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Golf Courses / Course Rankings / Australia's Top 100 - The GOLF Course Guide / Golf Course Guide 2015 / GOLF Course Guide Stay & Play Rankings

GOLF Course Guide Stay & Play Rankings 2015

We present the most comprehensive assessment of Australia’s Stay & Play Resorts – The GOLF Course Guide judges’ rankings for Accomodation, Food and Beverage, and Other Facilities.

To qualify for our list, destinations must offer a fully integrated resort environment including at least overnight accommodation and dining facilities for three daily meals. The accommodation may not be owned by the Golf Course, but there must be the option to book a “Stay and Play” package.

Be sure to check out The GOLF Course Guide to access exclusive savings offered at many of these resorts.

As with our course rankings, we have aimed for clear criteria and presented individual assessments in each category so that users can decide for themselves whether they are seeking better quality food and beverages or additional non-golf activities.

The overall Resort Ranking is the result of combining our scores for Accommodation, Food & Beverage and Other. Each element was weighted equally (ie one third of total score for each).

Hamilton Island was included in our rankings for the first time, and took clear honours in each of the three categories. It was almost unfair to include this magnificent complex, as it is so much more than just a golf resort - most accommodation options do not include golf, with only a minority of the island’s visitors venturing over to Dent Island for a game. However, packages including a round of golf are offered at the Reef View Hotel and Beach Club, with more extensive stay and play packages at the very upmarket secluded qualia hideaway. If price is no object, it would be hard to beat a Hamilton Island Golf Getaway anywhere in the world, with simply stunning ocean vistas from every hole, and a very fine clubhouse restaurant. There are plentiful dining options, water and other activities on Hamilton.

Apart from Palmer Coolum, where there are some concerns about resort maintenance standards, there are few changes near the top of our lists. Barnbougle moved up slightly, now considered a single resort with two courses, accommodation and dining options.

With a new hotel on site Portsea enters our list at #30, Gibraltar Hotel and Country Club Bowral at #31, Riverside Oaks with new on course accommodation at #33, Wirrina Cove with newly refurbished rooms at #35, City Golf Club Toowomba #39 and Quamby Estate #42 also appear for the first time.

Resorts from last year’s list to narrowly miss the Top 50 include Nepean Country Club Eagle Ridge, Narooma, Cobram Barooga, Shepparton and Tallwoods. With no golf listing, Stonelea was not considered.

We would caution about absolute values. Please treat all rankings as a general guide only.

2015
RANK		 RESORT  2014
RANK
1 HAMILTON ISLAND nr
2 SANCTUARY COVE  1
3 ROYAL PINES  3
4 CAPRICORN  4
5 TWIN WATERS NOVOTEL 5
6 JOONDALUP  6
7 PALMER COOLUM 2
8 HERITAGE  8
9 MAGENTA SHORES 11
10 COUNTRY CLUB TAS 7
11 NOOSA SPRINGS 10
12 MIRAGE 9
13 BARNBOUGLE  16
14 PALMER SEA REEF 12
15 BONVILLE   15
16 MOONAH LINKS 14
17 KOOINDAH WATERS 17
18 SANDS TORQUAY 21
19 BARWON HEADS 24
20 PARADISE PALMS 18
21 CRESWICK FOREST RESORT 13
22 HOPE ISLAND 19
23 THE CUT 20
24 THE VINES 22
25 THE VINTAGE 25
26 PENINSULA 27
27 WOLLONGONG 23
28 CYPRESS LAKES 28
29 THIRTEENTH BEACH  29
30 PORTSEA nr
31 GIBRALTAR BOWRAL nr
32 YARRAWONGA  30
33 RIVERSIDE OAKS nr
34 PELICAN WATERS 31
35 WIRRINA COVE nr
36 MT BROUGHTON 32
37 CAPE SCHANCK 34
38 LINKS LADY BAY 33
39 CITY GOLF CLUB TOOWOMBA nr
40 MOSS VALE 37
41 DUNTRYLEAGUE 35
42 QUAMBY ESTATE TAS nr
43 SANCTUARY RESORT WA 38
44 RICH RIVER 39
45 MURRAY DOWNS 43
46 ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB 41
47 TOCUMWAL 46
48 COROWA  42
49 HORIZONS 44
50 THURGOONA 40

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Accommodation

The quality of the rooms, the range of suite sizes, appointments, room service and in-room facilities; accessibility to golf and dining. 

