Touring the South Coast of New South Wales and the courses in and around Canberra combines neighbouring golf destinations with distinct, yet complementary qualities.
If you keep your head down while playing golf on the South Coast of New South Wales, you’re missing the point of playing golf along this stunning stretch of coastline. Lined on one side by the world’s largest water hazard, er, ‘penalty area’ and on the other by the striking Illawarra Escarpment and further south multiple national parks plus the Snowy Mountains, the region offers a variety of courses in gorgeous settings.
There are two ways to navigate by road between Australia’s two largest cities. You can take the long, scenic route via the South and Sapphire coasts or the more direct route inland, skirting Canberra. Whichever way you next choose to drive between Sydney and Melbourne, there are ample fine golf options along the journey.
If there’s a recurring theme to the two regions, it’s that no golf courses are sitting idle. All but three of the 15 your correspondent visited in early August have or are undertaking some form of course-improvement work, whether minor or major. It might be the conversion to a superior strain of grass or perhaps tree rationalisation, while bunker evaluation then renovation is very much in vogue. Whatever the commotion, it’s a classic case of these clubs understanding that golf courses are always evolving and how sitting still actually means slipping backwards.
A SEVEN-YEAR ITCH
By sheer fluke, my trips along the South Coast have taken place in 2002, 2009, 2016 and now 2023. The seven-year gap between each sojourn is coincidental but also revealing, as the time of year has differed on each occasion. Meanwhile, the improving golf courses reinforce the theme of constant enhancement along with unveiling a few unexpected, but pleasant, surprises.
Wedged on an isthmus between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Illawarra, Port Kembla Golf Club turns 100 this year, although has only been on its current site at Primbee since midway through last century. The layout looks far fresher than its age indicates, largely due to bunker renovation work that’s taken place in the past year. The club offers a ParaGolfer – an all-terrain wheelchair that raises the user into a standing position – so each bunker now has a more defined low point for better vehicular access. In carrying out the work, the bunker faces and bases were all given a refresh, while others were removed completely.
Port Kembla is moderately lengthy at more than 6,200 metres but is not an overly intimidating course off the tee. Part of that is attributable to the site’s inherent flatness (there is only about four metres of elevation change across the entire layout), however where the course shows its teeth is via what in many instances are small and difficult green complexes. It’s a course that rewards sharp iron play.
The front nine is solid, but it’s the back nine where there’s real energy. Water in the form of ponds tucked against greens and beside fairways, a dash of out-of-bounds plus a slew of imposing paperbarks are in play throughout. Many a decent round has come undone on the club’s tough final five holes, with water squarely in play on each of the last three.
In its first 19 years, The Links Shell Cove has grown to become an important entertainment hub for the local Shellharbour community. What began as a links-style layout on a windswept parcel of land has broadened to include a Shanx mini-golf course, a driving range now equipped with Toptracer Range technology and a thriving restaurant and bar scene. It’s a welcoming venue for families or friends looking to get together and still gives golfers multiple reasons to visit even when playing 18 holes isn’t an option.
The course itself has evolved in recent times. A gradual redesign has taken place, most recently with the new-look 10th hole. It features a series of new tees that has pushed the hole into the realms of a genuine long par 4. That’s what it will say on the scorecard, but in reality it’s something between a par 4 and 5. That matches neatly with several other ‘half-par’ holes on the course, which play either a little easier or more difficult than the par figure suggests.
Elsewhere, several greens have been enlarged and waste bunkers added to either add definition to the broad fairways or improve the strategic options. The Links has become easier off the tee over time, especially after several pockets of thick grass and vegetation beside the fairways were cut back or removed. So these latest changes add challenge to the tee shots without being excessively penal towards a miscue.
Befitting a links-like layout – the contours and shaping cry linksland, but the kikuyu fairways give more of a parkland vibe – the greens are mostly broad but sectioned. Finding the putting surface is no guarantee of safety, and the difficulty of a two-putt is becoming heightened with each green renovation.
Further south in the Wollongong area, Kiama Golf Club is one for the Robin Hood golfer – that perceptive striker who knows how to hit the ball arrow-straight. The narrow layout is lined mostly by pine trees that have the uncanny knack of clipping a ball and thrusting it groundward. Accuracy is at a premium at Kiama, which is usually illustrated by the club’s pro-am tournaments where the winning score is rarely better than a shot or two below its par of 66.
