Federal

Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales Best in State Rankings 2017 We present expanded listings for ACT and NSW in Australia Top 100 Golf Courses updated its Australian Top 100 last month and we mentioned in our news release for the new standings that we were expanding our coverage of courses at state level Down Under. Apart from the sparsely populated Northern Territory, where there are fewer than a dozen courses in play, every one of the other seven states or territories within the nation has now had its regional list extended. In this, the first of our Australian regional reports, we highlight two areas in the southeast of the country, namely the federal district of the Australian Capital Territory, which is enclaved within the state of New South Wales, and separate charts are maintained for each of these domains. ACT is home to only ten registered clubs and five of these are now featured whilst fifty of the four hundred golf facilities located within NSW are also listed. Australian Capital Territory Canberra, the nation’s capital, is the only city located within ACT and all five courses in our updated chart for this region lie within 15 kilometres of the city centre. The Westbourne course at Royal Canberra remains the top track in our updated chart, thanks in no small part to the very recent renovation work carried out by the Ogilvy Clayton Cocking Mead design firm. Mike Clayton gave us an exclusive quote: “The fairways were narrow and the greens were surrounded by rough. The bunkers were 6-8 feet from all the greens with rough between bunker and green. The putting surfaces drained poorly as did the bunkers, which also looked particularly ugly. We rebuilt every green and bunker and removed the trees that were encroaching to make it a much better course. It still has all the things people liked (such as ambience, conditioning, nice clubhouse and a reputation as a classy club) but it now has course architecture to match.” Federal remains at number 2 in our ACT list and it’s also just made an impact in the national rankings, having squeezed into the latest Australian Top 100 chart at number 99. The club was forced to move to Red Hill in the late 1940s due to the planned development of Lake Burley Griffin. Prosper Ellis, who laid out or remodelled dozens of courses during his career, upgraded the course in 1967 and it’s his design that’s still in use today. Three new courses have been added to our ACT portfolio and they’re all located in the northern suburbs of Canberra. At number 3, Yowani Country Club is a 1950s layout with a 24-roomed motel attached for visiting golfers. A little further north, the Bruce Devlin-designed course at Gold Creek Country Club (at #4) is a leading public access facility and its near neighbour Gunghalin Lakes (at #5) is another club with a mid-1990s 18-hole layout where casual golfers are warmly welcomed. Rank/ To view further details of the Top 5 golf courses in ACTclick the link. New South Wales We’ve doubled the size of our latest New South Wales chart, adding twenty-five tracks in this 2017 edition. Twenty-three of the fifty NSW courses are also nationally ranked which gives some indication of just how strong a golfing region this is. With more than four hundred golf facilities spread throughout the state, there’s strength in depth to be found here in the south east of Australia, especially around metropolitan Sydney. New South Wales prevails at the top of the state standings – it also occupies the number 38 position in our World Top 100 – and it was visited by a reviewer earlier this year “on a cold and very windy day in January 2016. Playing in a 50-60km/hr southerly ‘buster’ and a temperature of barely 19 degrees certainly presented a new set of challenges compared to the day before when it had been 40 degrees… would love to go back to play the course again in conditions that allowed one to appreciate the design, rather than just enduring the elements.” The most significant upward move in our updated NSW table is made by Bonnie Doon, rising five spots to number 12 (up thirty-one places to number 49 in the Australian Top 100 chart). We’ve received feedback which questioned such a rise in the national rankings because Mike Clayton’s major renovation project at the club has not quite reached completion but we’ve seen and heard enough to justify its surge forward. The highest new entry arrives at number 16 (the course is also the third highest newcomer in the Australian chart at number 60) and it’s the 18-hole Bungool layout at Riverside Oaks, which opened for play just a couple of years ago. Designed by Bob Harrison, it’s the perfect complement to the older Ganguttu course at the same golf resort and together, these two layouts comprise a formidable 36-hole combination. Further down the listings, half a dozen other multi-course destinations catch the eye as new entries. Along the Pacific seaboard, two hundred and thirty kilometres south of Sydney, the Hilltop course at the 27-hole Mollymook Golf Club (#33) is a