seamlessly flow between tee, fairway (also beloved by Greg Norman) and green.
Even then, it’s the cloud-like greenside bunkers – cut into edges with astounding precision – that really catch your eye at the Metropolitan.
So does the rich, inspiring history.
As is commonplace among Melbourne golf courses, you play in the shadow of giants.
The Metropolitan, which shares its origins with Royal Melbourne, has welcomed seven Australian Opens to the suburb of Oakleigh South.
Finally, it boasts a top-drawer 19th hole and has been called Australia’s friendliest golf club. Enjoy.
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5. Victoria Golf Club
Est. 1903 | Par: 72 | Yards: 6,905
Like its Australian Open co-host, Kingston Heath, Alister MacKenzie masterminded the exquisite bunkers at Victoria Golf Club.
And like Kingston Heath, Tiger Woods headlined the Australian Masters at Victoria Golf Club.
So far, so good. Let’s talk location.
Situated (since 1926) in the beachside suburb of Cheltenham, this effortlessly elegant course is literally across the road from Royal Melbourne.
Now that’s an exclusive neighbourhood.
Perhaps only East Lothian can match its sheer concentration of championship courses.
Back to Victoria.
From 1995, Mike Clayton spent two decades renovating Victoria Golf Club.
Unquestionably, his efforts paid off.
Yet, with its rolling turf, shapely bunkering, towering trees, sandy run-offs, and wickedly contoured greens, Victoria remains the quintessential Sandbelt track.
So bring your shot-making skills (and camera for those breathtaking skyscapes).
Likewise, even among the top Melbourne golf courses, the club exudes a distinct aura that immediately seduces you.
It’s the heroes, hospitality and heritage.
- Hassle-free golf travel. Give yourself one less thing to worry about on departure and arrival day by shipping your golf clubs to and from Australia through our trusted partner, Ship Sticks, right here.
6. The National Golf Club: Moonah Course
Est. 2000 | Par: 72 | Yards: 7,190
This may come as a shock.
But, beyond the Sandbelt, there are even more must-play Melbourne golf courses.
For example, 90 minutes south of the city, you’ll find the No.12 course in Australia on the majestic Mornington Peninsula.
The Moonah Course at the 72-hole National Golf Club is a handsome brute that Greg Norman designed with old-school links in mind.
Indeed, this dramatic dunescape in Cape Schnack harkens to Ireland and Scotland.
Certainly, the Moonah tests and thrills like a classic links course.
Be ready to embrace the bump-and-run on a creatively routed layout that winds through rolling hills dotted with knotted trees.
At every angle, whether countryside or coast, the view is astounding.
Strategically, the dune-laden fairways offer ample width, though hair-raising winds are a constant threat.
Unsurprisingly, top-class bunkers abound and hitting the green demands boldness and accuracy. The par-5s, such as the 15th, exemplify this ethos.
Unmissable.
- Beyond tee times. Ticking the Melbourne golf courses off your list is thirsty work. That’s why our Australian itinerary includes a trip to the lush green hinterland of the Mornington Peninsula wine region.
7. Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club: South Course
Est. 2019 | Par: 72 | Yards: 6,807
Your Australia golf tour features two mouthwatering multi-course experiences on the Melbourne Sandbelt.
Peninsula Kingswood Golf Country, located in the bustling beachside resort of Frankston, is one of them.
Though somewhat overshadowed by its sibling, the South Course more than justifies a return visit. Unless an endlessly intriguing challenge amid 400 acres of beautiful bushland is not your kind of thing?
Obviously, that’s a rhetorical question!
Let’s dive into the South Course at Peninsula Kingswood.
Like the North Course, OCM revamped the South following the historic merger that created the club.
Ironically, the new design has all the hallmarks of traditional Melbourne golf courses, from the sandy soil to the dense vegetation, artistic bunkering, and cunning greens.
Longer, wider and flatter than the North, the South Course is also distinguished – strategically and visually – by its creek lines, stonewalls, and more prominent trees.
Together, these courses make a beautiful couple.
- Worldwide golfing delights. Enjoy the most sought-after tee times, stay in the most exclusive accommodations, and explore the most iconic attractions in Ireland, Scotland, England, Australia, and New Zealand with Carr Golf Travel.
8. The Royal Melbourne Golf Club: East Course
Est. 1932 | Par: 71 | Yards: 6,569
Back to where you started, in Black Rock, Victoria, at Royal Melbourne.
For many, the 2025 Australian Open venue is the ultimate 36-hole destination in the Southern Hemisphere.
And while the East Course doesn’t quite deliver the jaw-dropping grandeur of its elder sibling, expect a top-drawer golfing experience from this Sandbelt icon.
In particular, the ‘home paddock’ holes (1-3 and 15-18) on the main site.
With that Magnificent Seven, you always start with a bang and finish with a flourish.
In 1931, Alex Russell and Mick Morcom built the West Course to Alister MacKenzie’s specifications.
Then, in 1932, the legendary duo added the East Course.
Like the West, the East features splendid sandy heathland, generous fairways, eye-catching bunkers, sculpted, sloping greens, and unforgettable par-3s.
Just on a smaller scale.
That the two combine to create the fabled Composite Course for championships at Royal Melbourne speaks to the quality of the latter.
What’s next?
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Plan your ultimate Australian golf break
Now you know about the glorious Melbourne golf courses, not to mention the surrounding natural, culinary, and cosmopolitan delights.
Guess what?
After the Sandbelt, you’ve also got mind-blowing links experiences and clifftop championship crackers across untamed Tasmania and sunkissed Sydney.
It’s all part of your epic island-hopping Australian adventure with Carr Golf Travel.
We handle everything, from tee times to luxury accommodations, private transportation, local experiences, and on-the-ground support.
Book a call with us to start planning your dream itinerary.
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