“Down Under” – Melbourne and New Zealand

The architect of this renowned Sandbelt course was Alex Russell who, in 1926, formed a partnership with the famed Dr Alister MacKenzie during his visit to Australia. Today, the course remains substantially the same as the original layout and like all great golf courses, has stood the test of time. The superb greens and bunkers are the highlight at Yarra Yarra and as good as many of MacKenzie’s own creations. Typically large, fast and undulating, the greens feature some of the most extreme slopes in Melbourne, while the bunkers are constructed to blend naturally with their surrounds and are intrinsic to the strategy of each hole. The course has been the scene of many major tournaments in its history, leading to world-wide recognition by amateurs and professionals alike.

Kingston Heath Golf Club is ranked by Golf Digest as the number 2^nd best course in Australia and the 11^th best course in the world, and enjoys an enviable reputation for its superb conditioning all year round. The 18 holes were built on only 50 hectares (most courses in the modern era are built on over 100 hectares), it is perfectly manicured and its bunkering and clever use of dips and hollows visually fools the non-observant golfer. If you wildly deviate from the fairway, the rough (comprising long grass, ti- tree and sandy scrapes) will test your ability to get the ball back into play. A staggering 128 bunkers dot the course and surround nearly every green – meaning that, in the words of the great Shooter McGavin, you’re likely to spend more time in the sand than David Hasselhoff. Kingston Heath has hosted the Australian Open 8 times (7 men’s & 1 women’s) as well as hosting the 2009 Australian Masters.

The National Golf Club has three highly regarded 18-hole golf courses at Cape Schanck, the Old Course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, The Moonah designed by Greg Norman and Bob Harrison, and the newly opened Gunnamatta Course designed by Tom Doak. All three courses are amongst Australia’s top-20 according to Golf Digest.

Situated on spectacular seaside farmlands The National Golf Club’s Moonah 18-hole links course is a modern treasure built on breathtaking coastal dune land with indigenous trees scattered throughout its rugged rolling hills. The key to Moonah’s success is its outstanding bunkers and greens and the par 72 layout is considered the pick of the club’s three tracks and one of the world’s most exciting modern creations.

The Old course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr is a unique and spectacular layout. Since its inception in 1987, the Old course is regarded as one of a kind. Currently ranked number 10 in Australia, the Old features narrow fairways winding through the rugged and thick native vegetation. With tiered Mackenzie Bent greens and sharp bunkering the Old course certainly provides a wonderful test for all golfers.

The Victoria Golf Club was founded in 1903 and the club moved to its current location in 1927 and the new course was designed by Oscar Damman and Bill Meader with the assistance from the doyen of course architects, Dr Alister Mackenzie. The Victoria Golf Club throws its hat in the ring as yet another
world-class golfing institution in the Melbourne Sandbelt. The Victoria holds up against its famous
comrades and is an excellent addition to this cluster of improbably superb golf courses. Small, lightning fast greens favour sharp-shooting, careful club selection and an immaculate short game;
professional and amateur alike come unstuck in the imposing bunkers hard against the collars of
the greens. Of all the best golf courses Melbourne has to offer, the Victoria Golf Club may just be
the toughest challenge out there.

Te Arai Links South course is designed by Coore and Crenshaw, the most in-demand designers in world golf, and opened in August 2022.The designers picked the landscape at Te Arai, and the interesting terrain will make for a golf course with plenty of character. Te Arai Links settles beside the golden windswept coastline of New Zealand’s North Island. The course consists of heaving sand ridges and meandering valleys; the contours of the fairways will remind you of classic links’ courses found in Scotland. The designers have created a creative golf course, and each hole offers a different feel from the next. There is an equal mix of both traditional golf holes and quirky modern short pars 4’s. The Oceanside holes will be as visually spectacular as the next. Key Feature: 16 holes have Ocean Views, and eight holes are bordering the sea.

Kauri Cliffs was designed and built by David Harman. The par 72 championship golf course measures 7,139 yards / 6,528 metres and offers five sets of tees to challenge every skill level. Fifteen holes view the Pacific Ocean, six of which are played alongside cliffs which plunge to the sea. The beautiful inland holes wind through marsh, forest and farmland. Kauri Cliffs is currently ranked #26 in the world by Golf Digest Top 100 Greatest Golf Courses in the World.

Titirangi is ranked as one of New Zealand’s top courses and is the only one in the country designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie in 1927. MacKenzie’s designs are notable for their sensitivity to the nature of the original site and he is admired for producing holes that offer an ideal balance of risk and reward. The par 71 course features elevated tees and greens, challenging bunkers and slick greens with pronounced undulations. Its par 3s face the four points of the compass so no matter what the weather conditions, you experience a different test on each hole.

Golf at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Kinloch Club is often compared to the classic link courses in Scotland and Ireland. However, instead of traditional sea views, this world-class championship Par 72 course is positioned between panoramic views of Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest fresh-water lake, and the natural beauty of rugged rural farmland. The only Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course to be built in New Zealand, Kinloch showcases a design philosophy that aims to enhance the natural environment, allowing the surroundings of the stunning Taupo region to shape each hole. Players should not come to this course thinking that they will play under their handicap. This course plays at close to 7400 yards and is certainly one of the toughest tests of golf in the country. Playing from the tips will challenge the best players in the world, as the greens are well protected and accuracy for the approach shot is paramount. This course requires thinking and execution even in the fairways, as the undulations throughout can really move your ball on the ground.

Designed by legendary golf architect Tom Doak, the Cape Kidnappers par 71 golf course measures 7,147 yards (6,569 meters) and will challenge golfers of all skill levels. Completed in 2004, this spectacular New Zealand golf course has been hailed as one of the great modern marvels in golf. Built on a ridge-and-valley landscape and with stunning sea views, Cape Kidnappers Golf Course plays high above the ocean atop dramatic cliffs.

With cliff-edge fairways perched 140 meters above sea level and with surface that remains firm and fast, this course offers holes unlike anything you find elsewhere in the world. While every hole has a spectacular view of the Bay, some play cautiously alongside deep ravines as others intimidate golfers with deep cliff top bunkers and sheer drops off the very edge of the earth.
Cape Kidnappers is currently ranked no. 2 in New Zealand and no. 21 in the World by Golf Digest.