Blessed with a sandy base, the drainage advantage such a foundation brings was on show during the savage rain events of the past couple of years. The Kiama area normally receives about 1,100 millimetres of annual rainfall; last year 3,300 millimetres fell, yet the course was closed for a mere six days.
The popular course has stood the test of time, so these days one focus is on beautifying the layout. The club now employs a full-time horticulturist to shape the periphery areas. One example is the steep bank behind the green of the eighth hole, which used to be overgrown and unruly. Only once the area was stripped back were a superb stone wall and garden revealed. It is now tended to with care and provides a dynamic floral backdrop that changes with the seasons.
If you like tee shots with a difference, then Nowra Golf Club is for you. For starters, the ninth tee is set within a cave perched well above the fairway below. The resounding crack of a well-struck drive echoing off the rockery is a sensation to behold. One hole earlier, the pitch-length par-3 eighth begins from a secluded teeing ground to a tiny green set into the same hillside as the ninth tee. Both tees are artificial turf owing to the lack of sunlight to grow decent grass, but the surface detracts little from the shots.
Much of the rest of the layout is typical of a regional golf course – a single row of mature tees separating mostly up-and-back fairways. But there’s plenty of nuance to the Nowra greens, several of which are genuinely small targets. And for a mostly flat course, the sharply uphill approach to the fifth hole plus the aforementioned eighth and ninth present complete contrasts to the lower-lying holes. The course’s location flush against the Shoalhaven River is also impossible to miss, especially at the short fourth hole where a bad miscue to the left could finish in the river.
Standing on the first tee at Club Callala, you wouldn’t know Jervis Bay is only a few hundred metres away. Its site adjacent to a national park gives off more of a bushland feel, while the swamp lining the left edge of the opening fairway creates yet another vibe. Whichever ambience your golf senses detect, the course is a beacon in the Shoalhaven region.
Long-time course superintendent Craig Taylor has done a magical job of reviving a course that sits adjacent to swampland and was yet another NSW course inundated by floods. Taylor jokes that a kayak was more appropriate than golf clubs for much of early 2022, not that you’d know it now. The course that began as nine holes built by volunteer labour and became 18 holes the same way about a decade ago is today in career-best shape. As is often the case with country courses, small, push-up greens form much of the defence of a layout where bunkering is scarce. The largest green is 480sqm but most are closer to 250-300sqm. Those greens are slowly being replaced or updated to improve design and drainage.
The course is a haven for fauna with abundant kangaroos and cockatoos, and even a resident goanna is findable on occasion. The Callala Beach area is a popular holiday location and swells in population during summer, however spring and autumn are quieter, more temperate and offer ideal golf conditions.
The region’s most long-range rejuvenation plan is set for the Hilltop course at Mollymook Golf Club. The layout we rank 92nd in Australia’s Top 100 Courses is looking to renovate three holes per year for the next six years, beginning in 2024.
“The purpose of the plan is to improve the playability and quality of the playing surfaces,” says golf manager Barry West. “The course layout will remain the same with the exception of the ninth hole, which is rerouted away from the proximity of the clubhouse and cart-staging areas.”
Course architect Justin Trott, from Programmed Turnpoint, first developed a course masterplan for the Hilltop in 2015, but it has taken until this year to be finalised and receive the green light. Trott’s plan focuses on increasing the size of the tees to spread the wear and tear associated with hosting more than 50,000 rounds annually, increasing green sizes, improving drainage and irrigation, adding or improving cartpaths and redirecting the troublesome ninth hole.
The Hilltop project is a flow-on from the successful, million-dollar redesign of Mollymook’s nine-hole Beachside course, which has proven particularly popular with kids and beginners since re-opening in May 2022. Trott consolidated the course into a 1,200-metre, par-28 layout from a par 33 measuring nearly twice as long.
If Mollymook’s Hilltop course and the vaunted Narooma layout form the backbone of South Coast golf, the beating heart in between is the 27-hole Club Catalina course. An ideal stopping point on the coast road between Sydney and Melbourne, Batemans Bay is a hub for a variety of water-based activities and is the time-honoured coastal escape for Canberrans. A little-known fact is that Greg Norman cashed his first cheque at the club, his third-place effort at the 1976 South Coast Pro-Am representing his first ‘earn’ as a tour pro.
