Melbourne Golf

[Bigbad]

Hi all, looking at moving to Melbourne later this year and am looking for some courses close enough to the CBD area that are affordable to join and nice to play. I'll probably be living in the Brunswick/Carlton/Fitzroy area. I played Green Acres when I was there two weeks ago and enjoyed that, and that wasn't too far out. Just seeing if anyone has some other suggestions. Obviously I'm aware that there is an absolute ton of courses down there to play.

Cheers

[spanner039]

Most of the courses within easy reach of Melbourne are pretty average with Kew and Rosanna being about the only exceptions, GreenAcres is a dump of a place. Latrobe is OK but they all are pretty dismal places during winter, other than that Sanctuary lakes is easy to get to (a hike though) and a popular choice with Fitzroy hipsters. depending on budget spring valley is pretty easy to get to 30min ish.

[WBennett]

Spanner - are you saying the mud belt courses of Latrobe/Kew/Green Acres etc are just permanently waterlogged in winter?

[3Puttpete]

Spanner - are you saying the mud belt courses of Latrobe/Kew/Green Acres etc are just permanently waterlogged in winter?

If they were permanently waterlogged it wouldn’t be just in winter.

[ParkRoyal]

WBennett - Latrobe, Kew, Greenacres and Rosanna all sit along the Yarra and so get soggy in winter, but also have years where parts of the course get flooded and closed for weeks.
Heidelberg gets soggy but rarely closes due to flooding as the Plenty river is smaller and sits a bit lower to the course (and only 2 holes).

Northern suburbs aren't flush with much, Northern is ok (apart from the TWP holes that are totally out of character to the rest of the course) and Medway is garbage after that you're heading to Growling Frog/Mandalay territory (not bad a drive outside of peak hour)

Having lived in Brunswick it can be a pain to get to a lot of places, the Tulla is your friend for anything south. If your wanting to play after work during summer at a members course then the clay belt is probably your best bet. I ended up playing a lot at Royal Park a unique Melbourne golf experience.

[WBennett]

If they were permanently waterlogged it wouldn’t be just in winter.

You are a pedantic prick :)

[3Puttpete]

You are a pedantic prick :)

There’s no need for that sort of talk

[thecollective]

Bigbad: I would check out Northern GC, a cosy members track with some down to earth members

Other than that perhaps Growling Frog or Rosanna, I don't recommend Heidelberg

Along the yarra the three courses (Kew, GAcres, Latrobe) all struggle during winter + don't seem to be as good value as other membership options.

[Bigbad]

Bigbad: I would check out Northern GC, a cosy members track with some down to earth members

Other than that perhaps Growling Frog or Rosanna, I don't recommend Heidelberg

Along the yarra the three courses (Kew, GAcres, Latrobe) all struggle during winter + don't seem to be as good value as other membership options.

Thanks for that mate, appreciate the feedback. I do have a mate that's amember down at Sanctuary Lakes and he seems to like it down there so i'd have a look in to that as well. Will do some more looking around!

[ParkRoyal]

Bigbad: I would check out Northern GC, a cosy members track with some down to earth members

Other than that perhaps Growling Frog or Rosanna, I don't recommend Heidelberg

Along the yarra the three courses (Kew, GAcres, Latrobe) all struggle during winter + don't seem to be as good value as other membership options.

Don't recommend Heidelberg why?

[thecollective]

don't like the course, very up and down

some of the members were also bit stale

this goes back to 2003 mind you

[spanner039]

Spanner - are you saying the mud belt courses of Latrobe/Kew/Green Acres etc are just permanently waterlogged in winter?

Mate, yes most of the courses are santa ana these days great in summer but it doesnt take much to make them unplayable, lots of trees means lots of shade with heavy soils leads to a pretty average golf experience during the winter months and they are all pretty expensive for a seasonal golf course.

[thecollective]

You are a pedantic prick :)

goes hand in hand with (being part of) the tax office :lol:

[spanner039]

WBennett - Latrobe, Kew, Greenacres and Rosanna all sit along the Yarra and so get soggy in winter, but also have years where parts of the course get flooded and closed for weeks.
Heidelberg gets soggy but rarely closes due to flooding as the Plenty river is smaller and sits a bit lower to the course (and only 2 holes).

Northern suburbs aren't flush with much, Northern is ok (apart from the TWP holes that are totally out of character to the rest of the course) and Medway is garbage after that you're heading to Growling Frog/Mandalay territory (not bad a drive outside of peak hour)

Having lived in Brunswick it can be a pain to get to a lot of places, the Tulla is your friend for anything south. If your wanting to play after work during summer at a members course then the clay belt is probably your best bet. I ended up playing a lot at Royal Park a unique Melbourne golf experience.

Nailed it!! Burnley and royal park are fine for a hit - i would love to develop Elsternwick myself into a decent 9 holer that side of the city could really use a fun 9 holes, but as mentioned in other threads at the moment its just horrid and is destined to become a footy oval.

[Bigbad]

I've just had a bit of a look at Northern Golf Club and that looks to be a pretty decent track. It's reciprocal to the course i'm a member at here in Brisbane so might try get down there for a game. How does it hold up over winter? That's my only concern.

