One week in Australia

[Ally Mcintosh]

I’ve never been to Australia.


I have reason to travel to Singapore occasionally and am thinking I might add one week in Australia end of this year or next.


If you had one week for a first - and potentially only - visit, what would you do? I’ll play 36 on one or maybe two days but will not do it at different clubs. One day, one club.


Let’s pretend access or cost no issue but I’ll need downtime in the evenings so max one internal return flight once there.


Not all about “best” but a good percentage of best will be preferred. I can look at rankings but you guys are the ones that actually know…


Thanks for humouring me…..

[Mike_Clayton]

Ally,


Easy - come to Melbourne. At the risk of upsetting people there is more really good golf within an hour of Royal Melbourne than there is in the rest of the country. (Sandbelt and Mornington Peninsula)
Take a day, fly to Hobart, and play Seven Mile Beach. You can take the 7.00am plane down from Melbourne, play 36 and get the 6.00pm plane back.  Easily - the course is 10 minutes from the airport.

[Marty Bonnar]

Ally,
The Aussie GCA boys and girls are very generous hosts. Wherever you choose, you’ll be well looked after. I’d second Mike’s thoughts on Melbourne. Cracking Courses, fun city, much architectural interest - well worth the visit. Mind you, Sydney’s not far behind! Can’t speak for the home cities of our other down under brethren, unfortunately. Hope they all might chime in. You’d need a good month to see it all.
Have fun!
Cheers,
M.

[Ian Andrew]

Melbourne only.

I've went to Tasmania, Sydney and Adelaide over 18 days. You don't have enough time for two destinations and there's too much to see in Melbourne to go elsewhere. You can even play 36 a few days while there.

[Ian Andrew]

I can look at rankings but you guys are the ones that actually know…

Don't let rankings push the agenda. Woodlands, Commonwealth and Yarra Yarra have as many lessons as Metro and Victoria. Just play as much as you can, each course has something special to share. Don't miss East, it has holes every bit as good as the West. Enjoy. Trip changed me. Laval was the result.

[Mark Pearce]

I had a month there 8 years ago.  With only 7 days, I think Mike C's shout is right, though that means missing Barnbougle.  I don't know whether you could do a day at 7 Mile, then 36 (or more) at Barnbougle the next day then back to Melbourne?


NSW (and Newcastle) and Royal Adelaide are all worth seeing but not worth losing the travelling time for if you only have 7 days.


When are you thinking this might be, by the way?  I'm seriously contemplating (as in almost certain to do) a couple of weeks at the end of the year to coincide with ticking Boxing Day at the MCG for an Ashes Test off my bucket list.

[Thomas Dai]

Great to hear this Ally. Go for it asap!

Indeed I and my clubs were in Melbourne, Tasmania and King Island last year and I will be heading that way again this coming November on the way to NZ.

It’s not really necessary to say it but Melbourne (Sandbelt and Mornington Peninsula) and Tasmania (including King Island) have exceptional golf. So too apparently does the Bellarine Peninsula (on the other side of Port Phillip Bay) although I’ve not seen any courses thereabouts.

Question is how much can be squeezed in during one week?

The old golf-tour adage of ‘any time spent in a car, train or plane is lost golf time’ very much applies.


Therefore some related things to consider:

Flights. It’s a bloody long way even with a stopover. Arrive as fresh as possible (thus maybe not via a crowded flight seated in economy class). Through careful choice of arrival/departure times more golf can be squeezed in.

Melbourne Airport is the opposite side of the city to the Sandbelt and the Mornington Peninsula.

The Melbourne suburb of Sandringham would be a good area to base yourself. Nice area, close to all Sandbelt courses and easy travelling to/from Mornington Peninsula.
.
If there’s a strong desire to see Barnbougle, the King Island courses or 7 Mile Beach then more flights will be needed which may entail time travelling to/from Melbourne Airport if flights aren’t available from a local airport such as Moorabbin. There are specific golf tour flights from Moorabbin direct to/from Barnbougle and King Island. Locals will better know relevant details.

