Portsea Golf Club
Out near the tip of the Mornington Peninsula, Portsea is a coastal links of firm, sandy ground first shaped by Alex Russell and recently revamped by the OCM design team. A par 71 with public access on most days, it is the relaxed, walkable counterpoint to the celebrated resort courses a few minutes down the road.
Photo: Portsea Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
Portsea sits on wonderful golfing ground, the sandy soil and tea tree of the Mornington Peninsula's southern tip giving it a firm, fast running character closer to the Melbourne sandbelt than to typical resort golf. The original strategic bones were laid by Alex Russell, MacKenzie's Australian partner, and a renovation by the OCM team of Ogilvy, Cocking and Mead has widened the muscular fairways and sharpened the hazards and greens in recent years.
What makes Portsea unusual among courses of this quality is that the public can play it on most days, a rare bit of access in a region where the best layouts sit behind private gates. It is not long, and it does not need to be; the interest lies in the angles, the firm turf and the breeze off the bay. For a travelling golfer building a Peninsula itinerary, it is both a fine round and an easy one to book.
Portsea Golf Club at a glance
- Opened
- Russell layout 1930s
- Designer
- Alex Russell, OCM renovation
- Type
- Coastal links
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- About 5,747 yds
- Green fee
- A$110 to A$120
Designer, layout history, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Portsea Golf Club and leading course databases. The strategic layout traces to Alex Russell, with a renovation by the OCM team of Ogilvy, Cocking and Mead in recent years, a par 71 of about 5,747 yards. Indicative public green fees run from around A$110 to A$120 for 18 holes; figures change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Portsea is a course about angles and ground game rather than length. The OCM renovation widened the fairways, which sounds generous until you realise that the width exists to create choice: the bold line up one side opens the green, the safe line leaves an awkward angle over the reshaped bunkering. On firm, sandy turf the ball runs, and the thinking player who controls flight and spin is rewarded.
The greens are the heart of the test, contoured to repel the careless approach and to feed the well judged one toward the hole. The tea tree lined holes have a quiet, natural beauty, and the wind off Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait can change the character of the round from one hour to the next.
It is a thoroughly walkable links that gives back more the more you study it, and a genuine pleasure to play knowing it is one of the few courses of this calibre on the Peninsula open to the visiting public.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Members club with generous public access; visitors play Monday and Friday all day, Tuesday and Wednesday after 10:30am and Sunday all day |
| Green fee | Indicative public green fee from around A$110 to A$120 for 18 holes in 2026 (indicative, confirm before booking) |
| Booking | Book public tee times online through the club calendar; weekends and holidays fill quickly |
| On the day | Walkable links on firm, sandy turf; carts available; respect pace and the natural tea tree surrounds |
| Getting there | Portsea near the tip of the Mornington Peninsula, about 90 minutes from Melbourne by road |
| Best months | October to April for the warm, dry Victorian golf season when the links turf runs at its firmest |
Access and fees verified June 2026 from Portsea Golf Club; public tee sheet windows and rates change, so always confirm directly before booking your round.
Where to stay nearby
The Mornington Peninsula is a destination in its own right, and the villages around Portsea, Sorrento and Blairgowrie offer boutique hotels, guest houses and rental homes within minutes of the golf. Many visitors base themselves here to combine the courses with the beaches, the hot springs and the region's celebrated food and wine.
Portsea pairs naturally with the National Golf Club's three courses, St Andrews Beach and the other Peninsula links for a multi course stay, and the wider region links easily into a Melbourne sandbelt trip an hour or so to the north. It is one of Australia's great golf corners.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Portsea Golf Club.
Build a Mornington Peninsula golf trip
We book the Portsea public tee times, pair them with the National, St Andrews Beach and the best of the Peninsula, and arrange the lodging around your golf. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Prefer to book tee times yourself? Tee time partner: [TEE_TIME_AFFILIATE_LINK] · Hotels: [HOTEL_AFFILIATE_LINK]
Portsea Golf Club questions
Who designed Portsea Golf Club?
Portsea's strategic layout traces to Alex Russell, the Australian design partner of Alister MacKenzie, and the course has been renovated in recent years by the OCM team of Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead, who widened the fairways and reshaped the hazards and greens.
What is the par and length of Portsea Golf Club?
Portsea is a par 71 of about 5,747 yards, a firm, fast running coastal links on the sandy ground near the tip of the Mornington Peninsula.
Can the public play Portsea Golf Club?
Yes. Portsea is a members club that allows generous public access, typically Monday and Friday all day, Tuesday and Wednesday after 10:30am and Sunday all day, with tee times booked online.
How much does it cost to play Portsea?
Indicative public green fees run from around A$110 to A$120 for 18 holes in 2026. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly with the club before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.