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Australia's Top Public Access Golf Courses - Golf Australia Magazine Jan 2023

Golf Australia Magazine published their latest list of Public Access Rankings in the January 2023 Edition.

For a comparison of these rankings with those from The GOLF Cuurse Guide and Golf Digest see here

PUBLIC ACCESS COURSE RANK
CAPE WICKHAM 1
BARNBOUGLE DUNES 2
BARNBOUGLE LOST FARM 3
ST ANDREWS BEACH 4
OCEAN DUNES 5
THIRTEENTH BEACH - BEACH 6
THE DUNES 7
LONSDALE LINKS 8
PORT FAIRY 9
BROOKWATER 10
JOONDALUP - QUARRY/DUNES 11
PORTSEA 12
HAMILTON ISLAND 13
MOONAH LINKS - LEGENDS 14
NAROOMA 15
MOONAH LINKS - OPEN 16
ST MICHAEL'S 17
BOUGLE RUN 18
THE CUT 19
LINKS HOPE ISLAND 20
CURLEWIS 21
MEADOW SPRINGS 22
THIRTEENTH BEACH - CREEK 23
KALGOORLIE 24
SANCTUARY LAKES 25
GLADES 26
ROSEBUD - NORTH 27
LONG REEF 28
SANDY LINKS 29
THE VINTAGE 30
LINKS LADY BAY 31
STONECUTTERS RIDGE 32
JOONDALUP - QUARRY/LAKE 33
PACIFIC HARBOUR 34
LAKELANDS 35
WARRNAMBOOL 36
SUN CITY 37
MOUNT COMPASS 38
MURRAY DOWNS 39
PACIFIC DUNES 40
TASMANIA 41
MAROOCHY RIVER 42
FEDERAL 43
CAPE SCHANCK 44
BELMONT 45
YARRAWONGA - MURRAY 46
MORNINGTON 47
EASTLAKE 48
ALBANY 49
TWIN WATERS 50
EYNESBURY 51
BLACK BULL 52
ROYAL PINES - GREEN/GOLD 53
THE COAST 54
JOONDALUP - DUNE/LAKE 55
ROSEBUD - SOUTH 56
FLINDERS 57
NOOSA SPRINGS  58
PALM MEADOWS 59
LEONGATHA 60
COOLANGATTA - RIVER 61
KOOINDAH WATERS 62
PORTARLINGTON 63
CYPRESS LAKES 64
BALLARAT 65
YARRAWONGA - LAKES 66
COOLANGATTA - WEST 67
RICH RIVER - EAST 68
MOLLYMOOK - HILLTOP 69
MURWILLUMBAH 70
MONA VALE 71
SANDHURST - CHAMPIONS 72
BRIBIE ISLAND 73
HORSHAM 74
GROWLING FROG 75
SECRET HARBOUR   76
FORSTER-TUNCURRY - TUNCURRY 77
OCEAN SHORES 78
NUDGEE 79
BYRON BAY 80
ULVERSTONE 81
SANDHURST - NORTH 82
TURA BEACH 83
SHELLY BEACH 84
COFFS HARBOUR 85
PALMER SEA REEF 86
ALICE SPRINGS 87
LAKES ENTRANCE 88
PALMER COOLUM 89
COBRAM BAROOGA - OLD 90
CLUB CATALINA OLD 91
HORIZONS 92
BRIGHTON LAKES 93
TEVEN VALLEY (9 holes) 94
BLACKWOOD 95
PAMBULA MERIMBULA RED/YELLOW 96
PALMER GOLD COAST 97
BUNBURY 98
TOOWOOMBA (MIDDLE RIDGE) 99
DUNTRYLEAGUE 100

 

NB  Golf Australia Magazine excluded the following courses as they have reduced their public access:

BARWON HEADS
BONVILLE  
NEWCASTLE
MAGENTA SHORES
SANCTUARY COVE - THE PINES
SANCTUARY COVE - THE PALMS
SETTLERS RUN
CRANBOURNE
RANFURLIE

To see how these courses ranked in other publications click here

GA TOP-100 RANKING CRITERIA

DESIGN (50%)

When ranking a course, judges were advised to ask the following questions to themselves to determine where a course stands in their list.

•                Is there a good balance of par-3s, 4s and 5s? Is there good variety?

•                Is risk-and-reward a factor on many holes?

•                How fair is the course for all players?

•                Does the design offer a wide selection of shots bringing any variation of wind direction into play?

•                Does the course set-up (mowing lines, rough) complement the design?

•                How memorable are individual holes and the course as a whole?

CONDITION (40%)

Things to consider include:

•                The overall condition of playing surfaces. Take into consideration elements out of control of course staff like drought, bushfire and flood.

•                Are the fairways cut to be well-defined from semi-rough and rough?

•                Have the bunkers been well-presented. Is the sand consistent?

VISUAL APPEAL (10%)

In relation to public access courses, visual appeal is an important factor in not only attracting golfers but also getting those same golfers to play the course again and again. Visual appeal makes up the remaining 10 percent. Things to consider include:

•                How aesthetically pleasing is the course to look at?

•                Are there many holes that have the ‘wow’ factor?

•                Does the course bIend well with its surrounds?