It’s about the third question any self-respecting golf writer is asked, right after “Which professionals do you like?” (I have my favorites!) and the ever-popular sequel, “Which professionals do you hate?” (I have my favorites!)
The question at hand? What’s the coolest place you’ve ever been for work?
I don’t like this question partly because it makes me feel like a strong man, and partly because it forces me to confront the fate of my working life head-on. The truth is, I’ve been really lucky. I’ve seen an endless amount of “cool” places in the golf world, from the ancestral homeland of Scotland to the Irish countryside, and about half a dozen other golf-loving places in between. However, there is a leader in the club for “cool-EAST The place I’ve ever been – a place that can never be topped no matter how long I write about golf. This place changed my view of the world of golf … and also THE WORLD world—a place so extraordinary and far away, the first thing I did after leaving was to swear to myself that I would return before I died.
The place was Oz. Australia. Specifically the state of Victoria, where I tasted the best espresso, met the most sports-obsessed locals and watched the best and friendliest golf of my life.
If you’ve been paying attention to the world of golf, you know Australia is on the cusp of a moment decades in the making. In December, Rory McIlroy will a long-awaited visit to Australia for the last match of the Australian Open. The timing of McIlroy’s visit is no coincidence. It coincides with the return of the Aussie Open to Royal Melbourne – which may be the best course on the continent, if not the world – and the renewed emphasis on golf in Australia, which LIV showcased as surprisingly UNDERexposed to pro golf.
McIlroy’s visit kicks off what will be three good years of golf in Oz, starting with the Aussie Open in December and ending with The return of the President’s Cup to Melbourne in 2028 at Kingston Heath. In that time, it is my estimation that American golf fans will witness what I already know to be true of the country: the people are exceptional, the experience is unimaginable, and the golf has no equal.
When American golf fans realize this, I assume they will do what you, dear reader, already do. ARE: Research the best way to make the trip for yourself. And that’s a question (or series of questions) I can answer without hesitation.
9 questions and answers about planning an Australian Golf Trip
1. How can I get there?
I guess this question depends on where you are right now, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll assume you’re a US traveler. If so, the first thing you do is fly west. There are fewer direct flights from the States to Australia than to other international destinations, but there are still plenty. Los Angeles is the most popular departure point for the trip – it’s where the main Australian carriers like Qantas are based in the US – although flights can also be found from New York, Dallas, San Francisco, Vancouver and Honolulu.
If you are not from one of these countries, then I advise you to fly through LAX, where the journey from the US to Oz is shorter and where you can sneak into one of the several business class lounges. (I’ve never experienced such an abundance of self-serve food and wine – and never stolen so many donkey bears – than I did in the Quantas lounge.)
I’ve heard the argument against airport waiting culture on TikTok in recent months (that is, that the lounges are not “free”, but ripe due to the cost of business class tickets and flashed credit cards). Those arguments may have merit in many circumstances – not this one. Refreshing in comfort before a very long flight is an important weapon in your travel arsenal.
2. How long will it take me to get there?
The trip from LA to Oz will take you the better part of a day (16 hours, to be exact), which, thanks to international date, will take away the better part of two day from your calendar (don’t worry, you’ll make up for that “lost” day on the way home!). Thankfully, claustrophobes (like yours truly) have less to worry about: Every plane that makes the trip is big and spacious. At Qantas, there was also considerable care for customer well-being in flight, including regular reminders to stretch and a prolific selection of movies and TV shows (I’ve come across a few lately Oscar nouns). Plus, flight schedules are set such that passengers are encouraged to get a full night’s rest during the flight, easing flight delays and also reducing the burden of flight time.
There is still a long time to be on a plane, but I found that my fear of flying time far outweighed the reality of the experience. In many ways, the crew on my flight was my first exposure to the Aussie experience – meaning it was filled with people friendly enough to melt even the deepest anxieties of my cold New York heart. I recommend that you consume snacks… and, for weight and balance, encourage you to limit your choice of books to three.
