After a visit to the quirky two-storey weatherboard proshop, the first 6 holes at Barwon Heads head out into classic links land, open and exposed to the elements before returning to the clubhouse.

The course is relatively short, playing only 5591 metres off the members tees. But the weather has a major say at Barwon Heads with the turf firm and fast like the classic U.K. links, so controlling your ball in the wind can be challenging.

Those first 6 holes are exposed and many feel this is the strongest section of the course. Certainly the long par 4 third hole, which often plays into the prevailing wind, is a good hole. Players must choose their line carefully off the tee with a vast sandy waste intimidating on the inside of the dogleg.

Hole 4 is a beauty! This short par 3 with a tee set high on the primal dune requires a tee shot to carry over tea tree and valley to an elevated tiered green sculpted into the sand dunes. With cross winds in play it requires an accurate iron to find the playing surface, and a deft short game to recover.

Hole 6 is also a favourite. It is an uphill mid length par 4 with the clubhouse prominent in the background. It's just a lovely links golf hole.

The course then plays past the clubhouse and away from the more open links land. These holes are framed by tea tree and some consider them less links holes, more links style...It matters not. Certainly the tee shots are tighter with trees now a visual obstacle, but the sand dune base is still there- as are the quality holes.

In recent years one of Australia's leading Golf architectural firms – Crafter & Mogford Golf Strategies – have been employed to rethink and refresh the classic old course. They have widened some fairway surrounds, and taken out tracts of tea trees giving the back twelve holes a linksier feel. Perhaps the best example of this is the dogleg par 4 ninth hole where an awkward, severe hole has been transformed into a real classic.

Peter Wood is the founder of The Travelling Golfer – click the link to read his full review.