What began as a five-hole sand-green layout in 1920 has grown to become a golf and social drawcard for the Batemans Bay area. Eurobodalla is the local government area with the oldest population in NSW and Club Catalina has serviced this older demographic well for years. More recently, though, a wave of younger residents has moved in, giving the club a more widespread patronage. To appeal to all, the club renovated the clubhouse to now be a complete entertainment destination, offering a restaurant, café, sports bar, kids playground and more before you even set foot on the first tee.
The next phase of Club Catalina’s transformation is set to focus on the golf course, change that has already begun. Course architect Harley Kruse redesigned the par-4 15th hole as something of a test case for future works. Using Pure Distinction bentgrass on the green and Zoysia surrounds, Kruse’s new hole illustrates what is possible for the mostly sand-based site. The club has significant plans to drastically improve the course in the next year or two, which, once complete, will make it an even brighter star in the region.
The entire South Coast sits in a climate that’s conducive to maintaining healthy greens, but the course that arguably does it best is Moruya Golf Club. Over time, it has forged a reputation for having the best-conditioned greens in the area. It’s also a layout that’s not easily conquered, as several instances of hidden water can be a trap for first-time visitors, with the chain of flowing creeks and ponds coming into play more often than first impressions allow.
A signature of the Moruya layout is the enormous double green for the ninth and 18th holes, providing a vast paddock upon which to strike your final putts. Parallel par 4s close both nines, although the sizeable pond guarding the right side of the giant putting surface makes finishing strongly on the 18th the more daunting examination of the two.
Narooma Golf Club is, quite simply, one of the standout public-access courses in Australia and owns a repetitive popularity rivalled by perhaps only Bonville on the state’s North Coast. Part of the allure is the cute seaside town itself, but anyone who plays the golf course yearns to come back and tackle it again, which is what so many golfers do.
The coastal site is exposed early and sheltered late, such a contrast in settings giving the John Spencer-designed layout dual appeal. Even golfers who’ve never been to Narooma would be familiar with the famous third hole, the par 3 across a chasm, as well as the second, which is arguably a better hole. Their exceptional location – where misses to the left can literally miss the country – makes for a thrilling start to the round. But the excursion takes a twist after the seventh hole when the course ventures inland to an undulating section that’s part heathland, part bushland. A final foray along the coastline at the crescent-shaped, par-5 18th gives the heartbeat a last-hole jolt.
The layout ranked 85th among Australia’s Top 100 Courses has undertaken a gradual replacement of its bunker sand to a visually striking white quartz variety, sourced from Cowra in central NSW, which has long been a site for top-quality bunker sand. Part of the focus on bunkers at Narooma included the judicious removal of a handful. They’ve disappeared only in the past six months, so golfers who haven’t been back in a while might be even more pleasantly surprised on their next visit.
When you picture a quintessential country golf course, the layout at Bega Country Club surely epitomises the look. The course on the edge of the town known for its cheese sits on gently undulating land and is dotted by towering, mature gum trees. Small greens and just a handful of bunkers complete the bucolic setting, as the best way to record a good score is to thread the needle off each tee then find the small putting surfaces.
Bega’s inland location and rural-style golf course might at first look at odds with the dramatic coastal gems in this section of what’s known as the Sapphire Coast, but the 5,813-metre, par-72 layout will pleasantly surprise you while creating a handy point of difference on your golf itinerary in the region.
Tura Beach Country Club offers one of the best settings in coastal golf, with a clubhouse perched high upon a rise overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The golf course sees a lot of the same views as it rises and dips with the flow of the land. It’s a spectacular setting, especially at the right time of day as the sun either sidles up from below the horizon of the Pacific each morning or slinks down in the west at sunset.
Little has needed to change with the Peter Thomson/Mike Wolveridge design in recent times, so instead there’s been a renewed focus on course conditioning, which has vastly improved in the past two-and-a-half years under course superintendent Brad Foster. Foster’s career path is an interesting one. After an apprenticeship tenure at Tura Beach, he ventured overseas to postings that included Liberty National, Los Angeles Country Club (he went back there to work during the US Open in June) and even Wimbledon. Talk about a distinguished turf treble.