3. Should I brag in business class?
If you can afford it, I say yes. It’s likely to be the longest flight you’ll ever take, which is reason enough for added comfort. A lie-flat bed, a handful of five-star, Austrian-sourced food, and a fresh set of PJs are good ways to burn off the boredom of 16 hours in the air.
But if you can’t or don’t want to pay, that’s okay too. Try to line yourself up, book a seat next to a trusted travel partner, experiment with a more affordable “premium economy” class, or drink in that Austrian perspective and board your flight ready to make friends. In any case, you will arrive in a good mood.
4. Where should I play golf?
There is golf everywhere in Australia – including the most remote reaches of the Outback – but most of the “famous” golf in Australia belongs to the southern states of Victoria and Tasmania.
For tourists, Tasmania will be the most popular experience, with welcoming resorts and stay-and-play packages. Tazzy is one of the world’s most exotic golf destinations, with resort courses such as Barnbougle and Cape Wickham set over rolling terrain and stunning cliffs.
However, Victoria is the most enviable place for golf. It is home to some of the top 100 golf courses in the world, including a handful of elite golf courses within a driver’s drive of Melbourne’s suburbs. These courses, part of Melbourne’s legendary “Sandbelt”, are what you hear first when you talk about Aussie golf: Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Victoria, Kingswood Peninsula, Metropolitan, Commonwealth and Yarra Yarra. They are mostly known for their psychedelic visuals: razor-sharp edges; large, sloping mushrooms; and quicksand terrain.
Also worth a visit in Victoria? The Mornington Peninsula, a Napa-like summer enclave south of the city that features picturesque waterfront courses such as The National, The Dunes, St. Andrews Beach and Portsea. And also the Great Ocean Road, an aptly named one-lane highway attached to quirky classics like Port Fairy, Apollo Bay and Peterborough.
5. How do I secure a tee time?
Many of the courses listed above are public access courses with their own instant time portals, but thankfully even Australia’s most exclusive private clubs have adopted a more egalitarian approach to visitor play. Courses such as Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath set a certain number of appointments each month for international visitors, who can apply for a time by presenting a letter from their local club. Beware – the cost is extreme: Royal and Kingston Heath get away with charging around A$750 (or around $500 USD) per person per round, but if you’re already halfway around the world on a golf trip, it can be worth the cost – especially with the help of a favorable exchange rate. What’s the price of a lifetime memory, anyway?
I’d say two weeks is a safe amount of time to make sure you can see the place without feeling rushed. Anything less than 10 days is possible, but it would feel like a terrible time in transit for such a short stay.
You can also happily stay for a month. Or a few months. Or forever.
7. If I’m golfing in Melbourne, where should I stay?
If you’re playing the Sandbelt, the South Yarra neighborhood is the perfect place to commute between the city’s epic restaurants and cafes and the suburbs’ even more epic golf.
8. What else should I do?
A drive down the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a great way to ensure you spend at least a few minutes thinking about the cost of real estate in Melbourne. A game of Aussie rules football is an incredible time. A visit to Sydney can help contextualize the New York-San Francisco comparisons you hear so often between Melbourne and Australia’s breathtaking capital. Oh, and if you spare some time for surfing, do it at Bells Beach near Torquay, otherwise known as the founding location of Rip Curl, or on the legendary Gold Coast.
Or play more golf!! Check out Royal Sydney in New South Wales, or Brisbane, or hop on a quick flight to New Zealand, where new mythical-looking courses seem to open every few weeks.
The only thing I recommend against is not connecting with the locals. You’ll never find a friendlier culture or more enthusiastic about pushing your comfort zones. Lean into it!
9. What should I know about the journey home?
The jetlag will last for a while – for me it was the better part of five days until I felt completely myself again – but the real sting will be coming back to reality. Even today, 18 months on from my first trip, I still feel a pang of melancholy as I write about my trip to Oz. It wasn’t long after my return flight that I set up email alerts for Qantas, hoping that the lure of a great deal might encourage me to make an irrational financial decision.
I left a little of my soul in Australia, but that’s okay. I will be back one day soon to collect it.
;)
