13th Beach Creek Course

The verdict

13th Beach is the rare resort that gives the traveling golfer two genuinely different eighteens on the same property, and the Creek Course is the one that surprises people. Where the Beach Course is the older, wind exposed links that has hosted professional events, the Creek turns inland into a quieter world of wetlands, tea tree and the creek that gives it its name. Tony Cashmore laid it out with six time Major champion Sir Nick Faldo, and it opened in 2004 as the club's second course on the Bellarine Peninsula, a short drive from the seaside town of Barwon Heads.

The result is a par 72 of about 6,397 yards that asks for thought rather than muscle. Water and reed beds frame several holes, the bunkering is bold and natural, and the greens reward an approach played from the right angle. Because it sits a fraction inland it tends to play a little softer and more sheltered than the Beach Course when the wind is up, which makes it the smart pick on a raw day. For a buddies trip or a couples weekend, the pairing of the two courses, plus the on site Links Lodge, is what turns 13th Beach into a destination rather than a stop.

The holes worth the trip

The Creek Course makes its case through variety. The opening stretch eases you in across rolling, sandy ground before the wetlands begin to assert themselves, and from there the creek and its reed beds become the defining hazard, crossing fairways and guarding greens where a conservative line is often the wise one. It is a course that rewards a player who reads the trouble early and clubs for position rather than distance.

The par 3s are a highlight, each defended by sand and water rather than sheer length, asking for a committed swing to a green that gives little back to a tentative one. The short par 4s are just as clever, tempting the long hitter to take on a carry while leaving the percentage player a clear route home. It is the kind of strategic golf that flatters good course management and quietly punishes the careless.

Conditioning is a strength shared across the property. The fairways run firm on the sandy base, the greens are true, and the natural framing of dune, wetland and tea tree gives the Creek a settled, established feel that belies its relatively recent opening. You finish talking about the angles and the creek, not the card.

Where to stay nearby

The simplest base is the resort itself. Links Lodge sits beside the courses at 13th Beach, which makes an early tee time on the Creek Course and a second round on the Beach Course an effortless plan. For a livelier evening, the seaside towns of Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove are a few minutes away, with good restaurants, the river and the surf beaches that draw Melbourne down for the summer.

Most golfing visitors fold 13th Beach into a wider Bellarine and Geelong itinerary. The links land around Barwon Heads, Point Lonsdale and the Mornington Peninsula across the heads gives you a cluster of sandy, coastal courses within an easy drive, ideal for a three or four day trip built around two rounds here.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around the Bellarine and Geelong.