Australia’s island state is home to some of the most picturesque links and challenging championship golf courses, making it a must-add to your golf holiday bucket list. With over 75 golf courses in Tasmania currently in operation or in development, however, it can be tricky to pinpoint which are most worthy of your time and should definitely be added to your Tasmania trip itinerary.
If you’re planning on hitting the greens all over Tassie, hiring a car and following a set route can also help you make the most of your time away. So let us share our ultimate Tasmania golf road trip itinerary below to provide you with a little bit of inspiration for your own trip planning.
Note: this road trip itinerary travels south to north, starting from Hobart and ending in Devonport. The itinerary can be flipped for those travelling north to south.
1. Royal Hobart Golf Club
Being just a stone’s throw from the Hobart Airport as well as city accommodation in Hobart, you’ll find the Royal Hobart Golf Club to be a natural starting point for your Tassie golf road trip.
This heritage course was founded all the way back in 1916 and designed by golf course architect Vern Morcom. The course makes exceptional use of the natural sandy base of Seven Mile Beach, where the club itself is located. Its mix of fairway and greenside bunkers provides a novel challenge, and a range of straight, dogleg and sloping greens will keep you engaged at every tee shot.
2. Tasmania Golf Club
Located not too far from the Royal Hobart, Tasmania Golf Club is another championship course, offering a par 72 for men and a 74 for women. Being located on the headland overlooking Barilla Bay, this gorgeous green offers stunning views of Pittwater, Five Mile Beach, and Mount Wellington to the east of the Hobart city centre.
The course’s positioning on a slope descending down towards the bay also makes for some fantastic views while teeing off. Hole 12 is also recognised as one of Australia’s finest 18 holes, thanks in part to the way the contours of the green mimic the natural shape of Barilla Bay itself.
This is the last course you’ll play in Hobart before heading north. However if you’re not ready to leave the area yet, consider scheduling a tee time over at Tasman Golf Club as well, located at the southern coastline of Port Arthur and just a 90-minute drive from the Hobart city centre. Although not an official addition to this itinerary, it does get honourable mention for its striking views of Port Arthur’s isolated southern coastline.
3. Freycinet Golf Club
Moving further north now to the mouth of the Swan River on Tasmania’s eastern coast, you’ll find Freycinet Golf Club. Designed by Bill Husband and officially opened in 1993, this par 72 course offers a good mix of challenging and palate cleanser holes, with three par threes, three par fours, and three par fives.
The course fees are also pretty reasonable at just $30 a round, whether you’re doing 9 holes or 18 holes. The reason the fees are so cheap is because Freycinet is actually a community-managed club, so chances are if you’re staying in Freycinet or at Dolphin Sands on the other side of Nine Mile Beach, you’ll run into a few of the club’s volunteer caretakers here and there. All in the name of community golf!
4. Launceston Golf Club
Travelling into central Tasmania now, Launceston Golf Club is located in southeast Launceston, and just a 10 minute drive from Launceston Airport. The par 72 green is also regarded to be the oldest golf course in Tasmania and one of the oldest in Australia as well, having been established all the way back in 1899.
The prestige of this local golf club also comes with a strict dress code, with players required to wear collared shirts and golf shoes while on the course and in practice areas. Adhering to the dress code is well worth it though, as this tree-lined green serves up an engaging game for both novices and pros alike.
5. Riverside Golf Club
Staying in Launceston and located at the forking point of the Tamar River, Riverside Golf Club is another championship course, offering a good selection of water hazards, fairway and greenside bunkers, and tree-lined holes for a satisfying tee experience.
The par 72 green also delivers great views of wider Launceston and the Tamar River, so every hole is guaranteed to have you taking a moment or two to look around and take in the views, whether it be . On a sunny day, you can expect to play with it be the boats cruising up and down the River Tamar, or the birds in the towering eucalypts and blackwoods that line the green.
6. Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links
Leaving central Tasmania now, we’re travelling further north again, this time to Bridport, a quiet unassuming coastal town on Tasmania’s northern coastline, which is predominantly known for one thing: Barnbougle Dunes!
Ranked as one of the top 50 golf courses in the entire world and the #2 golf course in Australia by Australian Golf Magazine back in 2013, Barnbougle Dunes is a challenging course built directly on natural sand dunes, making for an authentic links experience.
Designed by visionary US golf architect Tom Doak and Australian Mike Clayton, The Dunes honours Bridport’s own UK roots, with the course itself designed to mimic the traditional links courses of Scotland and Ireland. The result is a very unique playing experience that feels almost European rather than Australian, except for the stunning views of Barnbougle Beach and its iconic sweeping shoreline.
And if you haven’t had enough of playing on these delectable dunes just yet, there’s also Lost Farm nearby, a second links course that’s been operating since 2010 and offers great views of Anderson Bay alongside being built with updated club facilities – perfect for those looking to stay overnight.
7. George Town Golf Club
Returning to the banks of the Tamar River now and just overlooking Bell Bay, we arrive at George Town Golf Club, which is a small but mighty par 68 9-hole course. Established back in 1954 as a 9-hole course, George Town has since expanded to include 18 different tees, 2 putting greens, and a decently sized practice range, so you can get a swing in even on a busy day.
Despite being situated by the river’s edge, the course itself is surprisingly flat, but still offers a novel challenge thanks to its tricky undulations and hazard placements. The recently refurbished clubhouse on the grounds also provides the perfect setting to grab a bite before or after your play, with the 5574m long course and swift gameplay delivering a good day out, all in all.
8. Sheffield Golf Club
Our last stop before heading back north to Devonport is Sheffield Golf Club in the sleepy little town of Sheffield, which also happens to be nestled at the foot of Mount Roland. Despite being located on the further edge of town, the course here still offers great views of Mount Roland from a distance (especially on a misty morning), plus stunning up close views of The Badgers Range on its other side, as the club shares its fenceline with the range and surrounding forested areas.
All in all, the unique positioning and geography of this course provides stunning views at every tee, and the heavily wooded course itself feels uniquely Tasmanian. Like George Town, Sheffield’s course is also a 9-hole, par 68, so you’re in for a quick but challenging and unforgettable game.
Have a swinging time on the island state
You’ll notice that not every golf course we’ve added to this ultimate itinerary is on our list of top golf courses in Tasmania – but rest assured the point of this itinerary isn’t to play all the top-rated courses on the island state.
Instead, the purpose behind this golf trip itinerary is to show you what uniquely Tasmanian golf looks like. The mix of courses we’ve recommended today covers some of the state’s best that’s for sure, but it also covers some of the most beloved local courses frequented by passionate Tasmania-based players. Courses like Sheffield, Freycinet, and George Town are hidden gems, providing a playing experience that you surely won’t forget any time soon.
So even if you don’t follow this itinerary to a tee, be sure to at least consider the eight distinctly Tassie courses we’ve shared today when preparing your own Tasmanian golf road trip itinerary.