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Australia's Top 100 Golf Courses - Golf Australia 2022

Here are the latest rankings from Golf Australia Magazine as published Jan 2022
Feel free to send any feedback you have to info@ausgolf.com.au

2022 RANK COURSE State 2020 RANK 2018 RANK
1 ROYAL MELBOURNE - WEST Victoria 1 1
2 CAPE WICKHAM Tasmania 2 2
3 BARNBOUGLE DUNES Tasmania 3 3
4 BARNBOUGLE LOST FARM Tasmania 4 5
5 KINGSTON HEATH Victoria 6 4
6 PENINSULA - NORTH Victoria 5 nr
7 ROYAL MELBOURNE - EAST Victoria 7 6
8 NATIONAL - GUNNAMATTA Victoria 10 nr
9 NEW SOUTH WALES New South Wales 11 9
10 VICTORIA Victoria 8 12
11 ROYAL ADELAIDE South Australia 9 10
12 NATIONAL - MOONAH Victoria 13 11
13 ST ANDREWS BEACH Victoria 12 13
14 THE LAKES New South Wales 16 14
15 METROPOLITAN Victoria 17 15
16 PENINSULA - SOUTH Victoria 18 nr
17 YARRA YARRA Victoria nr 32
18 OCEAN DUNES Tasmania 15 8
19 BARWON HEADS Victoria 20 19
20 LONSDALE LINKS Victoria nr  
21 KOOYONGA South Australia 22 25
22 LAKE KARRINYUP Western Australia 21 18
23 ROYAL QUEENSLAND Queensland 26 23
24 NATIONAL - OLD Victoria 23 21
25 WOODLANDS Victoria 19 16
26 THIRTEENTH BEACH - BEACH Victoria 24 21
27 THE DUNES Victoria 29 27
28 PORT FAIRY Victoria 31 43
29 NEWCASTLE New South Wales 27 26
30 CONCORD New South Wales 32 nr
31 ROYAL CANBERRA Australian Capital Territory 25 20
32 COMMONWEALTH Victoria 28 22
33 MAGENTA SHORES New South Wales 36 37
34 BROOKWATER Queensland 35 29
35 BONNIE DOON New South Wales 30 34
36 THE AUSTRALIAN New South Wales 40 36
37 PORTSEA Victoria 34 39
38 BOUGLE RUN Tasmania nr nr
39 GRANGE - WEST South Australia 38 28
40 BONVILLE New South Wales 42 45
41 JOONDALUP - QUARRY/DUNES Western Australia 37 31
42 HAMILTON ISLAND Queensland 44 44
43 GLENELG South Australia 39 30
44 LONG ISLAND Victoria 46 50
45 SPRING VALLEY Victoria 41 42
46 ELANORA New South Wales 48 38
47 MOONAH LINKS - LEGENDS Victoria 45 33
48 GRANGE - EAST South Australia 43 35
49 CURLEWIS Victoria 54 68
50 TERREY HILLS New South Wales 51 48
51 SANDRINGHAM Victoria nr nr
52 THE VINTAGE New South Wales 47 40
53 THIRTEENTH BEACH - CREEK Victoria 50 53
54 EASTERN - SOUTH Victoria 55 67
55 LINKS HOPE ISLAND Queensland 56 58
56 ROYAL SYDNEY New South Wales 49 41
57 MEADOW SPRINGS Western Australia 52 51
58 HUNTINGDALE Victoria 53 52
59 THE GRAND Queensland 58 59
60 HEALESVILLE (RACV) Victoria 61 57
61 ST MICHAEL'S  New South Wales 69 61
62 CRANBOURNE Victoria 68 64
63 THE CUT Western Australia 59 46
64 RANFURLIE Victoria 66 69
65 SANCTUARY COVE - THE PINES Queensland 77 72
66 KALGOORLIE Western Australia 67 66
67 SANCTUARY LAKES Victoria 60 62
68 MOONAH LINKS - OPEN Victoria 65 56
69 ROSEBUD NORTH Victoria nr nr
70 LINKS LADY BAY South Australia 70 70
71 ROYAL HOBART Tasmania 90 98
72 STONECUTTERS RIDGE New South Wales 63 49
73 SETTLERS RUN Victoria 62 63
74 MOUNT LAWLEY Western Australia 71 65
75 GLADES Queensland 64 77
76 AVONDALE New South Wales 72 61
77 NAROOMA New South Wales 80 87
78 MAROOCHY RIVER Queensland 76 nr
79 TASMANIA Tasmania 78 80
80 BLACK BULL Victoria 73 78
81 SUN CITY Western Australia 75 75
82 WARRNAMBOOL Victoria 85 84
83 MOUNT COMPASS South Australia 81 nr
84 SORRENTO Victoria 86 86
85 KILLARA New South Wales nr nr
86 MURRAY DOWNS Victoria 87 83
87 JOONDALUP - QUARRY/LAKE Western Australia 79 71
88 CAPE SCHANCK Victoria 88 nr
89 BELMONT New South Wales 94 nr
90 RIVERSDALE Victoria nr 91
91 PACIFIC HARBOUR Queensland 82 73
92 ROYAL PINES - GREEN/GOLD Queensland 89 74
93 FEDERAL New South Wales nr 100
94 MONASH New South Wales nr nr
95 INDOOROOPILLY - WEST Queensland nr 97
96 KEW Victoria 99 nr
97 BRISBANE Queensland 97 92
98 CASTLE HILL New South Wales nr nr
99 SANCTUARY COVE - THE PALMS Queensland 96 89
100 PACIFIC DUNES New South Wales 83 76

