Long Reef

Occupying a wonderful headland location on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Long Reef Golf Club had a 9-hole layout in operation when it was founded in 1921. After adjacent swampland was drained and filled, Dan Soutar then fashioned an 18-hole course for the club in 1931.

The course was used as an artillery range during World War II but Eric Apperly was called in to help repair and redesign the layout in 1946. Al Howard added two new holes (the 1st and 2nd) twenty years later, before Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett carried out further drainage work in the 1990s.

Today, the course extends to 6,181 metres from the back tees, playing to a par of 71, featuring Kikuyu fairways and poa annua/bent grass greens. Described by Peter Thomson as 'the best site of any golf course in Sydney,' it offers magnificent panoramic views along the coast.

Feature holes on the front nine include short par fours at #3, #6 and #8 (with the 8th hole returning to the clubhouse). On the longer back nine, the greens at #12, #13 and #15 all occupy cliff-top settings overlooking the beach, where approach play will undergo a tough test when the Pacific Ocean winds are up.