Mebourne Victoria Golf Packages Destination - Sandbelt - Mornington

Victoria is a state in south-eastern Australia … it is Australia's most densely populated state and its second-most populous state overall. Victoria is referred to as the “Garden State” due to its green belts and many forests and agricultural regions. Most of its population lives concentrated in the area surrounding Port Phillip Bay, which includes the metropolitan area of its state capital and largest city, Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city.

Geographically the smallest state on the Australian mainland, Victoria is bordered by Bass Strait and Tasmania to the south, New South Wales to the north, the Tasman Sea to the east, and South Australia to the west.

Melbourne enjoys warm summers, glorious springs, mild autumns and crisp winters. With its variable climate, Melbourne hots up December to February (summer), cools down March to May (autumn), chills out June to August (winter), and warms up again September to November (spring). Melbourne's top temperatures are usually in January and February. Those months are often dry, with hot spells and cooling afternoon breezes off Port Phillip Bay. June and July are the coldest months, and October is the wettest. Annual average rainfall for Melbourne is around 650mm.

Melbourne proudly refers to itself to being the “Sporting Capital of Australia” where many major national and international sporting events are staged. Victoria is also regarded as a premier golfing destination, with over 400 golf courses around the state, and many ranked in the World’s Best! There are a number of distinct golfing regions in Victoria, and golfers could spend many return trips to Victoria to experience them all!

SAND-BELT

A short 30-minute drive southeast from Melbourne city you will find the famous sand-belt region of Victoria. There you will discover some of the World’s Best golf courses, including World Top 100 courses Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath as well as other Tier 1 clubs such as Metropolitan, Victoria, Commonwealth, Yarra Yarra and Peninsula Country Club. Most of these clubs are very exclusive and usually require advance permission to play. They have hosted many international golfing events such as the Presidents Cup; World Cup of Golf; Eisenhower Cup and many Australian Opens and PGAs.

The sand-belt courses are built on a rich vein of sandy loam subsoil and boast incredible green complexes defended by unique bunkering. Designed by world-renowned golf architects such as Alister MacKenzie, individually the sand-belt courses rank among the country's finest and, as a collective, make up what is arguably the best golfing region in the world.

MORNINGTON PENINSULA

A further 1 ½ hours drive south along Port Phillip Bay is the golfing “nirvana” called Mornington Peninsula. Regarded as the #1 golfing destination in Australia and one of the best in the world, golfers simply adore it because of the incredible diversity presented by 15 clubs with 19 links, parkland and resort courses. And when it’s only a few minutes’ drive between each course, you can pack in a lot of golf. You can play at any time too - the golf is truly year-round, with a mild climate, fast-draining sandy soils and sand dunes creating some tricky challenges.

Peter Thomson is just one of the golf legends who have designed some of our magnificent courses. Robert Trent Jones Jnr (Old Course, National), Ross Perrett (Moonah Links), Tony Cashmore (The Dunes), Tom Doak (St Andrews Beach) and Greg Norman (Ocean Course, National)  have all been inspired by the extraordinary terrain on the Mornington Peninsula. The result: it’s no wonder this extraordinary region has been likened by many leading golf writers and top players to California’s Monterey, Scotland’s Fife and the Hamptons near New York. So why not start at the top of the Peninsula and work your way south. And the bonuses? Spectacular coastal views, excellent on-course and seaside accommodation along with local produce and an excellent “cool climate” wine-producing industry.

BELLARINE PENINSULA

From Melbourne, a 1 ½ hour drive south west brings you to the Bellarine Peninsula … a region to satisfy the most discerning of golfers and tourists. The Bellarine Peninsula features a dozen courses of splendid variety, all easily reached from any of the popular accommodation centres. Victoria’s second city – Geelong – stands at the gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula, and offers everything from fine hotels, restaurants and department stores to budget motels and fast food. Good quality motels are also to be had at Ocean Grove, Torquay, Barwon Heads, Portarlington and Point Lonsdale. But it is to Queenscliff that most holiday-makers flock. Grand Victorian hotels with style and elegance from that by-gone era, fine dining rooms and modern-style restaurants with European flavours, coffee houses, antique shops and famous fresh seafood supplied right on the wharf – Queenscliff has it all. There’s even a Sunday market!

And then there’s the golf! The Bellarine Peninsula hosts some of Australia's best golf courses, set amongst the region’s coastal beauty.  Of the 10+ courses in the region, 6 rank in Australia's top 100; Barwon Heads (#8), Thirteenth Beach – Beach Course (#9), - Creek Course (#26), Curlewis (#74), Portarlington (#78) and The Sands Torquay (#80). Thirteenth beach Golf Club is the home of the Victorian Open … a tournament co-sanctioned by the European and Australian PGAs and unique for its combined male and female event!

MURRAY RIVER

Spend a day on the green whilst surrounded by stunning scenery. Situated on Australia’s longest river and among the most beautiful wildlife, Golf on the Murray is just a 3-hour drive north of Melbourne. The Murray River golfing precinct provides visitors with many high-class golf clubs along the Murray River that are perfect destinations for a holiday. In fact, the region was recently named the Australian Golf Industry Council’s top golfing destination in Australia! For decades, golf has been a major Murray drawcard. With almost 40 courses dotted along both sides of the river, there are some amazing experiences to be had.

The great thing about the Murray region for golf is you can take short trips along the river and link together a great golfing experience with unique courses and clubs. The top golf courses along the Murray all have “stay / play” packages including on-site accommodation and dining options and this region is regarded as one of the best value for a golfing holiday. The top ranked golf courses along the Murray River are:

· Murray Downs Golf & Country Club
· Rich River Golf Club Resort
· Tocumwal Golf Club
· Cobram Barooga Golf Club
· Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort
· Albury Commercial Golf Resort

Victoria offers a host of great golfing experiences which requires some planning due to the choices and time of the year. Golfing Getaways are experts at preparing the very best of Victorian golf packages and tours and are able to provide complimentary advice and support for all your golfing needs.