[ParkRoyal]

don't like the course, very up and down

some of the members were also bit stale

this goes back to 2003 mind you

They had pretty ordinary stretch back then, which included not looking after existing members (myself included).

Its definitely one of the hillier tracks going round and probably needs a few hundred trees taken down (although apparently that's tough with local council), but a pretty good variety of holes imo.


Played Northern last week, they are part way through a clubhouse rebuild at the moment.

[thecollective]

They had pretty ordinary stretch back then, which included not looking after existing members (myself included).

Its definitely one of the hillier tracks going round and probably needs a few hundred trees taken down (although apparently that's tough with local council), but a pretty good variety of holes imo.


Played Northern last week, they are part way through a clubhouse rebuild at the moment.

I had only just moved to Melbourne and were one of the very few clubs that had a recip with my SA club (Gawler at the time)

The club was also a bit stiff upper lip and would not let me play after 3PM, I was still settling into Victoria and a few of the members gave me some stick being young (at the time) from SA and the fact that I was living in Preston, to be honest it put me off golf all together so I decided to give up the game for about 5 years and went back to playing pennant Tennis

Just checked out the website, certainly not the same vibe as 2003, open to the public 'book your round here'

This is also another clay belt track that gets extremely soggy in winter, you can do much better IMO for the price

[Coldtopper]

So many appropriate choices........

[3Puttpete]

I've just had a bit of a look at Northern Golf Club and that looks to be a pretty decent track. It's reciprocal to the course i'm a member at here in Brisbane so might try get down there for a game. How does it hold up over winter? That's my only concern.

100% of the Northern members I know are tools

[3Puttpete]

I've just had a bit of a look at Northern Golf Club and that looks to be a pretty decent track. It's reciprocal to the course i'm a member at here in Brisbane so might try get down there for a game. How does it hold up over winter? That's my only concern.

It’s also twice the cost of Nudgee. A 6 day membership at RQ is cheaper.

Is that normal for Melbourne?

[Lagerlover]

I'm with you TC, always been a little dismayed with the number of clubs not reciprocated with Goolwa

[PeteyD]

It’s also twice the cost of Nudgee. A 6 day membership at RQ is cheaper.

Is that normal for Melbourne?


I'd say yes, and that our memberships in Brisbane are cheap.

[ParkRoyal]

BigBad are you specifically wanting to join a club to play comps & pennant and be able to play easy after work?

If you are not specifically wanting to do the above, but keep a Handicap and play comps, then possibly look at a RACV Golf, Gen Y or a similar set up to those. Considering the options we do have in Melbourne and surrounds, then having that flexibility would allow you to play at course in and around the sandbelt and then onto Mornington/Bellarine. Coming into winter courses in these areas deal with wet a lot better and as a new comer to Melbourne it would be a great way to experience some of the great courses we are lucky enough to have.

I'm currently an RACV Golf member and its gets me a bunch of free games at RACV courses and then good deals at other clubs. For example I paid $60 for a round in the comp on Saturday at Northern and played Cape Shanck a couple of weeks back for $8 (comp fee).

From doing this you may then find a course that you really want to join, rather than being possibly 'stuck' with one.

[thecollective]

Also looks like the yarra courses still have a recip deal going on, hence if you join Rosanna for instance you can play limited rounds @ GA, Kew, Latrobe, HBerg etc.

Golf in Melbourne is certainly more expensive than other states, not as expensive as NSW though

[Bigbad]

BigBad are you specifically wanting to join a club to play comps & pennant and be able to play easy after work?

If you are not specifically wanting to do the above, but keep a Handicap and play comps, then possibly look at a RACV Golf, Gen Y or a similar set up to those. Considering the options we do have in Melbourne and surrounds, then having that flexibility would allow you to play at course in and around the sandbelt and then onto Mornington/Bellarine. Coming into winter courses in these areas deal with wet a lot better and as a new comer to Melbourne it would be a great way to experience some of the great courses we are lucky enough to have.

I'm currently an RACV Golf member and its gets me a bunch of free games at RACV courses and then good deals at other clubs. For example I paid $60 for a round in the comp on Saturday at Northern and played Cape Shanck a couple of weeks back for $8 (comp fee).

From doing this you may then find a course that you really want to join, rather than being possibly 'stuck' with one.

I do enjoy playing comps and that sort of thing, might take me a little longer to work in to the pennants scene but that's also something i'm interested in.

The RACV thing does sound good though, i'll definitely have a look in to that, trying a few courses around the place first seems like the logical thing to do. I'd planned that anyway, but knowing i can do that whilst still keeping my handicap is good news.

[WBennett]

100% of the Northern members I know are tools

Brutal character assassination.

[hardboiled]

100% of the Northern members I know are tools

Slug and I are are members of Northern ;)

Course hold up pretty well over the winter months.

[WBennett]

Slug and I are are members of Northern ;)Course hold up pretty well over the winter months. Make it 50% for me then. You two can work it out between you.

[Slug]

100% of the Northern members I know are tools

i resemble that comment

[3Puttpete]

Make it 50% for me then. You two can work it out between you.
+1

i resemble that comment

Oh. Hi Slug

[Coldtopper]

+1


Oh. Hi Slug Like your pic of Slug. Northern and Nudgee have lots of similarities