Time of year. Not just weather wise but daylight considerations and the dates of other busy Melbourne events (eg Grand Prix, Melbourne Cup etc) depending on whether you’d like to avoid or attend them!

As to courses, you’ll regret it if you don’t play Royal Melbourne (West) and Kingston Heath. Otherwise Victoria in particular is delightful but all are meritorious and well worth playing. My suggestion would be to take the advice of the locals on the worthiness of playing the various others. I doubt though if any will disappoint. If time and flights allow Barnbougle Dunes and Cape Wickham in particular (and I’m confident 7MB too) are unforgettably magnificent.

Go, go, go! Wonderful place. Fabulous golf.

Atb

[Adam Lawrence]

I had a month there 8 years ago.  With only 7 days, I think Mike C's shout is right, though that means missing Barnbougle.  I don't know whether you could do a day at 7 Mile, then 36 (or more) at Barnbougle the next day then back to Melbourne?

It would be two very, very long days I think. Google says it's just over three hours drive from Hobart airport (which is right next to Seven Mile Beach) to Barnbougle. You'd have to do that after golf, and you'd need to get a one way car hire to Launceston unless you wanted to have to make the drive in reverse the next day. I suppose you _could_ just about get a very early flight down to Hobart, pick up a car, play golf, drive to Barnbougle, do 36 the next day, then drive to Launceston and get the last flight back to Melbourne, but I think you would have to be certifiably insane to do so. Otherwise it's three of your seven days.

[Mark Pearce]

I had a month there 8 years ago.  With only 7 days, I think Mike C's shout is right, though that means missing Barnbougle.  I don't know whether you could do a day at 7 Mile, then 36 (or more) at Barnbougle the next day then back to Melbourne?

It would be two very, very long days I think. Google says it's just over three hours drive from Hobart airport (which is right next to Seven Mile Beach) to Barnbougle. You'd have to do that after golf, and you'd need to get a one way car hire to Launceston unless you wanted to have to make the drive in reverse the next day. I suppose you _could_ just about get a very early flight down to Hobart, pick up a car, play golf, drive to Barnbougle, do 36 the next day, then drive to Launceston and get the last flight back to Melbourne, but I think you would have to be certifiably insane to do so. Otherwise it's three of your seven days.

Pretty much as I thought.  I'm going to have a couple of weeks (though at least one of those days will be at the MCG watching Duckett and Crawley slaying Australia's bowling (or, alternatively, Mark Wood blowing their batting away) and one will be Christmas Day).  But I do want to see 7 Mile Beach (I saw the site 8 years ago, before construction had started) and the two courses at Barnbougle are World class.  Then there's the pinot noir.........

[Ally Mcintosh]

Thanks all,


Seems like two options:


Option 1: Seven days in the Melbourne area. This one is likely the sensible one allowing me downtime… or


Option 2: Melbourne & Tasmania. Much as Mike’s suggestion makes sense, I’m not sure I could travel to Tasmania and not see Barnbougle. So flight dependent, I could maybe do something like this? (Tell me if I’m mad): Day 1&2 in Melbourne. Day 3 morning round in Melbourne, fly to Hobart and drive to Barnbougle. Day 4: 36 in Barnbougle Day 5: Drive to Hobart, play 7 Mile Beach, fly to Melbourne. Day 6&7 in Melbourne.


I’d do my work in Singapore before hopping over so much of the jet lag would be gone… Likely December but more likely 2026 than 2025… although I knew I’d start scheming as soon as I posted this!

[Tom_Doak]

Option 2: Melbourne & Tasmania. Much as Mike’s suggestion makes sense, I’m not sure I could travel to Tasmania and not see Barnbougle. So flight dependent, I could maybe do something like this? (Tell me if I’m mad): Day 1&2 in Melbourne. Day 3 morning round in Melbourne, fly to Hobart and drive to Barnbougle. Day 4: 36 in Barnbougle Day 5: Drive to Hobart, play 7 Mile Beach, fly to Melbourne. Day 6&7 in Melbourne.