brilliant beach escape layout. Further north, between Brisbane and Newcastle, there’s the Tuncurry course at Forster Tuncurry Golf Club (#37) and the River course at Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club (#50), both of which offer golfers a scintillating seaside golf experience. Inland, along the Murray river – which forms part of the border separating NSW and Victoria – another three 36-hole golf complexes also make their mark in our new chart: the Murray course at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort (#26), the Old course at Sporties Cobram Barooga Golf Club (#41) and the Presidents course at Tocumwall Golf Club (#48), with all three facilities located on a 50-kilometre stretch of the river, less than a four-hour drive away from downtown Melbourne. To view further details of the Top 50 golf courses in NSWclick the link. We’re always happy to receive comments when we carry out a re-ranking exercise like this so feel free to tell us if there’s a course that we’ve missed out or one that we shouldn’t have included. Perhaps we’ve got one far too high or way too low in the pecking order? Whatever you think, please click the “Respond to this article” link at the top or at the bottom of this page if you’d like to voice an opinion. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses

With the Presidents Cup rosters finally confirmed after both captains announced their six respective picks on Tuesday, the countdown to Medinah Country Club is officially on. Team International will head to Illinois looking to end Team USA’s dominance of the Presidents Cup and lift the trophy for only the second time in the competition’s history, having last tasted victory in 1998 at Royal Melbourne in Australia. It will be no easy task, though. Team USA boasts enormous depth, with major winners, extensive Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup experience, and the world’s number one-ranked player, Scottie Scheffler, among its ranks. But can Geoff Ogilvy’s International side cause an upset at Medinah? Top100 takes a closer look at both rosters, the key players to watch and the venue that could play a crucial role in deciding who will lift the Presidents Cup. Medinah No. 3: A new-look stage for the Presidents Cup There are few more appropriate venues for the 2026 Presidents Cup than Medinah No. 3. Completed in 1928 by renowned architect Tom Bendelow, the course has spent almost a century building a reputation as one of American golf’s great championship venues. Five major championships, a Ryder Cup and countless memorable moments have followed, including Tiger Woods’ victories in the 1999 and 2006 PGA Championships and Europe’s remarkable “Miracle at Medinah” in 2012 – widely regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history. But the course that welcomes the Presidents Cup will look considerably different from the one that hosted those events. After decades of incremental changes that increasingly narrowed the playing corridors and placed a premium on length, Medinah No. 3 underwent a major transformation by Australian firm OCM Golf, led by Geoff Ogilvy, Michael Cocking and Ashley Mead. The renovation, completed in 2024, sought to restore the scale and strategic character of Bendelow’s original design. Wider fairways, larger greens, expansive bunker complexes and the removal of hundreds of trees have opened up the landscape, resulting in a fascinating mix of old and new. At more than 7,650 yards from the championship tees, Medinah can still stretch the world's best players, but the increased width means distance alone should not dictate how the course is played. Instead, players will be faced with strategic decisions from the tee and into the greens, with different angles potentially offering very different rewards. The closing holes could provide some of the most dramatic moments of the week. Lake Kadijah now plays a prominent role on the inward nine, with the 16th crossing diagonally towards the water and the 17th offering another demanding one-shot test alongside the lake. The 18th, meanwhile, has been returned to its original corridor, providing a fitting finish to a course that has undergone such a significant rebirth. There is one particularly intriguing subplot for the International team. Their captain, Geoff Ogilvy, was part of the team responsible for reimagining Medinah No. 3. While intimate knowledge of a golf course is no guarantee of success, Ogilvy will know better than most how the redesigned holes are intended to be played, where the opportunities lie and which mistakes the course is designed to punish. The United States may arrive with the deeper roster and home advantage, but Ogilvy’s intimate knowledge of the course could help to level the playing field. With the course now offering considerably more strategic options than the penal layout of recent decades, the question is whether Ogilvy can use that knowledge to help his players find an advantage. Team USA: The Favourites On paper, Team USA looks extremely difficult to beat. