Pabr28 on his way to Sydney

[Pabr28]

Hi OZ golfers.

A 50yr old Dutch national here doing project work getting me to Sydney for extended periods of stay the next year. Keen golfer, love to play, love everything about golf.

Hoping to meet some other keen golfers here. And seeking some advice. Work location will be Surry Hills right outside Central Station. Knowing that likely I will want to do some golf stuff at night (visit the range, or a golf shop) and play some courses in the weekend I'm trying to figure out where I best would be looking for an apartment.

Best to be slightly outside of the city, take a train into work and be close to golf ranges / courses I can visit or am I better of being in Surry Hills, taking a car to get out of the city for golf.

Also, what are some of the nicer courses which I can get on relatively easy?

Any other tips are more than welcome.

All the best
Paul

[AndyP]

Welcome Pabr28. I'll leave it to the Sydney members to guide you; I try not to go there.

[Hatchman]

What ever you do don’t get sucked into playing a 40yr old white guy called Peppers on here for lunch.

Welcome to the forum and hope you enjoy some Australian courses.

[rickie prowler]

Welcome pabr! Hope the sydney boys help you out

[Dazza]

Welcome Pabr!

[PerryGroves]

Welcome, I'm from Sydney albeit the other side of the harbour, Captain Nemo will redirect if I get something wrong.

Think Moore Park is your answer for golf, additionally there is a night driving range there https://www.mooreparkgolf.com.au/practice/

Redfern used to have a bad reputation, not the case anymore, I would look around there for an apartment, walk to work, walk to golf. In term of public golf, closest decent options apart from Moore Park are probably Eastlakes and further afield The Coast.

[Dotty]

+1.

Sydney suburbs are spread over an area of 50km x 50km and, generally, golf courses/ranges in Sydney aren't convenient for public transport.
Moore Park is the most convenient decent course close to the CBD. I assume The Coast and St Michaels are only a bus trip (without transfers) away.

Nothing north or west of the harbour is convenient, except for Richmond with a station beside the clubhouse, but that is 50km west of the city (and Sydney trains aren't time efficient).

Course access may be a problem, with many courses 'members only', particularly on Saturdays, and the increased participation post-Covid lockowns.

[jimandr]

Welcome, Paul.

Your task is not going to be easy, and it might prove to be impossible.

I hope you are getting paid a lot for your year in Sydney. Not only is Sydney one of the most expensive places in the world, it is very difficult to combine a desire for golf with public transport.

There is one vital detail we need to know before fully advising of your golf options. Are you a current member of a golf club in The Netherlands? If you are, many clubs may let you be a temporary member for a year. This is important, because golf in Sydney is nearly impossible if you aren't a member of a club. Our weekends are taken up with members competitions, so to get a game you need to have a handicap, even if a member invites you to play.

Without knowing those details your best options will be in the eastern suburbs, where you may need to find accommodation within walking distance of a club, perhaps Moore Park, Eastlakes, Bonnie Doon or The Coast, and then catch the bus to work. It'll be expensive though.

What you might be best off doing is making enquiries with your work colleagues to see if any of them play golf and can help you out.

[Jerrymoo]

Hi Paul,

As noted, the better courses in Sydney tend to be private, so to play golf here you will need to be invited by a member or have some sort of reciprocal playing arrangement involving your home club.

There are plenty of public courses in Sydney, but the condition/quality of these courses varies a fair bit, so much will depend on whereabouts you get yourself setup.

Also worth noting, due to the value of land/space in Sydney outdoor driving ranges are now few and far between. Moore Park is the closest to the CBD, but I am told one can wait up to an hour for a bay during peak times.

Another option for practice would be indoor/simulator golf. There are more and more of these 'golf studios' popping up all the time, and I have found the ones that I have visited to be pretty good:

https://nsgolfstudio.com.au/

Hope this helps