Cheltenham Rd,
Black Rock, Victoria 3193
Office
+61 (0)3 9599 0500Pro shop
+61 (0)3 9599 0500Fax
+61 (0)3 9521 0065Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Richard Hatt (Head Professional).The Course:
18 holes. Tree-lined & open sandbelt course. Gently undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Woodland and residential.
Designer:
Designed in 1926 by Dr Alister MacKenzie. Working with Alex Russell and Mick Morcom (Head Greenkeeper), the course opened for play in 1931.
Above distances are for the West course. Also at Royal Melbourne Golf Club is the 18-hole East course (par-72; 6030 mtrs from back tees).
-37.969173
145.030329
22 km SE of Melbourne CBD
From the centre of Melbourne travel south-east on the Nepean Highway (Hwy 3). After approx 13 km turn right into South Road (Rte 14), direction Brighton. After 1 km turn left into Bluff Road (Rte 19), direction Sandringham / Black Rock. After 3 km turn left into Cheltenham Road. After 1 km golf is on your right.
Royal Melbourne (West)
Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West course): Designed by the incomparable Dr. Alister MacKenzie, RMGC's West course is understandably regarded as one of the world's greatest places to play.
Occupying rolling terrain on an easy draining sandy base, this is every bit a "heathland" course, with tracts of heather bordering many holes. Also present beyond the generally good width fairways is a mix of small trees, bushes and other uncompromising rough, that's well worth steering clear of. There is not too much to look at beyond the course, but you can be sure the superbly crafted holes will keep you focused on the golfing job at hand.
There is an understated simplicity in MacKenzie's design. The expansive layout, containing several surprisingly wide fairways, does not create an impression of being unfairly tight or inhibiting from the tee. But don't interpret this to mean the course lacks "bite," far from it.
In addition to the deeper vegetation that will swallow-up seriously wayward shots, you will need to navigate your way around (or out of) a plethora of stylishly crafted bunkering found along the fairways, and protecting the often huge, lightning fast and sloping greens. You're putting touch at Royal Melbourne will be tested as never before; some of the challenges here are akin to putting on a tilting billiard table.
Playing to your handicap, especially on a first visit, is not an easy proposition on this challenging course. The subtleties of this and most MacKenzie layouts, need to be learnt over time, with "local knowledge" a valuable commodity in any round you play here.
Private club, with restricted outside visitor play. Overseas and interstate visitors should contact the Club regarding playing possibilities; generally available on Mon, Tues & Fri.
Maximum handicap: men 36; women 45. Introduction letter from home club required. Only one of the two courses can be played on the same day.
Credit cards accepted. Contact club for full details. [Last updated: 2018].
This is a walking course. Golf carts can be booked in advance (medical certificate required). Caddies available (if pre-booked).
Good
Established in 1891, Melbourne Golf Club was originally based on the Caulfield links (approx 8 mi away), before moving to Sandringham, and then to its current Black Rock site.
Royal Melbourne has regularly hosted top-level golf tournaments, including numerous Australian Open and PGA championships, and the Presidents Cup. Such tournaments are usually played on a Composite course comprising 12 holes from the West course and six from the East course. For more details see Top Golf Tournaments at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, West course.
Royal Melbourne is one of eight golf clubs in Australia honoured by exercise of the Sovereign's royal prerogative. Queen Victoria conferred the Royal title on the club in 1895. The eight Australian 'Royals' are (in order of gaining Royal status): Melbourne, Sydney, Queensland, Adelaide, Hobart, Fremantle, Canberra and Perth.
World: 7th best course in the world (GOLF magazine, 2020/21).
Australia: No.1 course in Australia (Australian Golf Digest, 2020).
Park Road, Cheltenham, Victoria 3192
+61 (0)3 9584 1733
Visit websiteThe Victoria Golf Club offers the golfer more than world class golf. The Clubhouse has 15 spacious and comfortably appointed rooms, each with full ensuite facilities, for residential accommodation. Each room offers views of the grounds and the course. Victoria’s stately, three storey, fully air conditioned clubhouse exudes comfort and a welcoming, congenial atmosphere. Victoria Golf Club is excellently located at the heart of the Melbourne "sandbelt" golf courses, with Royal Melbourne just next door, and many other famous name courses in close proximity.
Victoria GC
Royal Melbourne (East & West courses); Woodlands; Kingston Heath; Spring Valley; Yarra Yarra; Commonwealth; Metropolitan; Huntingdale.
Peninsula (North & South courses); Long Island; Ranfurlie.
37-39 Station Rd, Cheltenham, Melbourne Suburbs, VIC 3192
+61 (0)3 8523 5800
Visit websiteQuest Cheltenham offers a new level of accommodation to one of Victoria's booming bayside surburbs. This new property offers a combination of 49 studio, one, two and three bedroom serviced apartments, all of which are fully equipped and stylishly furnished - to cater for business and leisure travellers. In addition to the spacious apartments, Quest Cheltenham offers on-site basement car parking, conference facilities and a gymnasium.
No
Royal Melbourne (East & West courses); Victoria; Woodlands; Kingston Heath; Spring Valley; Yarra Yarra; Commonwealth; Metropolitan; Huntingdale.
Peninsula (North & South courses); Long Island.
Tournaments:
Women’s major championships: the month of June sees two women’s majors: the US Women’s Open (June 3-6), with A Lim Kim defending, and the Women’s PGA Championship (June 24-27), with Sei Young Kim defending.
Senior PGA Championship: the revered Southern Hills in Oklahoma hosts the 81st staging of this event (May 27-30); Ken Tanigawa holds the title from its last playing in 2019.
Who's Who:
Phil Mickelson: in winning the 2021 PGA Championship, the world’s most famous “leftie” became the oldest winner of a golf major championship.
Hideki Matsuyama: became the first Japanese professional to win a men’s major championship, when he triumphed in this year’s Masters Tournament.
New 27-hole golf complex to be built in southern Belgium
A new golf complex in southern Belgium, close to the border with Luxembourg, will start construction in June 2021.
American Dunes opens for play following Nicklaus transformation
Nicklaus Design has transformed the former Grand Haven Golf Club in Michigan into the American Dunes Golf Club, a new public course that is now open for play
New course opens for play at Barnbougle
Bill Coore designs 14-hole layout with “sporty” holes on dune ridge above Lost Farm (golf carts allowed).
Gamble Sands opens short course:
David McLay Kidd’s 14-hole QuickSands short course has opened for play at Gamble Sands in Brewster, Washington.
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