The National Gunnamatta
Tom Doak and Renaissance Golf Design tore up the old Ocean Course at The National and reopened it in November 2019 as Gunnamatta, a bold, rumpled par 72 of about 7,151 yards on the high ground of Cape Schanck. It is the newest of the club's four layouts and one of the most talked about modern courses in Australia.
Photo: The National Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
The National Golf Club spreads across the dramatic clifftops and dunes of Cape Schanck, at the tip of the Mornington Peninsula southeast of Melbourne. Gunnamatta began life as the Ocean Course, designed around 2000 by Peter Thomson, Mike Wolveridge and Ross Perrett, before Tom Doak's Renaissance Golf Design rebuilt it and reopened it in November 2019.
The new course is a statement, wide and muscular at about 7,151 yards, with bold contouring, big sandy waste areas and greens that swing from generous to severe. It plays firm and fast in the peninsula wind, and it asks the kind of ground game questions that have made Doak's work so admired. As one of four courses at a large private club, it is best reached as a visitor on the right day or through a member.
The National Golf Club, Gunnamatta Course at a glance
- Opened
- 2000, redesigned 2019
- Designer
- Thomson, Wolveridge, Perrett, then Tom Doak
- Type
- Coastal, dunes
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 7,151 yds
- Green fee
- Private, visitor access
Designer, history, par and yardage verified June 2026 from The National Golf Club and leading course databases. The Gunnamatta course opened around 2000 as the Ocean Course to a Thomson, Wolveridge and Perrett design, and reopened in November 2019 after a full redesign by Tom Doak's Renaissance Golf Design, a par 72 of about 7,151 yards. The National is a private members club that admits interstate and international visitors on limited days; recent visitor rates have run about 550 Australian dollars for international and 335 for interstate players, indicative for 2026, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Gunnamatta plays across the highest, most exposed ground at The National, and Doak used that elevation to open up long views and to let the wind shape the strategy. The fairways are wide, but the rumpled contours and the big sandy waste areas mean the smart line is rarely the obvious one, and a tee shot can be rewarded or punished by a metre.
The greens are the test, large and full of movement, with run offs that feed wayward approaches into trouble and slopes that demand the right portion. The firm peninsula turf encourages the ground game, and learning to run the ball into these greens is half the fun and most of the challenge.
It is a course that rewards repeated play, revealing new angles and options as you come to read the contours and the wind. As part of a 72 hole complex that also holds the Moonah, Old and Long Island courses, Gunnamatta makes The National one of the great golf destinations within an easy drive of Melbourne.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members club; interstate and international visitors admitted on limited days, generally Monday, Tuesday and Thursday |
| Green fee | About 550 Australian dollars international, 335 interstate (indicative, 2026); confirm current rates before booking |
| Booking | Contact the club well in advance; a letter of introduction from your home club is generally required for visitors |
| On the day | Firm, fast turf rewards walking and the ground game; buggies available, dress code and etiquette enforced |
| Getting there | Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula, about 90 minutes southeast of central Melbourne |
| Best months | October to April for the warm, dry peninsula season when the turf runs firm and fast |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; The National is a private club and visitor policies and fees change, so always confirm directly with the club or your trip planner before planning a visit.
Where to stay nearby
Most visiting golfers base themselves on the Mornington Peninsula itself, around Rye, Sorrento and Portsea, where wineries, beaches and hot springs sit alongside the golf and there is comfortable lodging at every level. A peninsula base puts The National and its neighbours within a short drive.
For a wider Victorian trip, central Melbourne is only 90 minutes away and pairs naturally with the Melbourne sandbelt classics. It is ideal country for a multi course pilgrimage, combining Gunnamatta and the other National courses with the great clubs of the sandbelt.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near The National Golf Club, Gunnamatta Course.
Build a Mornington Peninsula golf trip
We secure the visitor tee times where access allows, pair Gunnamatta with the other National courses and the Melbourne sandbelt, and book the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
The National Golf Club, Gunnamatta Course questions
Who designed the Gunnamatta course and when did it reopen?
Gunnamatta began as the Ocean Course, designed around 2000 by Peter Thomson, Mike Wolveridge and Ross Perrett, then was rebuilt by Tom Doak's Renaissance Golf Design and reopened in November 2019.
What is the par and length of Gunnamatta?
Gunnamatta is a par 72 of about 7,151 yards, a wide, bold, firm and fast course on the high ground of Cape Schanck.
Can visitors play The National Gunnamatta?
The National is a private members club, but interstate and international visitors are admitted on limited days, generally with a letter of introduction. Recent visitor rates ran about 550 Australian dollars international and 335 interstate; confirm directly before booking.
Where is The National Golf Club?
The National is at Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula, about 90 minutes southeast of central Melbourne.
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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.