 

ROYAL MELBOURNE - WEST (pictured below) remains at the top of Golf Australia’s latest list, followed by CAPE WICKHAM and BARNBOUGLE DUNES as in 2020, and now LOST FARM in fourth spot whilst KINGSTON HEATH is #5. International publications have been slow to recognise Australia's new world class links, often placing KH either Australia’s best or second best course, including the authoritative Ran Morrissett, Architecture Editor of golf.com.

The revamped PENINSULA - NORTH has settled into sixth spot, whilst NATIONAL - GUNNAMATTA redesigned by Tom Doak is now 2 places higher at #8.  VICTORIA settled 2 places to #10. Pure Distinction grass the selection for new putting greens at both locations. NEW SOUTH WALES has regained #9 spot.

The respected Golf Magazine publishes a World Top 100. These judges agree that RMW is our best course, but place KH second; with BARNBOUGLE DUNES and NEW SOUTH WALES above CAPE WICKHAM.

YARRA YARRA redesigned by Tom Doak and Brian Slawnick has jumped into #17 from its 2018 position of 32, whilst the new LONSDALE LINKS by Ogilvy Cocking and Mead debuts at #20.

For the Public Access courses which are the focus of The GOLF Course Guide, both lists name the Top 3 as CAPE WICKHAM (pictured right) BARNBOUGLE DUNES and BARNBOUGLE LOST FARM.   The Guide places THE DUNES ahead of ST ANDREWS BEACH and favoured JOONDALUP - QUARRY/DUNES better than GA. The Guide favours MOONAH LINKS - LEGENDS and BONVILLE.

GA was far more impressed with the new LONSDALE LINKS and also SANDRINGHAM GOLF LINKS, ranked #21 amongst Public Access Courses. GA ranked the new short 14 hole course at BARNBOUGLE - BOUGLE RUN by Bill Coore at #38 but did not rank KOORALBYN or LAKELANDS in their top 100 (including all private courses). RIVERSIDE OAKS - BUNGOOL was omitted by GA as it was closed due to flood damage for some months.

For a complete comparison of Public Access Courses see here

 

 

GA Criteria:

35 Judges over 2 years to Nov 2021 were instructed to place primary importance on design, followed by conditioning and visual appeal. GA do not mention their previous weightings of 60% design, 20% conditions, 20% visual. Instead, the magazine allocates 100 points to each top course, 99 to second and so on.

Surely this method of ranking is not scientific. It firstly assumes that the ‘gap’ between every pair of courses is exactly one point on each judge’s list. It then assumes that all judges either see every course, or are ‘uniformly’ distributed across all courses. A judge who played all his golf in WA and put Lake Karrinyup atop his list would be giving that course a very undeserved 100 points! A judge who plays only 25 courses awards 75 points to his ‘worst’ course whilst a judge who plays 80 courses awards 20 points and this might be the same course!

So much for the absence of strict criteria, and perhaps more importantly, a great case for the practice of The GOLF Course Guide in publishing separate lists for Design, Conditioning and Aesthetics. Both The GOLF Course Guide and Golf Digest spell out to their judges how many points (in each category) represent ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’ etc.

Feel free to send any feedback you have to info@ausgolf.com.au

The following is a list of Australia's Top 100 Golf Courses according to Golf Australia magazine in their January 2016 rankings. 

1. Royal Melbourne West
 

2. Barnbougle Dunes

3. Kingston Heath

4. Lost Farm

5. Cape Wickham

6. Royal Melbourne East

7. New South Wales

8. Ellerston

9. National Moonah

10. Royal Adelaide

11. Victoria

12. Metropolitan

13. St Andrews Beach

14. Lake Karrinyup

15. Lakes

16. Woodlands

17. National Old

18. Newcastle

19. Commonwealth

20. Peninsula North

 

