AusGolf - Victoria’s Top 50 Public Access Golf Courses

Victoria's Top 50 Public Access Golf Courses

From the Golf Course Guide, 2004

VICTORIA (INC MURRAY RIVER) TOP PUBLIC ACCESS COURSES
* Murray River (NSW) Course

This Year	COURSE	Aus Rank	Last Year
1	THE DUNES	3	1
2	THIRTEENTH BEACH	8	3
3	PORTSEA	9	2
4	BARWON HEADS	10	7
5	MOONAH LINKS - OPEN	12	4
6	MURRAY DOWNS *	20	6
7	HORSHAM	22	5
8	CAPE SCHANCK	27	10
9	CRANBOURNE	28	8
10	PORT FAIRY	34	11
11	ROSEBUD - NORTH	35	9
12	SORRENTO	40	23
13	KINGSTON LINKS	41	12
14	COBRAM BAROOGA - OLD *	42	18
15	ROSEBUD - SOUTH	45	14
16	THURGOONA *	46	13
17	EAGLE RIDGE	47	19
18	RICH RIVER - EAST*	50	15
19	TOCUMWAL - PRESIDENTS *	Top 100	16
20	TOCUMWAL - CAPTAINS *	Top 100	22
21	YARRAWONGA - MURRAY *	Top 100	17
22	WARRNAMBOOL	Top 100	21
23	TRAFALGAR	Top 100	26
24	CURLEWIS	Top 100	32
25	FLINDERS	Top 100	24
26	LAKES ENTRANCE	Top 100	30
27	COBRAM BAROOGA - WEST *	Top 100	44
28	MELTON VALLEY	Top 100	20
29	QUEENSCLIFF	Top 100	25
30	ANGLESEA	Top 100	42
31	GISBORNE	Top 100	37
32	MORNINGTON	Top 100	28
33	LONSDALE	Top 100	31
34	AMSTEL - PARKS	Top 100	36
35	LEONGATHA	Top 100	39
36	COROWA *	Top 100	29
37	SHEPPARTON	Top 100	34
38	COOMEALLA *	Top 100	27
39	LANG LANG	Top 100	45
40	RICH RIVER - WEST *	Top 100	41
41	YARRAWONGA - LAKES *	Top 100	35
42	BRIGHT
43	YARRAM		33
44	BAIRNSDALE		46
45	HOWLONG*		50
46	KYNETON		38
47	MILDURA		47
48	ROSEBUD PARK		nr
49	BARHAM *		43
50	BEACONHILLS - HILLS		nr

* Denotes Murray River (NSW) Course
nr = no ranking 2003.

Victoria and Murray River Top 50

“Victorian golf has long been recognised for Melbourne’s famous Sand Belt region, home to arguably the finest collection of golf courses in the world. That region is now complemented by extensive developments on the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas, many of which are top quality public access courses. Victorians have also laid claim to the Murray River courses that extend from Albury in the East to Wentworth in the West. Throughout the State there is a large variety of charming country courses noted for their accessibility and modest green fees.”

the dunes golf links
Still No. 1 - The Dunes pic by David Scaletti

In keeping with previous editions, we not only list all (private and public) courses throughout the most compact mainland state, but we rank the best of the public access courses according to the same criteria as used for the Australian ranking.

The Dunes tops our list as it has since 1999 when we first published a Public Access Course ranking. This year, Thirteenth Beach (The Beach Course) moves up one spot to give designer Tony Cashmore and entrepreneur Duncan Andrews the quinella.

Barwon Heads moves into fourth place, just behind Portsea – two classic layouts that still hold their own with Cashmore’s creations, and the mighty Open Course at Moonah Links in fifth spot.

Other courses to improve their rankings include Sorrento, both Cobram Barooga layouts on the Murray, Curlewis, Anglesea and Gisborne. On debut at No 42 is Bright – yet another Cashmore design that opened in 1989 and has perhaps been overlooked by our panel in the past. Two other courses just crept into the Top 50 – Rosebud Park on the Mornington Peninsula and The Hills course at Beaconhills.

Whilst there is some movement in the rankings due to conditioning changes as perceived by our panel, and occasionally by design alterations, it is recognised that many of the assessments are extremely close, and necessarily subjective in nature. The list is strictly intended as guidance only.

I can only repeat Peter Thomson’s assertion:

"Generally speaking it is possible in Victoria to indulge oneself in golfing fare to the point of gluttony. The standard is unusually high, so that even the best players can have their skills put to the highest test." (Foreword to the first Edition of the Golf Course Guide, 1994)