If you're going to try that, you can fly into Launceston from Melbourne on Day 3, and save yourself a couple of hours driving up from Hobart.  I'm sure you can get a one-way car rental for not much more.


There are also DIRECT small-plane flights from an airport in the middle of the Sandbelt right to a grass landing strip at Barnbougle.  Usually those are for groups going down; I don't know if there is a chance of being an extra passenger on someone else's trip, but it's worth looking into.


Personally, I would do Tasmania at the start or end of the trip, to save yourself going through the airport an extra time, although the Australian airports are pretty easy for domestic flights.

[Thomas Dai]

There are also DIRECT small-plane flights from an airport in the middle of the Sandbelt right to a grass landing strip at Barnbougle.  Usually those are for groups going down; I don't know if there is a chance of being an extra passenger on someone else's trip, but it's worth looking into.

There are specialist tour operators and small private plane airlines operating from Moorabbin Airport, which is the local airport that’s adjacent to various Sandbelt courses, taking tours direct to Barnbougle private airstrip (and King Island).

By the time you’re likely to be going I would expect such companies will be incorporating excursions to 7 Mile Beach flights as well.

As Tom suggests you may be able to piggy-back onto one of these tours/flights. Worth enquiring.

Atb

[MKrohn]

Clayts is correct, if it's a week, Melbourne is the place.


Of course you could design an "ironman" trip, whenever I see an itinerary on WRX they seem to spend every non golfing minute travelling. Maybe hit all six states in Australia playing 36 holes per day, return home and head straight to a drip at the hospital.

[Matt_Cohn]

I would only note that your "one day, one club" rule probably shouldn't be a strict one when the courses are so close together. The longest drive between ten or so main sand belt courses is 20 minutes, and mostly more like 10 minutes from one to another. Hard to imagine skipping a course because it's a full 10 minutes away!

[Ally Mcintosh]

I would only note that your "one day, one club" rule probably shouldn't be a strict one when the courses are so close together. The longest drive between ten or so main sand belt courses is 20 minutes, and mostly more like 10 minutes from one to another. Hard to imagine skipping a course because it's a full 10 minutes away!

It’s about my only rule, Matt. I find it quite ignorant to be at a great club and then have to rush off without experiencing it, just to get to a tee-time elsewhere…. Plus I’m not so young anymore. I’ll manage max 2 rounds of 36 in a 7 day visit. I’d rather miss courses than play more.

[Scott Warren]

Overnight flights from Singapore hit Sydney first thing in the morning, so if you wanted to see NSWGC (15min from Sydney airport) you could be picked up from the airport, play golf and then take an evening flight to Melbourne to attack the sandbelt the next day.

You start packing more into a week than you might have initially sought to, but when it’s all so far from home…

In Melbourne I think if you see RM West, Kingston Heath, Commonwealth, Victoria and Peninsula-Kingswood (North) then you’ve seen the variety of the Sandbelt and also the best of it.

The Barnbougle courses are superb, obviously, but if you’re coming to Australia to see Australian golf, there’s a very good argument that seeing National (Moonah) and National (Gunnamatta) or St Andrew’s Beach are a more valuable use of your time.

[Mark Pearce]

It’s about my only rule, Matt. I find it quite ignorant to be at a great club and then have to rush off without experiencing it, just to get to a tee-time elsewhere….

It's a great rule.  In the same way that turning up to play 18 holes at Muirfield and then leaving immediately to make a tee time at NBWL diminishes the experience of both clubs, the same is true of any great clubs anywhere.  I enjoyed lunch after playing Kingston Heath every bit as much as the golf.  KH, by the way, was the biggest positive surprise of my time in Australia (I did, admittedly, play it in almost perfect condition, the day before the World Cup started there).  It is an absolute must see.

