This is the second of three Australian State revision articles giving a brief overview of recent updates that we’ve made to the regional listings in South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia, where we maintain Top 20, Top 10 and Top 40 charts for these three states.
And don’t be fooled into thinking the island of Tasmania is in anyway inferior to the other two because the top six courses are all nationally listed and half of these are good enough to be ranked in our World Top 100 – it may be relatively small in terms of geography but Tasmania punches way above its weight when it comes to quality golf courses.
South Australia
We begin with South Australia, where the top five layouts remain in the same position, which means the course at Royal Adelaide Golf Club in the western suburb of Seaton (pictured above) is still the state #1. It dates back to 1905 but the original design inputs of Dan Soutar and Cargie Rymill were upgraded by Alister MacKenzie during his famous 1926 visit to Australia.
A recent reviewer called the course “an enchanting masterpiece that combines strategic brilliance with quirky charm.” They went on to say: “this course stands out for its unique character and playability… its blend of strategy, playability, and natural beauty make it a must-visit for golf enthusiasts worldwide.”
Loxton
The only SA new entry arrives at #13 and it’s Loxton Golf Club in Riverland, which first opened for play in 1951. Vern Morcom made changes before the installation of a fairway irrigation system in the early 1960s then grass greens followed in 1974, with Brian Crafter upgrading putting surfaces on holes 1 to 14 and Kevin Harrington working on the closing four greens. The original Eddie Johnson layout remains largely intact, though the nines were swapped in 1966.
The course dropping out to make way for Loxton is West Lakes, which was #19 in the previous SA chart.
Tasmania
It’s “as you were” regarding the top four places in the Tasmania standings – with these same courses also occupying national positions #3, #4 and #5 – so Barnbougle Dunes (pictured above) holds onto the top spot, just ahead of Cape Wickham and Barnbougle Lost Farm.
Co-designed by Tom Doak and Mike Clayton, Barnbougle Dunes has been widely recognized as the #1 public access course in Australia since opening twenty years ago. Here’s what a reviewer wrote only a couple of weeks ago:
“The Dunes course at Barnbougle gave me one of the most unique and enchanting experiences in my golfing life… it’s become difficult to separate the magical experience from the course itself… raw yet natural and rugged linksland set amongst crumpled fairways is what I’m naturally predisposed to, and this is the very essence of Barnbougle Dunes,”
Barnbougle Bougle Run
The first of two new entries for Tasmania appears at #5 (it’s also a new entry in the national chart at #57) and we welcome the new 14-hole short course at Barnbougle which is named Bougle Run. Fashioned by Bill Coore on land next to the Lost Farm layout, this fun track comprises twelve par threes and two par fours, with holes laid out across some wild terrain.
It only opened for play last year and we’ve yet to receive a review but we’re expecting quite a few of those in the months ahead…
Country Club Tasmania
The other new Tasmanian entry (at #10) is the 18-hole layout at Country Club Tasmania in Launceston which is a 1982 design from Peter Thomson and Mike Wolveridge.
Currently, the club operates a 9-hole layout whilst an extensive 30-month upgrade project is carried out, with completion set for early next year. Expect to see this newcomer climb further up the Tasmanian table next time around.
The two courses departing our Tasmania rankings to make way for these two newcomers are Kingston Beach [was #9] and Devonport [was #10]. They now revert to GEM status which still allows reviews to be posted for both tracks.
Western Australia
Like the other two states under consideration, there’s no movement at the very top of the order, with the leading five courses all staying exactly where they were in the pecking order. That’s good news for the Championship course at Lake Karrinyup Country Club (pictured above) as it retains its #1 in state status, despite falling a couple of rungs on the national ladder to #18. Host venue for four editions of the Australian Open between 1952 and 1974, this Alex Russell Russell design from the late 1920s was upgraded by Mike Clayton a few years back during a major overhaul that saw every green and bunker reconstructed.
Cottesloe
The only upward move within the top ten places in the WA listings is made by the course at Cottesloe Golf Club in the Perth suburb of Swanbourne, climbing two spots to #6. The club was founded in 1908 but moved to its current location in 1931, when club pro David Anderson set out a new 18-hole course for the membership.
The Thomson, Wolveridge and Perrot design firm made alterations in the 1980s before former club champion Graham Marsh was engaged to carry out a number of course improvements shortly before the club’s centenary celebrations in 2008.
Bunbury
Further down the table, the 18-hole layout at Bunbury Golf Club advances five positions to #15. Located between the Collie River and the Leschenault Estuary, this tight parkland track has been in operation since just after World War II, with fairways bounded by a mix of Tuart, Gum and Wattle trees, along with blackboys and other native shrubs – hit it straight around here or you’ll soon run out of golf balls.
Vines
Another relatively big move (up six to #20) is made by the Ellenbrook course at The Vines Resort in the northeastern outskirts of Perth. Graham Marsh and Ross Watson created three 9-hole loops at the resort in the late 1980s then Marsh returned a decade later to add another nine to form the 18-hole Lakes and Ellenbrook layouts.
The Lakes garners plenty of plaudits as a nationally ranked course (currently it’s listed at #99 in Australia) but the Ellenbrook also has its moments, with some of the holes used to form a composite course when the Heineken Classic tournament was hosted at The Vines during the 1990s.
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Jim McCann
Editor
Top 100 Golf Courses