Accom
Rank15		 RESORT  Accom
Rank14
1 HAMILTON ISLAND nr
2 MAGENTA SHORES 1
3 SANCTUARY COVE  2
4 JOONDALUP  5
5 NOOSA SPRINGS 6
6 PARADISE PALMS 7
7 SANDS TORQUAY 14
8 HERITAGE  9
9 KOOINDAH WATERS 10
10 PORTSEA nr
11 PALMER COOLUM 3
12 ROYAL PINES  12
13 MOONAH LINKS 11
14 THE VINTAGE 16
15 PALMER SEA REEF 4
16 RIVERSIDE OAKS nr
17 THIRTEENTH BEACH  18
18 CRESWICK FOREST RESORT 8
19 THE CUT 17
20 MIRAGE 13
21 TWIN WATERS NOVOTEL 22
22 BARNBOUGLE  21
23 WOLLONGONG 20
24 LINKS HOPE ISLAND 19
25 COUNTRY CLUB TAS 15
26 THE VINES 23
27 GIBRALTAR BOWRAL nr
28 QUAMBY ESTATE TAS nr
29 CYPRESS LAKES 24
30 LINKS LADY BAY 25
31 PENINSULA 30
32 BARWON HEADS 31
33 MOSS VALE 27
34 DUNTRYLEAGUE 26
35 SANCTUARY RESORT WA 28
36 BONVILLE   29
37 YARRAWONGA  32
38 CAPE SCHANCK 35
39 ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB 33
40 WIRRINA COVE nr
41 CITY GOLF CLUB TOOWOMBA nr
42 CAPRICORN  37
43 PELICAN WATERS 38
44 MT BROUGHTON 39
45 TALLWOODS 40
46 MURRAY DOWNS 43
47 TOCUMWAL 46
48 THURGOONA 42
49 RICH RIVER 44
50 COROWA  41

 

Food and Beverage:

Quality, choice and service in restaurants/clubhouse/on course (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Resorts that do not offer full meal service 7 days were penalized, even where there were nearby restaurants.

Dining
Rank15		 RESORT  Dining
Rank14
1 HAMILTON ISLAND nr
2 BARWON HEADS 1
3 CAPRICORN  2
4 BONVILLE   5
5 SANCTUARY COVE  3
6 ROYAL PINES  7
7 JOONDALUP  8
8 BARNBOUGLE  6
9 PENINSULA 9
10 HERITAGE  10
11 PARADISE PALMS 11
12 SANDS TORQUAY 18
13 MAGENTA SHORES 20
14 COUNTRY CLUB TAS 12
15 PALMER SEA REEF 13
16 TWIN WATERS NOVOTEL 14
17 THE CUT 16
18 MOONAH LINKS 19
19 CRESWICK FOREST RESORT 17
20 WOLLONGONG 21
21 MIRAGE 22
22 MOSS VALE 23
23 PALMER COOLUM 15
24 PELICAN WATERS 25
25 NOOSA SPRINGS 26
26 THIRTEENTH BEACH  28
27 THE VINES 29
28 CYPRESS LAKES 30
29 LINKS LADY BAY 32
30 MT BROUGHTON 31
31 THE VINTAGE 34
32 LINKS HOPE ISLAND 33
33 KOOINDAH WATERS 35
34 RIVERSIDE OAKS nr
35 GIBRALTAR BOWRAL nr
36 CAPE SCHANCK 36
37 YARRAWONGA  37
38 NAROOMA 44
39 EAGLE RIDGE (NEPEAN CC) 27
40 COROWA  38
41 TOCUMWAL 42
42 ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB 40
43 SANCTUARY RESORT WA 39
44 CITY GOLF CLUB TOOWOMBA nr
45 MURRAY DOWNS 41
46 THURGOONA 43
47 RICH RIVER 45
48 DUNTRYLEAGUE 46
49 HORIZONS 47
50 QUAMBY ESTATE TAS nr

Other

Quality and range of on site activities - tennis, pool, spa, beach, gym, barbecue, gaming, shopping, walking, fishing etc. For resorts featuring more than 18 holes of golf a small bonus was applied in this category. Services that may be available from nearby providers were NOT considered. Golf practice facilities were NOT rated.

Other
Rank15		 RESORT  Other
Rank14
1 HAMILTON ISLAND nr
2 CAPRICORN  1
3 TWIN WATERS NOVOTEL 2
4 SANCTUARY COVE  4
5 PALMER COOLUM 3
6 ROYAL PINES  5
7 COUNTRY CLUB TAS 6
8 MIRAGE 7
9 JOONDALUP  9
10 NOOSA SPRINGS 8
11 HERITAGE  10
12 LINKS HOPE ISLAND 11
13 THE VINES 12
14 KOOINDAH WATERS 13
15 WIRRINA COVE nr
16 BONVILLE   14
17 MAGENTA SHORES 22
18 YARRAWONGA  16
19 BARNBOUGLE  21
20 THE VINTAGE 26
21 PORTSEA nr
22 CYPRESS LAKES 24
23 PALMER SEA REEF 18
24 MOONAH LINKS 17
25 RICH RIVER 19
26 CRESWICK FOREST RESORT 15
27 PELICAN WATERS 20
28 MT BROUGHTON 25
29 HORIZONS 29
30 GIBRALTAR BOWRAL nr
31 BARWON HEADS 31
32 MURRAY DOWNS 32
33 CITY GOLF CLUB TOOWOMBA nr
34 CAPE SCHANCK 30
35 THE CUT 33
36 PENINSULA 36
37 SANDS TORQUAY 35
38 COBRAM BAROOGA  34
39 WOLLONGONG 23
40 DUNTRYLEAGUE 28
41 THIRTEENTH BEACH  38
42 TOCUMWAL 43
43 THURGOONA 27
44 PARADISE PALMS 39
45 COROWA  40
46 EAGLE RIDGE (NEPEAN CC) 45
47 LINKS LADY BAY 41
48 SANCTUARY RESORT WA 42
49 RIVERSIDE OAKS nr
50 QUAMBY ESTATE TAS nr