Port Vila Golf Club

The verdict

Port Vila Golf and Country Club is the round that anchors a golf trip to Vanuatu, simply because it is the only full championship course in the country. It sits on Mele Bay, less than fifteen minutes from the capital, and it carries a slice of national history with it. The club was established in 1984 by Ati George Sokomanu, the first President of Vanuatu, who started it as a nine hole layout. About a decade later the course was extended to a full 18 holes, with many of the fairways running parallel to the Mele Bay shoreline.

Today it plays as a par 72 of roughly 5,943 metres, close to 6,500 yards, defended by around 53 bunkers filled with the unusual jet black volcanic sand of the islands. It is a friendly, walkable resort style course rather than a brutal test, but it has enough length and enough water and sand to stage the PGA sanctioned Vanuatu Open, the island's flagship event. For a traveling golfer it is an easy, scenic and genuinely tropical round that pairs perfectly with the diving, the markets and the laid back pace of Efate.

The holes worth the trip

The bay is the defining feature. A run of holes plays along the Mele Bay shoreline, where the water, the palms and the distant outline of Hideaway Island give the round its postcard quality and a sea breeze that nudges the ball on the exposed stretches. The fairways are broad and welcoming, so a holiday golfer can swing freely, while the better player looks for the right angles into greens guarded by that distinctive black sand.

Those volcanic bunkers are the course's signature. Filled with fine, dark island sand, they frame greens and fairways in sharp contrast to the bright tropical green and play differently underfoot from the pale sand most visitors are used to. With around 53 of them across the layout, position off the tee matters, and the smart play is to favor the open side and leave a clear approach rather than flirt with the dark traps.

It is a course that wears its championship status lightly. Good enough to host the Vanuatu Open, relaxed enough for a first time visitor, it gives every standard of golfer an enjoyable walk. For a traveling group it is the natural centerpiece of a few days on Efate, with the rainforest, the blue holes and the waterfront restaurants of Port Vila all close at hand.

Where to stay nearby

Port Vila is the obvious base, a compact harbor town whose resorts and waterfront hotels sit a short drive from the course and put the markets, restaurants and boat trips on the doorstep. Several lagoon and beachfront resorts on the Mele and Pango sides of town are especially convenient for golf, and the offshore Hideaway and Iririki islands add an easy day of snorkeling.

Port Vila pairs naturally with a wider South Pacific golf swing. Combine it with The Pearl Championship Course and Natadola Bay in Fiji, or with Royal Samoa Golf Club, for a multi island trip.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Port Vila.