Like so many clubs with ageing or traffic-altered bunkers, Tura Beach is undertaking a gradual bunker-replacement program by renovating five or six each year. One minor change to the course that has earned rave reviews is a new tee on the par-3 fifth that brings the hole’s sizeable water hazard more into play. It was already the club’s most commented-on hole, now even more so.
CAPITAL GAINS
The frenzy of activity isn’t limited to the South and Sapphire coasts. Canberra’s golf clubs are also embracing the opportunity to enhance their courses.
Most interesting among the changes is Federal Golf Club’s upcoming alterations to incorporate an over-55s retirement village within the golf course. A long-mooted development for the club, the project is finally progressing after years of consideration and planning. However, it has shifted from the initial idea to consume the most elevated parts of the course along the northern edge to now taking up the space occupied by the current sixth and seventh holes. To keep the course at 18 holes, course architect Neil Crafter has designed two new holes, one a par 4 in what is presently vacant land starting from a tee behind the fifth green and turning right towards the current seventh green, and the other a par 3 on the highest part of the property. Once complete, the new short hole will provide the best views at Federal, looking across the entire course towards the Brindabella Ranges in the distance.
In undertaking the project, the club is also using the opportunity to have Crafter design reshaped and reconstructed bunkers, add ponds to secure more sustainable water infrastructure and reduce the severity of the slope on several fairways where balls are prone to slipping unfairly into the rough. Eighteen holes will always remain in play during the project, which is set to begin next April, pending various government approvals that are yet to be finalised.
“It’s ambitious, but we see an opportunity to become the best inland golf course in Australia,” says general manager Anthony Sinclair.
Nearby, venerable Royal Canberra Golf Club is busy reinventing its 27-hole layout. The club is in the process of converting the fairways to Santa Ana couch, with the test-case seventh hole already showing the benefits of the agronomic switch. The Santa Ana is better suited to a climate that experiences both extremes, while the grass conversion is part of a broader strategic plan for the club that features two pivotal objectives.
“Firstly, to create a sustainable golf course that consistently delivers a high level of member satisfaction. Secondly, to provide the region’s premier practice and teaching facilities,” says general manager Steven Sandilands.
“In pursuit of greater sustainability, the club has made significant strides. Firstly, the installation of an advanced irrigation system on holes 1-18 was completed in April. The new irrigation system provides far greater efficiency in the delivery of water compared to the previous system.
“Secondly, the resounding support from members for the grass-conversion project stands out as another notable accomplishment. Stage 1 of the grass conversion is scheduled to commence in October 2023, which will yield numerous key benefits. They include improving the year-round quality and consistency of the fairways, mitigating the risk of turf loss due to heat stress, reducing pests and disease, reducing water abstraction volumes and minimising annual maintenance inputs. Turning attention to the second objective, the club has executed Stage 1 of the practice facility masterplan which includes a lengthened range with target greens.
“The long-term sustainability of the golf club and restoration of the arboretum is at the forefront of strategic decision-making and should influence and provide clear direction to ensure the club remains viable for future generations. The club has a responsibility to demonstrate strong environmental stewardship and positively contribute to mitigate carbon emissions and climate change to build resilience for the club and the land we manage,” Sandilands says.
The quest for improvement continues in the city’s north, with change already evident at Gold Creek Country Club where drainage upgrades and bunker renovations are well underway. A ‘test’ bunker next to 14th green has effectively alleviated drainage issues in its first few months since being reworked, signalling the look and construction style that will gradually be adopted throughout.
The course opened amid great fanfare in 1996, with the club hosting that year’s Australian Senior PGA Championship, won by the legendary Lee Trevino (leading the club to name its restaurant after him). The Bruce Devlin design flows through what is now a well-established housing estate, with many holes forming a single ribbon of fairway between flanks of homes. The co-existence of golf and residential is not intrusive, though the layout does feel a little disjointed in parts. Within those ribbons, however, are some truly interesting challenges. Devlin used contouring – especially around the greens – to accentuate the course’s features and place a premium on accurate iron play. This trait will be further amplified once the bunker rebuilding is complete.
