Lonsdale Links
Reborn in 2020, Lonsdale Links is the most distinctive new course on the Bellarine. The firm Ogilvy, Cocking and Mead reworked the old Lonsdale Golf Club into a template inspired links, with versions of the Alps, Biarritz, Redan and Road threaded through coastal dunes beside Lake Victoria. Public access and a par 70 of about 5,505 yards make it a thinking golfer's delight.
Photo: Lonsdale Links via Google.
The verdict
Lonsdale Links is what happens when a quiet seaside members course is handed to a team of architects with both imagination and reverence for history. The firm Ogilvy, Cocking and Mead, led in part by former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, rebuilt the old Lonsdale Golf Club at Point Lonsdale into something Australia had never quite seen, a links openly modelled on the template holes of Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor and Charles Banks. The first nine opened in late 2019 and the second nine and clubhouse followed in December 2020.
The course runs to a par 70 of about 5,505 yards through coastal dune country beside Lake Victoria, and the modest length is entirely beside the point. The interest is in the greens and the angles, with recognizable versions of the Alps, Biarritz, Plateau, Eden, Leven, Punchbowl, Thumbprint, Redan and Road holes, each demanding a specific shot and a clear plan. Add genuine public access and a relaxed, contemporary clubhouse and you have a course that has quickly become a fixture of any serious Bellarine itinerary.
Lonsdale Links at a glance
- Reopened
- 2020
- Designer
- OCM
- Type
- Links, template
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- About 5,505 yd
- Access
- Public
Designer, redesign timeline, par and length verified June 2026 from Lonsdale Links, OCM Golf and leading course databases. The course was rebuilt by Ogilvy, Cocking and Mead, with the first nine opening in late 2019 and the full eighteen plus clubhouse in December 2020; it plays as a par 70 of about 5,505 yards. Lonsdale Links offers public access, so tee times are bookable subject to member times; green fees are seasonal and were not quoted here to avoid a stale figure, so always confirm the current rate directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The template holes are the heart of the round and the reason architecture enthusiasts make the pilgrimage. The Biarritz, with its deep swale through a long green, asks a brave and precise approach; the Redan tempts you to use a slope that runs away to the left; the Alps and the Punchbowl reward the player willing to commit to a blind or semi blind line and trust the ground. None of it is gimmick. Each template is built to test a different shot, and together they make a short course feel endlessly varied.
The dunes and the lake give the holes their setting and their hazards. Sandy waste areas and natural vegetation frame the fairways, the greens are bold and full of internal movement, and the wind off the coast is the final variable, turning a wedge into a knockdown and a Redan from a holdable target into a fearsome one. It is golf that rewards thought, touch and a willingness to use the contours rather than fight them.
Conditioning and presentation match the ambition. The firm coastal turf lets the templates work as intended, the greens run true and quick, and the relaxed, low key clubhouse reflects a club that takes its golf seriously and its airs not at all. Visitors tend to leave already planning a return.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public access course; visitors book a tee time, subject to member competition times and events |
| How to book | Through the club's tee sheet, an accredited golf tour operator, or as part of a wider Bellarine golf package |
| Green fees | Seasonal rates, with high season and weekend rounds at a premium. Confirm the current 2026 fee with the club before booking |
| On the day | A walkable links with carts available; smart golf attire expected, and a low, controlled ball flight pays in the coastal wind |
| Getting there | Point Lonsdale, on the Bellarine Peninsula, about 30 minutes from Geelong and roughly 90 minutes southwest of Melbourne |
| Best months | October to April for the warmest, driest golf, though the sandy links drains well and plays firm for much of the year |
Access details verified June 2026 against Lonsdale Links; fees and member times change, so always confirm the current visitor policy directly before planning a trip. See our Australia green fees guide for the wider picture.
Where to stay nearby
Point Lonsdale and neighboring Queenscliff make a charming base, all weatherboard cottages, the lighthouse and the rip running through the heads, with good cafes and a couple of characterful hotels. For more choice, Geelong is a short drive north, and the seaside towns of Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove sit just along the coast.
Lonsdale Links is best enjoyed as part of a Bellarine golf trip. It pairs naturally with both courses at 13th Beach and with Barwon Heads, giving you a tight cluster of sandy, coastal layouts within twenty minutes of one another, and the Mornington Peninsula is a short ferry across the heads for those who want to extend the trip.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around the Bellarine and Geelong.
Build a Bellarine golf trip
We pair Lonsdale Links with both courses at 13th Beach and Barwon Heads, add the best of the Mornington Peninsula across the heads, and arrange the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Lonsdale Links questions
Who redesigned Lonsdale Links?
Lonsdale Links was redesigned by the Australian architecture firm Ogilvy, Cocking and Mead, known as OCM. The first nine opened in late 2019 and the second nine and clubhouse opened in December 2020, transforming the former Lonsdale Golf Club into a template inspired links.
What is the par and length of Lonsdale Links?
Lonsdale Links plays as a par 70 of about 5,505 yards from the back tees. It is a short course by modern numbers, but the template greens, the angles and the coastal wind give it real strategic teeth.
What are the template holes at Lonsdale Links?
OCM drew on the classic templates of Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor and Charles Banks, and the course includes versions of the Alps, Biarritz, Plateau, Eden, Leven, Punchbowl, Thumbprint, Redan and Road holes, a rare collection of template golf in Australia.
Can visitors play Lonsdale Links?
Yes. Lonsdale Links offers public access, so visitors can book a tee time, subject to member competition times. Green fees are seasonal, so always confirm the current rate directly with the club before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, redesign timeline, par and length verified June 2026; access policy verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.