STAY & PLAY RESORTS
In Part Two of our annual rankings we assess the facilities at 50 of our finest Stay and Play destinations, and this year, for the first time, we also provide this information broken down into the components ranked by our panel: Accommodation, Dining and Other.
Our aim, as always, is to promote and direct golf tourism within Australia by providing our readers with all the information they require to select for themselves the style of course, the price range and the creature comforts that they require…and to save readers money on both green fees and accommodation costs throughout.
Within our Top 100 Public Access golf courses, we have identified 40 destinations which offer a fully integrated resort environment including at least quality overnight accommodation and dining facilities for three daily meals. The accommodation may not be owned by the Golf Course, but there must be the option to book a “Stay and Play” package.
As with our course rankings, we have aimed for clear criteria and presented individual assessments in each category so that users can decide for themselves whether they are seeking better quality food and beverages or additional non-golf activities.
The overall Resort Ranking is the result of combining our scores for Accommodation, Dining and Other but excluding the golf course ranking itself. Resorts that have a golf course outside the Top 100 were ineligible for this list, but were ranked for the individual components.
2011 RESORT (course rank)* 2010 rank
1 COOLUM (18) 1 18
2 SANCTUARY COVE 2 27
3 TWIN WATERS 3 44
4 ROYAL PINES 4 Top 100
5 THE CUT nr 13
6 CAPRICORN 10 22
7 JOONDALUP 5 4
8 MAGENTA SHORES 9 6
9 KOOINDAH WATERS 7 Top 100
10 HERITAGE 6 20
11 MOONAH LINKS 8 2
12 NOOSA SPRINGS 12 43
13 THE VINES 11 24
14 SANDS TORQUAY 14 Top 100
15 SEATEMPLE 15 Top 100
16 HOPE ISLAND 13 17
17 VINTAGE 17 25
18 LAGUNA WHITSUNDAYS 23 36
19 CYPRESS LAKES 19eq Top 100
20 PALM MEADOWS (RADISSON) 19eq Top 100
21 CLUB PELICAN 16 19
22 PARADISE PALMS 18 37
23 THIRTEENTH BEACH 21 9
24 YARRAWONGA 28 Top 100
25 BARWON HEADS 25 8
26 MT BROUGHTON 24 Top 100
27eq BONVILLE 22 16
27eq LINKS LADY BAY 27 46
29 CAPE SCHANCK 26 34
30 BARNBOUGLE DUNES 29 1
31 ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB 30eq Top 100
32 EAGLE RIDGE (NEPEAN CC) 30eq Top 100
33 HORIZONS 30eq Top 100
34 NAROOMA 36 49
35 MURRAY DOWNS 33 40
36 COROWA 37eq Top 100
37eq COBRAM BAROOGA 34eq Top 100
37eq TOCUMWAL 34eq Top 100
39eq TALLWOODS 37eq Top 100
39eq SHEPPARTON 37eq Top 100
No change at the top of our list, with Hyatt Regency resorts at Coolum and Sanctuary Cove in Queensland taking the honours, each with extensive quality accommodation and dining options plus a host of other leisure activities on site.
Novotel Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast and Royal Pines on the Gold Coast retained 3rd and 4th positions, giving Queensland a clean sweep of all four top places.
The Cut on the coast south of Perth, WA which was not considered by our panel last year enters our rankings at No. 5. The three and four bedroom villas are brand new, luxurious and tastefully furnished. They are not economic for only a couple, and so the Accommodation score was marked down accordingly. However, our judges were sufficiently impressed with the Dining and the pool and spa, the surf beach, the tranquility and the views to rank the overall package on this magnificent links very highly.
Topping our list for Other facilities with everything from sailing to horse riding helped Rydges Capricorn Resort into 6th place overall, up 4 places from last year, despite a relatively poor showing for Accommodation which is a little tired in places. Certainly a great family resort with plenty of water activities, spa and beauty treatments.
Accomodation Rankings
(Note: includes accommodation at courses outside Top 100)
1 COOLUM
2eq SANCTUARY COVE
2eq MAGENTA SHORES
4eq MIRAGE
4eq FOREST RESORT CRESWICK
6eq MOONAH LINKS
6eq HOPE ISLAND
6eq COUNTRY CLUB TAS
9eq ROYAL PINES
9eq JOONDALUP
9eq KOOINDAH WATERS
9eq NOOSA SPRINGS
9eq SANDS TORQUAY
9eq VINTAGE
9eq THE CUT
9eq PARADISE PALMS
17 TWIN WATERS
18 THIRTEENTH BEACH
19eq HERITAGE
19eq THE VINES
19eq SEATEMPLE
22 WOLLONGONG
23 LAGUNA WHITSUNDAYS
24eq CLUB PELICAN
24eq CYPRESS LAKES
24eq ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB
27 PALM MEADOWS (RADISSON)
28eq CAPE SCHANCK
28eq LINKS LADY BAY
28eq STONELEA
28eq THURGOONA
28eq SANCTUARY RESORT WA
28eq DUNTRYLEAGUE
28eq MOSS VALE
35 PENINSULA
36 YARRAWONGA
37 BARWON HEADS
38eq MT BROUGHTON
38eq BARNBOUGLE DUNES
40eq CAPRICORN
40eq BONVILLE
40eq TALLWOODS
43 EAGLE RIDGE (NEPEAN CC)
44eq HORIZONS
44eq TOCUMWAL
44eq NAROOMA
44eq COROWA
44eq SHEPPARTON
49 MURRAY DOWNS
50eq COBRAM BAROOGA
50eq RICH RIVER
Highly ranked for their range of quality accommodations, Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas and Novotel Forest Resort Creswick (equal 4th) have golf courses that ranked just outside our Top 100 and were thus ineligible for overall placings.
