Ask a golfer to name the world's great golf destinations and you'll hear Scotland, Ireland, and the American coasts before anyone mentions the Southern Hemisphere. That's a mistake. Australia and New Zealand have built a collection of courses over the past two decades that ranks with anything in the world — and the settings are often more dramatic, the access easier, and the experience less crowded than their Northern Hemisphere counterparts.
This isn't a new development being manufactured by tourism boards. Australia's Melbourne Sandbelt has been producing world-class golf since the 1920s. What's changed is the explosion of modern courses — Barnbougle, Cape Kidnappers, Tara Iti — that have pushed the Antipodes into genuine elite territory.
Australia
The Melbourne Sandbelt
The Sandbelt is Australian golf's foundation. A belt of sandy, well-drained soil running through Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs supports a cluster of courses that collectively rival any region in the world.
Royal Melbourne West Course is the jewel. Designed by Alister MacKenzie in 1926 during his famous trip to Australia (he also designed Augusta National and Cypress Point), the West Course is a masterclass in strategic architecture. MacKenzie used the natural contours of the sand-based terrain to create greens that are among the most complex and demanding anywhere. The course hosts the Presidents Cup periodically, and many architects consider it among the top five courses ever built.
Kingston Heath, next door, is barely a step behind. Dan Soutar designed the original routing in 1925, and MacKenzie added the bunkering during the same Australian trip. The result is a course where every bunker is perfectly placed — not to punish randomly, but to make you think about every shot. The 15th, a short par-4 with an angled green protected by deep bunkers, is one of the best strategic holes in world golf.
The Sandbelt courses are heathland in character — firm turf, sandy soil, low scrub, and minimal water. If you've played Sunningdale or Walton Heath in England, the conditions will feel familiar, though the bunkering is more aggressive.
Tasmania: Barnbougle
Tasmania has, improbably, become one of the world's great golf destinations. Two courses on a remote stretch of coastline in the state's north-east have drawn golfers from around the world.
Barnbougle Dunes, designed by Tom Doak and Michael Clayton and opened in 2004, is authentic links golf built on genuine linksland. The course tumbles through dunes along Anderson Bay, with greens set into natural hollows and ridges. Doak's routing is superb — the course flows naturally through the landscape, and every hole feels inevitable rather than forced. It's firm, fast, and windswept, and it would be entirely at home on the Scottish coast.
Barnbougle Lost Farm, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened in 2010, offers a different but equally compelling experience. The design is more open and less severe than the Dunes, with wider fairways and more gradual contours. The 4th hole, a par-3 over a sandy wasteland to a green perched above the beach, is one of the most photographed holes in Australian golf.
The two courses together make a compelling 36-hole destination. The on-site accommodation is comfortable rather than luxurious — this is golf, not a spa holiday — and the remote location adds to the sense of pilgrimage. Getting there requires a flight to Launceston and a 90-minute drive, but the journey is part of the experience.
Sydney and Beyond
New South Wales Golf Club, perched on the cliffs at La Perouse on the southern headland of Botany Bay, offers one of the most spectacular settings in world golf. Designed by Alister MacKenzie and Eric Apperly in 1928, the course occupies a narrow peninsula with ocean views from nearly every hole. The turf is coastal rather than true links, but the wind exposure and dramatic terrain create a playing experience closer to links golf than parkland.
Royal Adelaide, founded in 1892 and redesigned by MacKenzie during that same prolific 1926 visit, is another Sandbelt-style course — sandy soil, firm conditions, strategic bunkering. It co-hosted Presidents Cup events and remains one of Australia's most respected layouts.
The National Golf Club Moonah, designed by Greg Norman and Bob Harrison on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne, opened in 2000. It's a links-inspired layout through moonah scrub with wide fairways and challenging green complexes. Less famous than the Sandbelt courses, but well worth including in a Melbourne itinerary.
New Zealand
New Zealand's golf scene is smaller than Australia's but arguably more dramatic. The country's extraordinary landscapes — volcanic plateaus, coastal cliffs, alpine valleys — provide settings that no other golf destination can match.
Hawke's Bay: Cape Kidnappers
Cape Kidnappers, designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2004, is one of those courses that makes you question whether what you're seeing is real. Built on a series of ridges high above the Pacific Ocean on the Hawke's Bay coast, the course offers vertiginous drops and ocean views that are simply astonishing. The 15th hole, a par-4 that plays along a narrow ridge with cliffs falling away on both sides, is one of the most exhilarating holes in golf.
Doak's design is brilliant — he uses the terrain honestly, placing greens and fairways on the natural ridgelines and allowing the landscape to do the work. The course can play in strong winds, which adds a links-like challenge to the dramatic setting. The luxury lodge at the course offers accommodation, and the Hawke's Bay wine region provides excellent dining.
