How to Play Royal Melbourne: Tee Times, Ballots and Booking
Royal Melbourne is the jewel of the Melbourne Sandbelt, Alister MacKenzie's masterpiece and routinely ranked the finest course in the southern hemisphere. It is a private members club, so getting on takes more than a credit card. You need to belong to a golf club at home and, as an overseas visitor, carry a letter of introduction. Here is exactly how access works, what it costs in 2026, and how to put the round at the centre of a Sandbelt trip.
Photo: Royal Melbourne Golf Club via Google, contributor Owen Tully.
The short answer
Royal Melbourne is private, but it does take visitors who are members of a recognised golf club. International and interstate guests can enquire about visitor tee times on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, subject to availability and excluding public holidays. Overseas visitors are typically asked to provide a letter of introduction from their home club, the long standing custom at Australia's top private courses. Indicative 2026 fees are around 850 Australian dollars for an international visitor over 18 holes, plus a compulsory caddie fee of about 170 dollars for overseas players, while interstate Australian visitors pay around 550 dollars. Always confirm current fees directly before booking.
There is no public ballot. You simply enquire, present your credentials and, if a time is available on your day, you play. On the day itself you are made an honorary member with full privileges, including the clubhouse and dining, which makes the visit feel like more than a green fee. Arrange the round well ahead and treat it as the fixed point of a Sandbelt week.
Royal Melbourne access and fees, 2026
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who can play | Members of a recognised golf club. Overseas visitors usually need a letter of introduction from their home club |
| Visitor days | Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, subject to availability, excluding public holidays |
| International green fee | Around 850 Australian dollars for 18 holes (indicative) |
| Interstate green fee | Around 550 Australian dollars (indicative) |
| Caddie | Compulsory for overseas visitors, around 170 Australian dollars (indicative) |
| Courses | West Course by Alister MacKenzie, East Course by Alex Russell. The tournament Composite Course blends both |
| On the day | Visitors are made honorary members with full clubhouse and dining privileges |
Access rules and green fees verified indicatively in June 2026 from the club's visitor information; they change without notice, so always confirm current rates and availability directly with Royal Melbourne or your trip planner before booking. Check tee time availability.
How to arrange a round, step by step
Begin with your home club. Ask your secretary or professional for a letter of introduction on club letterhead confirming your membership and handicap, which is the document Royal Melbourne and its Sandbelt neighbours expect from overseas guests. With that in hand, contact the club to enquire about a visitor time on a Monday, Tuesday or Friday that fits your trip, well in advance, since these days fill and tournaments and member events close the diary at times. Confirm the green fee and the compulsory caddie for overseas players when you book, and arrive in good time to warm up, because the greens here are among the fastest and most contoured in world golf and you will want a few putts before the first.
One point often misunderstood is the Composite Course. The layout you see on television at the Presidents Cup, which weaves twelve West Course holes with six from the East, is a tournament configuration rather than the everyday visitor round. As a guest you will normally play the West or the East, both genuinely world class, with the West the more celebrated. Do not feel short changed; the regular West Course is the course the rankings are built on.
When to go, and the wider Sandbelt
The Melbourne golf season is at its best in the southern autumn and spring, roughly March to May and September to November, when the turf is firm, the weather kind and the greens at their slick best. Summer can be hot and the winter green but cool. Royal Melbourne does not stand alone. It anchors the Sandbelt, a cluster of superb sand based courses including Kingston Heath, Victoria, Metropolitan, Commonwealth and Yarra Yarra, all within a short drive. A letter of introduction often opens several of these on the same trip, which is why most travelling golfers build a four or five day Sandbelt run around a confirmed Royal Melbourne tee time rather than flying in for a single round.
Plan a Royal Melbourne and Sandbelt trip
We handle the introductions, arrange the Royal Melbourne time and add Kingston Heath, Victoria and the best of the Sandbelt, with the stay and transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Royal Melbourne access questions
Can visitors play Royal Melbourne?
Yes, but only as a member of another golf club and by arrangement. Royal Melbourne is a private members club that welcomes international and interstate visitors who belong to a recognised golf club to enquire about visitor tee times on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, subject to availability and excluding public holidays. Overseas visitors are usually asked for a letter of introduction from their home club.
How much does it cost to play Royal Melbourne in 2026?
The indicative international visitor green fee is around 850 Australian dollars for 18 holes, with a compulsory caddie fee of about 170 dollars for overseas visitors. Interstate Australian visitors pay a lower fee, around 550 dollars. Rates change, so always confirm current fees directly before booking.
What is the Composite Course at Royal Melbourne?
The Composite Course is the tournament configuration that combines twelve holes from the Alister MacKenzie West Course with six from the Alex Russell East Course, keeping all play within the club's own land. It is the layout used for major events such as the Presidents Cup. Visitors usually play the West or East Course rather than the Composite, depending on the day and club arrangements.
Do you need a caddie at Royal Melbourne?
Caddies are compulsory for overseas visitors, at an indicative fee of around 170 Australian dollars, and they are worth every cent on greens this fast and contoured. On the day you play you are treated as an honorary member with full privileges, including the right to use the clubhouse and dine after your round.
Related
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Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Access rules and indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.