Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club

The verdict

Terrey Hills arrived as something of an event. By the early 1990s Sydney had not seen a new golf course in more than two decades, and the land at Terrey Hills, a pocket of native bush in the city's leafy north hard against the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, gave Graham Marsh and Ross Watson a rare blank canvas. Marsh, a successful touring professional turned designer, used it to build a modern championship layout that felt at home in its setting, with broad fairways framed by stands of angophora and scribbly gum and a sense of escape only forty minutes from the harbour.

The course that opened in 1994 has matured into one of Sydney's most respected members clubs, a par 72 of about 6,500 metres that is long enough to challenge the strong player yet generous enough to be enjoyed from the forward tees. Its reputation rests as much on presentation as on architecture, with conditioning that visitors consistently rank among the best in the city. It is private, but for the traveler who can arrange access it offers a complete, polished round in a beautiful bush setting.

The holes worth the trip

Terrey Hills plays as a true bushland parkland, where the native scrub and tree lines define the corridors and a wayward shot is quickly punished by the surrounding bush. Marsh routed the holes to ask a variety of questions, blending reachable par 5s and tempting short par 4s with longer two shotters that demand a confident drive and a precise mid iron. The bunkering is purposeful and the greens are well contoured, so reading the slopes and controlling your distance are as important as finding the fairway.

Water comes into play on a handful of holes to sharpen the strategic choices, and the par 3s are a strength, each requiring a committed swing to a green that gives little to the timid stroke. Because the layout is fair rather than tricked up, the better player can attack and score, while the higher handicapper from the right tees still finds plenty of room. It is the kind of course that rewards a second visit, as local knowledge of the green complexes pays off.

The presentation is the lasting impression. Terrey Hills has long set a high bar for conditioning among Sydney clubs, with fairways and greens kept to a standard that flatters good golf and makes the round feel a touch special. For the visiting golfer the combination of bushland seclusion, polished surfaces and an honest test is what makes it worth the effort to get on.

Where to stay nearby

Terrey Hills sits between the city and the coast, which gives you options. Base yourself on the Northern Beaches around Manly or Narrabeen for surf and headlands, or stay central in Sydney and make the easy drive north for your round. The leafy northern suburbs also offer quieter, more residential stays if you prefer a calmer base close to the first tee.

For the golfer, Terrey Hills pairs naturally with Elanora a short distance toward the coast, and with the great championship clubs of the eastern suburbs, The Australian and Royal Sydney, as well as the clifftop New South Wales Golf Club at La Perouse. A Sydney trip can string several of these together into an outstanding few days of golf.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around northern Sydney.