21. Barwon Heads

22. Kennedy Bay

23. Royal Queensland

24. Thirteenth Beach

25. Glenelg

26. Kooyonga

27. The Dunes

28. Grange West

29. Royal Sydney

30. Joondalup

31. The Australian

32. Brookwater

33. Moonah Links Legends

34. Yarra Yarra

35. Grange East

36. Portsea

37. The Cut

38. Bonnie Doon

39. Magenta Shores

40. Stonecutters Ridge

41. The Vintage

42. Elanora

43. Spring Valley

44. Hamilton Island

45. Terrey Hills

46. Huntingdale

47. National Ocean

48. Port Fairy

49. Concord

50. Healesville

51. Long Island

52. Thirteenth Beach Creek

53. Bonville

54. Riverside Oaks Bungool

55. Hope Island

56. Avondale

57. The Grand

58. Pelican Waters

59. Meadow Springs

60. Ranfurlie

61. Settlers Run

62. Glades

63. Mt Lawley

64. Cranbourne

65. Vines -Lakes

66. Moonah Links Open

67. Sanctuary Lakes

68. Kalgoorlie

69. St Michael's

70. Pacific Harbour

71. Pacific Dunes

72. Sanctuary Cove Pines

73. Lakelands

74. Cottesloe

75. Sanctuary Cove Palms

76. Manly

77. Eynesbury

78. Curlewis

79. Sorrento

80. Tasmania

81. Links Lady Bay

82. Black Bull

83. Royal Fremantle

84. Sun City

85. Murray Downs

86. Sandhurst Champions

87. Horsham

88. Royal Perth

89. Warrnambool

90. Narooma

91. Riversdale

92. Yarrawonga Murray

93. Twin Waters

94. West Australian

95. Brisbane

96. Yering Meadows

97. Twin Creeks

98. Indooroopilly

99. Heritage Henley

100. Keysborough

 

PREVIOUS RANKINGS
Here are the Top 100 Golf Courses according to Golf Australia magazine in their January 2014 rankings. 

(numbers in brackets 2012 rankings)

1. Royal Melbourne West (1)

2. Barnbougle Dunes (3)

3. Lost Farm (4)

4. Kingston Heath (2)

5. NSW (5)

6. Ellerston (n/a)

7. RM East (6)

8. National Moonah (7)

9. Victoria (8)

10. St.Andrews Beach (11)

11. Royal Adelaide (10)

12. Lake Karrinyup (14)

13. Metropolitan (9)

14. Woodlands (12)

15. The Lakes (13)

16. Commonwealth (19)

17. Newcastle (16)

18. Peninsula North (17)

19. National Old (18)

20. Links Kennedy Bay (15)

21. Barwon Heads (20)

22. Royal Queensland (26)

23. 13th Beach Beach (22)

24. The Dunes (25)

25. Peninsula South (28)

26. Kooyonga (23)

27. Royal Sydney (21)

28. Glenelg (29)

29. The Australian (31)

30. Moonah Links Legends (24)

31. Grange West (30)

32. Portsea (32)

33. The Cut (34)

34. Joondalup (33)

35. Stonecutters Ridge (n/a)

36. Brookwater (36)

37. Yarra Yarra (37)

38. Bonnie Doon (n/a)

39. Grange East (n/a)

40. Elanora (39)

41. National Ocean (35)

42. Magenta Shores (27)

43. The Vintage (46)

44. Hamilton Island (38)

45. The Glades (43)

46. RACV Healesville (53)

47. Terrey Hills (50)

48. Links Hope Island (48)

49. Concord (45)

50. Spring Valley (44)

51. Huntingdale (40)

52. The Grand (51)

53. Port Fairy (54)

54. Pelican Waters (55)

55. Bonville (64)

56. 13 Beach Creek (49)

57. The Heritage St.John (61)

58. The Vines Lakes (47)

59. Meadow Springs (62)

60. Mt.Lawley (65)

61. Avondale (68)

62. Long Island (57)

63. Settlers Run (56)

64. Moonah Links Open (41)

65. Amstel Ranfurlie (60)

66. Pacific Harbour (58)

67. Sanctuary Lakes (52)

68. Sanctuary Cove Pines (59)

69. Cranbourne (69)

70. Royal Canberra (42)

71. Pacific Dunes (72)

72. Sanctuary Cove Palms (63)

73. Kalgoorlie (79)

74. The Heritage Henley (85)

75. St.Michael's (78)

76. Cottesloe (71)

77. Links Lady Bay (66)

78. Palmer Coolum (67)

79. Western Australian (74)

80. Lakelands (83)

81. Royal Perth (87)

82. Eynesbury (77)

83. Tasmania (86)

84. Sorrento (81)

85. Manly (n/a)

86. Sandhurst Champions (70)

87. Horsham (89)

88. Curlewis (n/a)

89. Riversdale (84)

90. Yering Meadows (95)

91. Capricorn (76)

92. Twin Waters (80)

93. Indooroopilly West (n/a)

94. Narooma (82)

95. Arundel Hills (n/a)

96. Murray Downs (94)

97. Twin Creeks (75)

98. Kooindah Waters (88)

99. Brisbane (n/a)

100. Sun City (n/a)