Gold Creek wants to be seen as the must-play course in Canberra as well as the club of choice for residents on the burgeoning north side of the city. The steps being taken to advance the golf course represent a huge step in the right direction, while the off-course setup is top-shelf. Armed with the only grass practice range open to the public in the city, there’s also a TrackMan Range setup that allows all shots hit on the range to be charted and assessed via an app.
It’s long been an anomaly – Queanbeyan sits on Canberra’s shoulder but is actually in NSW. That’s merely a quirk of geography, though, as Queanbeyan Golf Club is a key fixture within Canberra golf. The club that hosted the Women’s NSW Open in 2019, when popular English tour pro Meghan MacLaren triumphed, is approaching its centenary in 2027, and is hoping to lure the tournament back after a successful debut staging.
Queanbeyan is taking the right steps by reassessing the golf course to find ways in which it can be improved. Canberra-based course architect Jamie Dawson from Enviro Links Design has offered the club suggestions, which include enhancing the parts of the course that interact with the creek system flowing through a layout that borders the Queanbeyan River, and better utilising the site’s natural movement. And, yes – one more time – in keeping with the spirit of renovation, the bunkers are set to be either rebuilt or removed. It’s a great time to be in the bunker-reconstruction business.
The club also has some spare land adjoining its carpark to potentially develop into 4-star accommodation, which is lacking in Queanbeyan, and plans to renovate the clubhouse.
Renovating, rebuilding, refreshing, rejuvenating. Call it whatever you like, but you can smell change in the air across the golf courses of the ACT and along the NSW South Coast. Whether underway or soon to start, there will be minimal – if any – disruption to golfers, meaning either destination (or both) should be on your radar.
Selected Accommodation
Bannisters Mollymook is a luxurious coastal oasis in Mollymook. This exquisite boutique hotel offers a quintessential beachside retreat with ocean views and sophisticated ambience. The property boasts a range of elegantly designed rooms and suites, each providing a perfect blend of comfort and style. Guests can indulge in delectable culinary experiences at the award-winning Rick Stein at Bannisters restaurant, renowned for its sumptuous seafood. Relaxation takes centre stage at Bannisters, with a serene day spa, sparkling infinity pool and access to beautiful Mollymook Beach.
Nestled in the picturesque coastal town of Merimbula, Albacore Apartments [pictured above] offer an idyllic retreat for golfers seeking a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure. Boasting a stunning lakeside location, the property presents breathtaking views from private balconies, where guests can savour the tranquil atmosphere. Each of the 20 well-appointed apartments and two studios are thoughtfully designed to provide modern comfort and convenience, making it an ideal choice for golf groups as large as 50. After golf, visitors can explore the pristine beaches, indulge in water sports or discover the vibrant local shops and restaurants nearby.
Trav’s Top Tips
We asked Travis Smyth – a South Coast local, two-time tour winner, ambassador for GHW Golf Tours and he of the viral hole-in-one at this year’s Open Championship – to give us the lowdown on the region.
Which is your favourite course along the NSW South Coast?
Hard to choose between Kiama, Wollongong and Port Kembla, as I grew up playing at all these clubs. Mollymook is in the top tier, too. All represent good challenges.
What makes it unique as a golf destination?
The relaxed lifestyle, the beaches and great towns down the entire coast.
Is there an underrated course in the region?
Gerringong, for sure. Best piece of land there is. They have some unbelievable holes along the beach.
How about an underrated hole or shot that must be played?
First hole at Gerringong. You’re hitting it into the unknown and hope that you find your ball on the short grass.
Does any single shot, moment or round stick out in memory from your time playing golf in the region?
Winning the 2012 Illawarra Junior Masters, which was a five-day event.
Are the Mollymook Hilltop greens really as fierce and difficult to putt on as their reputation suggests?
When they are cut and rolled to tournament speed, they definitely are. There is so much slope so yes, really difficult.
What are the region’s off-course/non-golf ‘must do’ attractions?
I don’t get to spend much time at home but when I do, I religiously go to a chicken shop in Wollongong called Chicko’s and a coffee shop in Shellharbour (where my parents live) called Village Fix. I would also recommend going for a swim at one of our thousand stunning beaches. Hyams Beach claims they have the world’s whitest sand!
