Pelican Waters - Queensland - Australia

Greg Norman designed the 18-hole course at Pelican Waters Golf Club which opened in 2000. His Greg Norman Golf Course Design company are one of the leading lights in modern golf course architecture and they have certainly created one of the best Australian courses to emerge in recent times. This was their first design on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland and many consider it to be one of their finest.

Situated in the Golden Beach area near Caloundra, Pelican Waters lies on relatively flat land with creeks coming into play at nearly every hole so bring plenty of golf balls if your driving or approach play is a little wayward as you will be suitably punished!

The course is laid out in two loops of nine and apart from the aforementioned water hazards, there are nearly one hundred bunkers – some absolutely enormous – to further complicate matters on the fairway landing areas and greenside.

The pick of the holes on the front nine is the 349-yard, par four, 5th hole – “The Passage” – with water down the left of the fairway which then cuts across the front of the putting surface, effectively creating an island green. The 160-yard, par three, 14th hole (“Wetlands”) is the feature hole on the inward half with water, again, on the left and a huge bunker – like a beach – running next to the putting surface.

Pelican Waters do have members but the general public are welcome to pay and play here, making full use of the clubhouse, driving range and golf shop as well as the course.