[Mark Pearce]

Overnight flights from Singapore hit Sydney first thing in the morning, so if you wanted to see NSWGC (15min from Sydney airport) you could be picked up from the airport, play golf and then take an evening flight to Melbourne to attack the sandbelt the next day.

The idea of taking on NSW straight from the airport after 24 hours or more travelling immediately struck me as madness, even for a much better golfer than me.  Then I re-read Ally's OP.  If the journey from Singapore isn't too bad, then NSW really is worth seeing (and not just for the eye candy of cresting the hill at 5, possibly the most beautiful moment in golf?).

[Ian Andrew]

Ally,


It's funny I was going for 7 days originally. Mentioned my plans to my wife and she said that makes no sense. She kept having me add days till the trip made far more sense "to her." We settled on 18 days. Figure out when you can go for more than one week. It's a once in a lifetime golf experience, make it that. Rushing around won't.

I went surfing, met Lloyd Cole in Sydney for drinks, played with Clayts, joined a beachside GCA get together in Melbourne. Give the trip room for more than rounds of golf.

[James Bennett]

Ally


it has all been said.  Plenty to see in Melbourne. Base yourself there.
If you do value seeing Barnbougle, then do a direct small plane flight from Moorabin to Barnbougle, and return at end of the day.
Trying to drive around the Launceston to Barnbougle roads to fit things in is likely to lead to silly decisions, eg driving at twilight.  Bad things happen.  The flight won't be cheap though.


Either stay longer, or keep it simple.  If you must see Barnbougle, pay the money and for a fly-in/fly-out day trip from Moorabin and play Dunes and Lost Farm. Alternately, drive down to the Mornington Peninsula and see some other different golf landscapes.


James B (in Adelaide)

[Jeff_Brauer]

Ally,


I would consider a one-way ticket as you may not want to return.......

[Jeff Schley]

Ally I’m just interested to see how you combine all this great advice into a useable itinerary.  It will be great regardless. 

[Ally Mcintosh]

Well thanks again all. A lot to chew over.


It seems that many people are suggesting a two destination stop would take more than 7 days. If I go down that route, perhaps I can extend to 9. It won’t be Ian’s 18.


The Singapore-Sydney-Melbourne-home option seems as enticing as the Tasmania one.


Surprised how many people seem to think the Tasmania option is a jump too far (if I do do this, I will take Tom’s advice and schedule at the beginning or end of the trip. I likely won’t get the small charter plane though - want to see 7MB with Barnbougle. So particularly interested in James’s “bad things happen” comment, referring to the drive from Launceston).


Side question here as it got me thinking: Does Barnbougle have a passing resemblance to St Patrick’s? Always was very high up on the list of Tom’s courses I wanted to see because it appeared to be the closest to a GB&I links. But perhaps that’s exactly why I don’t need to see it?


Who knows? I will make something happen. And it will be based primarily or solely around the Melbourne / Mornington Peninsula area. Thanks for all the advice, both on here and by IM.

[Brian Walshe]

Ally,


James would have been referring to the likelihood of hitting some of the local wildlife on the drive from Hobart to Bridport.  The Launceston to Bridport drive tends to be Roadkill Central so I'd imagine that Hobart to Launceston would be similar.  Hitting a kangaroo in a rental car tends to be a little expensive.


I wouldn't be surprised if the charter companies that currently do King Island and Barnbougle flights out of Melbourne add Hobart/Barnbougle once 7MB is up and running.

[Thomas Dai]

[quote author=Ally Mcintosh link=topic=73482.msg1763257#msg1763257 date=1736066480
Side question here as it got me thinking: Does Barnbougle have a passing resemblance to St Patrick’s? Always was very high up on the list of Tom’s courses I wanted to see because it appeared to be the closest to a GB&I links. But perhaps that’s exactly why I don’t need to see it?
[quote]

I’m a big fan of both Barnbougle and St Patrick’s.
Both are wonderful while Tassie and Donegal are delightful to visit.
My recollection though is that they have very different grass types.
Others could likely elaborate further on the grass type aspect.
Atb