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines a formidable 12-man roster that also includes major champions Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark and Justin Thomas, while Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay add a wealth of team-match experience. The automatic qualifiers – Scheffler, Cameron Young, Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley and Morikawa – are joined by captain’s picks Schauffele, Thomas, Cantlay, Chris Gotterup, Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman. Snedeker's selections have made an already strong side even more imposing. Schauffele, Thomas and Cantlay bring considerable Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup experience, while the inclusion of 21-year-old Koivun adds an exciting new dimension. Koivun, Gotterup and Bridgeman will all make their Presidents Cup debuts at Medinah. The Americans therefore have an attractive blend of proven stars and youthful talent, with strength throughout the 12-man roster. Add home advantage and an 11-match winning streak, and it is easy to see why they arrive as overwhelming favourites. The challenge for Brandt Snedeker will be turning that individual quality into the right pairings and combinations – particularly in the foursomes. If he can do that, Team USA will take some stopping. The full Team USA roster can be found below: Scottie Scheffler Cameron Young Wyndham Clark Sam Burns Russell Henley Collin Morikawa Jacob Bridgeman Patrick Cantlay Chris Gotterup Jackson Koivun Xander Schauffele Justin Thomas Team International: The Underdogs The International team enters Medinah as the clear underdog, but Geoff Ogilvy has assembled a side with plenty of experience and enough quality to make life uncomfortable for the Americans. Si Woo Kim, Ryan Fox, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee, Tom Kim and Adam Scott qualified automatically, before Ogilvy added Corey Conners, Sungjae Im, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Nick Taylor, Nico Echavarria and Ryo Hisatsune with his six captain’s picks. There is plenty of Presidents Cup experience within the group, particularly through Scott, Matsuyama, Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim and Im. Ogilvy has also opted for three rookies in Taylor, Echavarria and Hisatsune, betting on a mixture of current form and players he believes can thrive in the team environment. It will also be a Presidents Cup debut for New Zealander and Champion Golfer of the Year, Fox. The obvious concern is star power. Si Woo Kim is the only International player inside the world's top 20, while the Americans boast Scheffler alongside a deep collection of elite players. But this is where Ogilvy's role could prove crucial. With a team that may lack the depth of the USA, the International captain will need to find the right combinations and maximise every available point. If his players embrace the occasion and the new-look Medinah rewards their style, they may have a genuine chance of making this a contest. After all, Medinah has already witnessed some extraordinary comebacks and championship moments. The 2026 Presidents Cup could provide another chapter in its remarkable history. The full Team International roster can be found below: Si Woo Kim (South Korea) Ryan Fox (New Zealand) Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) Min Woo Lee (Australia) Tom Kim (South Korea) Adam Scott (Australia) Christiaan Bezuidenhout (South Africa) Corey Conners (Canada) Nico Echavarria (Colombia) Ryo Hisatsune (Japan) Sungjae Im (South Korea) Nick Taylor (Canada)

Australia has earned its reputation as one of the world's great golf destinations, with courses that rival anything found in Scotland, Ireland, or the United States. From the legendary sandbelt layouts of Melbourne to the windswept links of Tasmania, the country offers an extraordinary diversity of world-class golf experiences. The latest Top 100 rankings showcase not just the elite courses that golfers travel halfway around the globe to play, but the remarkable depth of quality that extends well beyond the marquee names. This year's rankings reflect a comprehensive reassessment by a new panel featuring significantly expanded global voices with deep play experience across Australia's finest layouts. With 41 courses climbing and only six maintaining their positions, these rankings capture the dynamic state of Australian golf as it continues to evolve. Six Australian courses now occupy positions in the World Top 100, cementing the nation's status alongside the game's most celebrated golfing regions. 