Similarly Stonelea Country Estate provides a fine dining experience (equal 5th) but not a Top 100 golf course. Peninsula Country Golf Club ranked equally for dining, and certainly does possess two great golf courses, however they generally require visitors to be members of private golf clubs and hence are strictly not public access.
Dining Rankings
(Note: includes dining at courses outside Top 100)
1 COOLUM
2 SANCTUARY COVE
3 ROYAL PINES
4 BARWON HEADS
5eq STONELEA
5eq PENINSULA
5eq JOONDALUP
8 TWIN WATERS
9 THE CUT
10eq COUNTRY CLUB TAS
10eq CAPRICORN
12 HERITAGE
13 MOONAH LINKS
14eq MAGENTA SHORES
14eq SANDS TORQUAY
14eq PARADISE PALMS
14eq SEATEMPLE
14eq MIRAGE
19 WOLLONGONG
20eq KOOINDAH WATERS
20eq BONVILLE
22eq MOSS VALE
22eq BARNBOUGLE DUNES
24 FOREST RESORT CRESWICK
25eq PALM MEADOWS (RADISSON)
` LAGUNA WHITSUNDAYS
27 THIRTEENTH BEACH
28 THE VINES
29 CYPRESS LAKES
30 YARRAWONGA
31eq CLUB PELICAN
31eq ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB
31eq LINKS LADY BAY
31eq MT BROUGHTON
31eq EAGLE RIDGE (NEPEAN CC)
36eq SANCTUARY RESORT WA
36eq NAROOMA
38eq NOOSA SPRINGS
38eq HOPE ISLAND
40 VINTAGE
41 CAPE SCHANCK
42 COROWA
43eq THURGOONA
43eq DUNTRYLEAGUE
43eq HORIZONS
43eq MURRAY DOWNS
43eq COBRAM BAROOGA
43eq RICH RIVER
43eq BARHAM
43eq TOCUMWAL
Other Facilities
(Note: includes courses outside Top 100)
1 CAPRICORN
2 COOLUM
3 TWIN WATERS
4 SANCTUARY COVE
5eq ROYAL PINES
5eq THE CUT
5eq COUNTRY CLUB TAS
5eq MIRAGE
9eq JOONDALUP
9eq KOOINDAH WATERS
9eq THE VINES
9eq NOOSA SPRINGS
13 HERITAGE
14 YARRAWONGA
15eq MAGENTA SHORES
15eq SEATEMPLE
15eq WOLLONGONG
15eq FOREST RESORT CRESWICK
15eq PALM MEADOWS (RADISSON)
15eq CYPRESS LAKES
15eq CLUB PELICAN
15eq MT BROUGHTON
15eq SANCTUARY RESORT WA
15eq HOPE ISLAND
15eq VINTAGE
15eq DUNTRYLEAGUE
15eq HORIZONS
15eq RICH RIVER
29 MOONAH LINKS
30eq LAGUNA WHITSUNDAYS
30eq SANDS TORQUAY
32eq BONVILLE
32eq CAPE SCHANCK
34 EAGLE RIDGE (NEPEAN CC)
35eq STONELEA
35eq THIRTEENTH BEACH
35eq LINKS LADY BAY
35eq COBRAM BAROOGA
39eq BARNBOUGLE DUNES
39eq MURRAY DOWNS
41eq BARWON HEADS
41eq PENINSULA
41eq TALLWOODS
44eq PARADISE PALMS
44eq MOSS VALE
44eq ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB
44eq NAROOMA
44eq THURGOONA
44eq TOCUMWAL
44eq SHEPPARTON
Non-Top 100 Course Resorts
If golf is incidental to your stay, there are excellent accommodation and dining experiences at other courses featured in this Guide.
Topping our list of Stay and Play Resorts with courses that are not ranked in our Top 100 was The Country Club, Tasmania. Here they provide a great range of quality accommodation and dining options, a casino, health centre with heated indoor pools and spa and a range of outdoor activities.
1 COUNTRY CLUB TAS
2 MIRAGE
3 FOREST RESORT CRESWICK
4 WOLLONGONG
5 STONELEA
6 SANCTUARY RESORT WA
7 PENINSULA
8 DUNTRYLEAGUE
9 MOSS VALE
10 THURGOONA
11 RICH RIVER
12 BARHAM