Northland: Kauri Cliffs and Tara Iti
Kauri Cliffs, designed by David Harman and opened in 2000, sits on 6,000 acres of coastal farmland overlooking the Bay of Islands in Northland. Six holes play along the cliff edges with views across to offshore islands, and the course is maintained to an extraordinary standard. The resort is luxury-tier, with a lodge, cottages, and activities beyond golf.
Tara Iti, designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2015, is one of the most exclusive and highly regarded courses built this century. Located on the east coast of Northland, it's pure links golf — built on sandy terrain behind coastal dunes, with firm turf, natural contours, and minimal earthmoving. Doak considers it among his finest work, and the course has rocketed up global rankings since opening. Access is highly restricted — it's a private club with limited visitor play — but if you can get on, it's an extraordinary experience.
Queenstown: Jack's Point
Jack's Point, designed by John Darby and opened in 2007, occupies one of the most photogenic sites in world golf. Set beneath the Remarkables mountain range on the shores of Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown, the course offers mountain-and-lake views on nearly every hole. The design uses the terrain sensitively, and the natural tussock vegetation gives the course a wild, untamed character.
Queenstown itself is New Zealand's adventure capital — skiing in winter, hiking and cycling in summer, wine tasting year-round — making Jack's Point an excellent choice for mixed-interest groups.
Wellington Region: Paraparaumu Beach
Paraparaumu Beach, designed by Alex Russell in 1929, is New Zealand's only true links course. Russell trained under Alister MacKenzie and brought Sandbelt design principles to genuine linksland north of Wellington. The course is windswept, firm, and fast, with small greens and strategic bunkering. It has hosted the New Zealand Open multiple times and remains a national treasure.
Planning an Antipodean Golf Trip
Combining both countries
The smartest approach is to combine Australia and New Zealand on a single trip. Direct flights between Sydney or Melbourne and Auckland or Queenstown take roughly 3 hours. A two-week itinerary might look like:
- Days 1-4: Melbourne Sandbelt (Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, National Moonah)
- Days 5-7: Fly to Launceston, drive to Barnbougle (Dunes and Lost Farm)
- Days 8-10: Fly to Auckland, drive to Northland (Kauri Cliffs, Tara Iti if access is available)
- Days 11-13: Fly to Queenstown (Jack's Point), wine country
- Day 14: Depart
This covers the highlights of both countries and keeps internal flights manageable.
When to go
The Southern Hemisphere golf season peaks from October to April — spring through autumn. The Melbourne Sandbelt is playable year-round, though winter (June-August) can be cool and damp. Barnbougle is best from November to March. New Zealand's Northland courses are year-round; Queenstown is best from October to April, with winter bringing snow to the Remarkables.
For golfers from the UK or Europe, the Australian summer (December-February) offers a welcome escape from northern winter — and the courses are in peak condition.
Budget considerations
Australian and New Zealand golf is not cheap by Asian or Southern European standards, but it offers excellent value for the quality. Green fees at the top courses range from AUD 150-350 (roughly GBP 75-175). Barnbougle's stay-and-play packages represent genuine value for a destination of this calibre.
Accommodation, food, and internal flights add up, but both countries offer a high standard of living that justifies the cost. A two-week trip covering both countries, playing 8-10 rounds at top courses, typically runs GBP 4,000-6,000 per person including flights from Europe.
Why it's worth the journey
The distance is the main barrier — 22-24 hours of travel from Europe or the US East Coast. But the reward is golf in settings that simply don't exist elsewhere. The Melbourne Sandbelt offers some of the finest strategic golf architecture ever created. Barnbougle delivers authentic links golf in a wild, remote location. Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs provide cliff-edge drama that makes even Pebble Beach look understated.
And the courses are not overcrowded. You won't queue on the first tee at Barnbougle the way you might at St Andrews. The pace of play is relaxed, the welcome is warm, and the post-round culture — Australian coffee, New Zealand wine — is excellent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can visitors play Royal Melbourne?
Royal Melbourne West Course accepts visitor play on selected days, typically Tuesdays and Thursdays. An introduction from a member or affiliated club is generally required. Contact the club well in advance.
Is Barnbougle Dunes worth the trip to Tasmania?
Absolutely. Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm together form one of the best 36-hole links destinations in the world. The remote location adds to the experience rather than detracting from it.
How do I get access to Tara Iti?
Tara Iti is a private club. Visitor access is limited and typically requires a connection to a member. If you can't arrange access, Kauri Cliffs in the same region is an outstanding alternative that's open to resort guests.
What's the best course in Australia?
Royal Melbourne West Course is ranked first by most publications and is widely considered the best course in the Southern Hemisphere. Kingston Heath and Barnbougle Dunes are close behind.