2025/26 Rankings: Consistency Meets Change 🏆 The top of Australian golf tells a story of enduring excellence. Royal Melbourne (West), Kingston Heath, Barnbougle (Dunes), and Cape Wickham have occupied the first four positions since 2012—a remarkable 13-year run that speaks to their timeless quality. These aren't courses that rely on gimmicks or resort amenities; they're pure golf experiences that have stood the test of time and the scrutiny of thousands of discerning players. ⭐ The biggest news arrives at number 10, where Seven Mile Beach makes an immediate impact as the highest new entry. The Clayton DeVries & Pont design, which opened at the end of 2025 near Hobart, joins three Barnbougle layouts in Tasmania's Top 10. This marks the first time since 2017 that a new course has broken into the Top 10, underlining the significance of this links masterpiece. 🌏 Beyond the Top 100 featured here, Australia boasts nearly 200 additional courses ranked across state and territory listings, demonstrating a depth of quality that few nations can match. 2025/26 Top 100 At A Glance The Unchanged Elite (All World-Ranked) 🌍 The top six positions remain exactly as they were in 2024, with all six courses also holding positions in the World Top 100: Royal Melbourne (West) - Victoria (World #6) Kingston Heath - Victoria (World #17) Barnbougle (Dunes) - Tasmania (World #25) Cape Wickham - Tasmania (World #47) New South Wales GC - New South Wales (World #68) St. Andrews Beach - Victoria (World #89) The Game-Changer 🎯 #10 Seven Mile Beach - Tasmania (NEW ENTRY) The Rising Stars ⬆️ Exceptional Climbers (15+ places): 🥇 RACV Healesville #43 (▲32 from #75) - Victoria 🥈 Narooma #70 (▲24 from #94) - New South Wales 🥉 Rosebud (North) #75 (▲22 from #97) - Victoria Royal Sydney #28 (▲18 from #46) - New South Wales Tasmania #68 (▲16 from #84) - Tasmania Major Climbers (10-14 places): Cypress Lakes #74 (▲12) - New South Wales Federal #87 (▲11) - Australian Capital Territory Curlewis #60 (▲10) - Victoria Amstel (Ranfurlie) #77 (▲10) - Victoria Strong Climbers (6-9 places): Commonwealth #19 (▲9) - Victoria Port Fairy #35 (▲8) - Victoria Portsea #36 (▲8) - Victoria Elanora #47 (▲8) - New South Wales St. Michael's #69 (▲8) - New South Wales 13th Beach (Beach) #23 (▲6) - Victoria New Entries 🆕 Murray Downs #84 - New South Wales The Heritage (St. John) #89 - Victoria Yarrawonga (Murray) #90 - New South Wales Noosa Springs #97 - Queensland View Complete Rankings 🔗 For the full Top 100 Australian golf courses with detailed information, visit the Australian rankings page. State and Territory Rankings: 🏛️ Australian Capital Territory 🌊 New South Wales 🌏 Northern Territory ☀️ Queensland 🍷 South Australia 🌲 Tasmania 🏙️ Victoria 🦘 Western Australia Best Golf Courses by State and Territory 🏙️ Victoria Dominates (40 courses, 40%) Victoria claims 40 of the 100 ranked courses, with the Melbourne sandbelt accounting for much of this concentration. The world's densest collection of championship courses sits within a 20-kilometre radius of central Melbourne. Five of Australia's top ten courses call Victoria home, including Royal Melbourne's twin masterpieces, Kingston Heath, Victoria, and St. Andrews Beach. 🌊 New South Wales (22 courses, 22%) Led by New South Wales Golf Club at Botany Bay at number five, the state's strength extends from Sydney's premium courses through exceptional coastal layouts along the south coast. Royal Sydney's remarkable 18-place climb to #28 demonstrates renewed appreciation for Gil Hanse’ new design. 🌲 Tasmania (7 courses, 7%) Tasmania punches well above its weight with seven courses, including four in the Top 10. This island state has evolved from regional player to world-class destination, with Barnbougle Resort's three layouts and Seven Mile Beach leading the charge. ☀️ Queensland (12 courses, 12%) Royal Queensland leads at #33, with the state offering strong resort golf experiences across tropical locations from the Gold Coast to the Whitsundays. 🦘 Western Australia (10 courses, 10%) Lake Karrinyup leads at #26, with Perth's courses offering quality golf in a region that sees fewer international visitors but rewards those who make the journey. 🍷 South Australia (7 courses, 7%) Royal Adelaide at #12 anchors the state's golf scene, with strong depth across Adelaide's parkland courses and coastal layouts on the Fleurieu Peninsula. 🏛️ Australian Capital Territory (2 courses, 2%) Royal Canberra at #27 and Federal at #87 (up 11 places) represent the nation's capital with distinction. What the Rankings Tell Us 🏆 Consistency at the Summit: Thirteen Years of Excellence The top four positions have remained unchanged: Royal Melbourne (West), Kingston Heath, Barnbougle (Dunes), and Cape Wickham. Royal Melbourne has held the number one position since the first Australian rankings were compiled in 2007, an 18-year reign that reflects its status as one of the world's truly great courses. 🌟 Melbourne Sandbelt: The World's Premier Golfing Precinct Five of the top 12 Australian courses reside in Melbourne's sandbelt, and 12 of the top 20 call Victoria home. This concentration of excellence within such a compact geographic area remains unique in world golf. Royal Melbourne's twin courses occupy positions one and nine, while Kingston Heath, Victoria, Peninsula Kingswood (x2), Metropolitan and Woodlands all rank in the top 20. Commonwealth's nine-place jump to #19 following the Doak /Slawnik renovation adds another strong voice to this remarkable chorus. 