Bonnie Doon Golf Club
Sydney, New South Wales
Founded in 1897, Bonnie Doon is Sydney’s third oldest golf club and one of the oldest in Australia. The championship golf course has been redesigned by the Ogilvy Clayton team which includes Michael Clayton and 2006 US Open Champion Geoff Ogilvy. This redesign has restored Bonnie Doon to its place amongst Sydney’s elite. Bonnie Doon’s par 70 championship course is a stern test of golf for players of all standards. The open links style layout is deceptively difficult. Though not overly long in comparison, the strength of the course lies in its strong par 4’s, slick greens — many with pronounced undulations — and strategic bunkering. Elevated tees and greens provide sweeping views of the Sydney city skyline and are a key feature of the course design. Bonnie Doon Golf Club is located only 15 minutes from the Sydney CBD and 10 minutes from Sydney International Airport. The club welcomes visitors on Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays, subject to availability.
Concord Golf Club
Sydney, New South Wales
Concord Golf Club is one of Sydney’s most prestigious golf clubs. Established 1899, the Club has hosted a number of championship golf tournaments including the Australian PGA, NSW Open and ANZ Championship.
Cypress Lakes Resort
Sydney, New South Wales
Cypress Lakes Resort is located in Pokolbin, Hunter Valley. This 18-hole championship golf course is ranked among the top resort courses in Australia. Unveiled in 1992, it was designed by Steve Smyers of Florida. The front nine is tree lined with sloping fairways and the back nine is a links style layout. Not to mention, over 60 huge bunkers and dramatically shaped and elevated greens. As well as each tee and green having stunning panoramic views of the valleys famous vineyards and surrounding mountains.
Horizons Golf Resort
Sydney, New South Wales
Designed by Graham Marsh and Ross Watson, Horizons golf course is a par 72, 18-hole world class championship golf course, there are four tees in total — championship, members, resort and ladies. Surrounded by natural bushland, the course has four par threes, ten par fours and four par five. It offers challenges and rewards for players of all standards, who also enjoy the abundance of wildlife. This challenging course is located minutes from the crystal clear waters of Port Stephens.
Newcastle Golf Club
Sydney, New South Wales
Newcastle Golf Club is a true championship course based on undulating sand dunes like those of the great historic links of Great Britain and Ireland. However, instead of fairways lined by gorse and heather, Newcastle is carved out of a forest of Eucalypts and angophoras abounding in native flora and fauna, including kookaburras, bearded dragons and kangaroos, making it a delightful as well as a challenging course to play. Located at the mouth of the Hunter River, two hour’s drive from Sydney, Newcastle is one of only two courses in NSW given international recognition by the panel of experts rating the World’s Top 100 Courses.
The New South Wales Golf Club
Sydney, New South Wales
Regarded as one of the top golf courses in Australia and currently rated number 34 in the world, NSW is a wonderful combination of undulating fairways, beautiful scenic vistas and a recently refurbished clubhouse which is a magnificent combination of traditional architecture and five star comfort. The NSW golf course is a links style championship course spectacularly located on the Pacific Ocean and on historic Botany Bay. Even when there is a gentle breeze prevailing the course will test the above average player with its tight fairways and testing greens. When the wind blows it gets tough! Should you lose a ball in the rough then don’t bother looking — just drop another ball and take your penalty. In short, this is more than just a golf course — it is an unforgettable golf and natural experience. To play golf at NSW Golf Club is to play golf how the game was intended to be played — at the complete mercy of Mother Nature and the golfer’s ability. NSW Golf Club has also been compared to Pebble Beach. The golf course has definitely more and better ocean views than Pebble Beach. To play at NSW Golf Club is a “must” for all discerning purist golfers.
Pacific Dunes Golf Club
Sydney, New South Wales
Pacific Dunes combines two distinct nine-hole loops to create a spectacular 18-hole championship layout. The layout allows golfers to experience two very different styles of play on the one course. Designed by highly regarded course architect, James Wilcher, the layout uses strategic placement of bunkers and water hazards to create a golf course that is extremely playable to the average golfer, whilst still challenging to low handicappers. In addition to being surrounded by some of the east coast’s most enticing scenery, Pacific Dunes’ natural sandy base and rolling topography, combined with temperate, year-round golfing weather, create the perfect setting for a course to suit all golfers to a tee.
St. Michaels Golf Club
Sydney, New South Wales
To play on St. Michael’s golf course is a great experience. It is one of Sydney’s finest tests of golf. Located next to the ocean and adjacent to the N.S.W. Golf Club, St. Michael’s is a typical links course with narrow fairways, natural bush land and deep rough. In fact, the majority of the course is covered by natural bush on both sides of its fairways.
The Ocean breezes can also have a very big influence on your game, and therefore accurate straight driving is essential. St. Michael’s is an extremely panoramic course with exciting ocean views that will seem a lot harder on certain days than the par 72 allocated for the 18 holes. It is a wonderful course, carved from a wilderness that will forever be a part of its charm and testing qualities.
Terrey Hills Golf & Country Club
Sydney, New South Wales
For as long as most Australians can remember, the name Terrey Hills has conjured up visions of the awesome beauty of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Today bush blends with landscaped gardens in a sought-after semi-rural village, home to a golf course recognised as one of the leading championship courses in Australia — Terrey Hills Golf & Country Club. When Terrey Hills Golf & Country Club was opened in 1994 it was the first new course to be constructed in Sydney for over twenty years. It has developed into a dynamic club, building its own rich tradition and hosting premier events like the Canon Challenge.
The Vintage Golf Club
Sydney, New South Wales
The Vintage Golf Club boasts a truly spectacular 18-hole Greg Norman-designed golf course created specifically to complement the area’s unique natural environment and prestigious Hunter Valley lifestyle. Measuring over 6500 yards with a Par of 71, the course gently winds around undisturbed wetlands, water carries, eucalyptus trees, the Beggars Bridge and Bimbadgen vineyards. The Vintage is located amid the vineyards of the world-renowned Hunter Valley, only a two hour drive north of Sydney and is well worth playing for all standards of golfers.