Ratho Farm
In the Tasmanian highlands at Bothwell lies the oldest golf course in the southern hemisphere, and the oldest still played outside Scotland. The Reid family laid out these links not long after sailing from Edinburgh in 1822, and the sheep that graze the fairways keep the round honest to its origins. It plays as an 18 hole inland links of par 70.
Photo: Ratho Farm via Google.
The verdict
Ratho Farm is a pilgrimage, not just a round. The Reid family emigrated from Leith near Edinburgh in 1822 and set up the farm called Ratho on the edge of Bothwell, in the central highlands of Tasmania. They brought their clubs and their game with them, and Alexander Reid is remembered as the father of Australian golf for laying out these links on the property. That lineage makes Ratho the oldest golf course in the southern hemisphere, and the oldest anywhere outside the home of the game.
It has since been restored with great care, the original links cleared and tended and a highlands resort built around it, so a visitor can stay on the farm and walk out to the first tee. What you play is true inland links golf: firm, natural ground, no parkland polish, sheep grazing the fairways as they always have, and the kind of bumps, hollows and run that ask for the ground game. For a traveling golfer it is one of the most distinctive and meaningful rounds in the country.
Ratho Farm at a glance
- Origins
- 1820s Reid family
- Style
- Inland links
- Designer
- The Reid family
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 70
- Access
- Visitors welcome
History, style and par verified June 2026 from the course, Discover Tasmania and leading course databases. The links were laid out by the Reid family, Scottish settlers who arrived in 1822, making Ratho the oldest golf course in the southern hemisphere; it now plays as an 18 hole inland links of par 70. Visitor green fees and resort tariffs vary by season, so always confirm current access and any fees directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
What sets Ratho apart is that it is not a manicured course pretending to be a links; it is the real, unforced article. The fairways are grazed by sheep rather than mown into stripes, the turf runs fast and brown in the dry highland summer, and the contours are those of the farm itself. You hit low, running shots, you use the slopes, and you accept the odd quirky bounce as part of the charm.
The greens are honest and the routing wanders the open highland ground with the River Clyde and the historic township of Bothwell close by. There is real strategy in choosing your line over the rough hummocks and reading how the firm ground will feed your ball, the same questions Scottish links have asked for centuries, here under a Tasmanian sky.
It is not about scorecard difficulty so much as character. Play it for what it is, a living piece of golf history you can still walk and strike a ball across, and Ratho Farm rewards you with a round you will talk about long after the trip.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Open to visitors for green fee play; part of a highlands resort with on site stays |
| Green fee | Public green fees apply; stay and play packages available (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | Book a tee time or a room in advance, especially in the warmer months |
| On the day | Walking inland links; sheep on the fairways; relaxed but respectful golf dress |
| Getting there | Bothwell, central highlands of Tasmania, about 1 hour 15 minutes north of Hobart |
| Best months | November to April, when the highland turf is firm and fast |
Access and fees verified June 2026 from Ratho Farm where published; tariffs and tee sheet policy change, so always confirm current access and any fees directly before planning a visit.
Where to stay nearby
The simplest and most fitting choice is to stay on the farm itself. Ratho Farm has restored heritage cottages and rooms on the property, so you can wake on the working highland estate, play the historic links and settle in by the fire afterward, all without leaving the grounds.
Hobart is about an hour and a quarter south for those building a wider trip, which makes Ratho a natural day out or overnight from a city base. Pair it with Royal Hobart and the Tasmania Golf Club nearer the coast for a southern Tasmania itinerary that spans the origins of the game and the best of its modern courses.
Looking for a base? See our recommended stays and packages at and around Ratho Farm.
Build a Tasmania golf trip
We pair the historic links at Ratho Farm with Royal Hobart and the Tasmania Golf Club, and book the highland stays and the whisky country around your group. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Ratho Farm questions
Why is Ratho Farm historically important?
Ratho Farm at Bothwell is widely recognized as the oldest golf course in the southern hemisphere and the oldest surviving golf course outside Scotland. The links were laid out by the Reid family, Scottish settlers who arrived from near Edinburgh in 1822, and Alexander Reid is often called the father of Australian golf.
Can anyone play Ratho Farm?
Yes. Ratho Farm welcomes visitors for green fee play and is now part of a highlands resort with accommodation on the working farm. Book a tee time in advance, and always confirm current access and any fees directly before booking.
What is the par at Ratho Farm?
Ratho Farm plays to a par 70 over 18 holes of inland links golf, with natural fairways grazed by sheep and Scottish style hazards rather than manicured parkland conditioning.
Where is Ratho Farm?
Ratho Farm is at Bothwell, in the central highlands of Tasmania, about an hour and fifteen minutes north of Hobart by road.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. History, style and par verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.