🌲 Tasmania's Emergence as World-Class Destination Tasmania now hosts four courses in the Top 10—a remarkable achievement for an island state with a population of just over 500,000. Barnbougle Resort's three layouts (Dunes #3, Lost Farm #7, Bougle Run #61) created the initial momentum. Seven Mile Beach's arrival at #10 confirms this isn't a one-off phenomenon but a sustained elevation to world-class status. The Clayton DeVries & Pont design at Seven Mile Beach fulfils the promise made in the 2021 rankings article, which predicted a major impact upon opening. Set among coastal dunes near Hobart, the course offers genuine links golf with views across Storm Bay. The routing makes brilliant use of dramatic duneland, with fairways that tumble through valleys and greens perched on plateaus. King Island, situated in Bass Strait between Tasmania and Victoria, hosts both Cape Wickham at #4 and Ocean Dunes at #32. Both courses remain firmly in the Top 50, confirming the island's status as a must-visit destination for serious golfers. Ocean Dunes fell steeply due to conditioning issues that detrimentally affected play. A Journey Through Australian Golf: 2012-2024 📅 2012: The First Top 100 Expansion The 2012 rankings marked the expansion from a Top 50 to Top 100, with Barnbougle Lost Farm hurtling in at an astonishing #5. This 20-hole links on Tasmania's northeast coast signalled the beginning of Tasmania's transformation. Twelve new courses entered, including Healesville at #35 and Hamilton Island at #41. St Andrews Beach climbed 13 places to #13. 📅 2014: Consolidation and Refinement Just six new entries made 2014 the most selective update. Stonecutters Ridge debuted at #64 as Sydney's first Greg Norman course, while Kalgoorlie Golf Course entered at #73. Bonnie Doon returned at #80 during its Clayton/Ogilvy redesign. 📅 2017: The King Island Revolution Cape Wickham's debut at #8 represented the second course to break into the Top 10 since rankings began. The Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver collaboration immediately established itself as one of Australia's premier designs. Ocean Dunes ranked at #35, giving King Island two nationally recognised courses. Royal Canberra rose 21 to #29, and Bonnie Doon climbed 31 to #49 following OCCM renovations. 📅 2019: Tom Doak's Impact Emerges Cape Wickham continued its ascent to #5, while Royal Adelaide returned to the Top 10 at #9 following Tom Doak's restoration. Cathedral Lodge debuted at #14, Peninsula Kingswood (South) entered at #36, and Ocean Dunes surged 13 spots to #22. The top three positions remained unchanged, establishing what would become a 13-year pattern of consistency. 📅 2021: Peninsula Kingswood's Breakthrough Peninsula Kingswood's North course soared 14 places to #10, and South climbed 12 to #24. The National's Gunnamatta course made the biggest jump, up 29 positions to #12 following Tom Doak's overhaul. Pipeline projects at Seven Mile Beach and Arm End in Tasmania were announced, with predictions that both would "have a big impact on future rankings." 📅 2024: Fresh Panel Assessment The top three maintained their familiar order. Barnbougle Lost Farm rose two to #5, Peninsula Kingswood (North) climbed two to #8, and Lonsdale Links debuted at #34. Yarra Yarra rose five to #26 as Doak's restoration gained recognition. The 2024 article noted Seven Mile Beach was "due to open at the end of this year"—a prediction now confirmed with the course arriving at #10. Looking Ahead 🔮 Seven Mile Beach's immediate Top 10 arrival demonstrates that Australian golf continues to produce courses capable of competing at the highest level. The Clayton DeVries & Pont design sets a new benchmark for modern Australian course development. As the course matures and more panellists experience it, further upward movement seems likely. The long-awaited Arm End project in Tasmania remains in development, with OCM promising to add another distinctive layout to Tasmania's growing reputation. The project's multi-use public recreation reserve concept offers a potentially new model for sustainable course development. Darius Oliver's clifftop project on Kangaroo Island in South Australia continues to progress. Oliver's track record with Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes suggests this project could eventually rival those courses. The target completion date of late 2025 or early 2026 means the next ranking revision could see Kangaroo Island join King Island as a remote island hosting world-class golf. Beyond new construction, ongoing restoration and renovation work at established courses will continue to influence rankings. Tom Doak's multi-phase restoration at Yarra Yarra shows positive momentum, while numerous sandbelt courses pursue sympathetic enhancement projects. The collective impact of these efforts should elevate the overall standard of Australian golf. For the complete Top 100 Australian golf courses rankings with detailed course information and world rankings, visit the Australian rankings page.