10 Day Australia Sandbelt and Tasmania Itinerary
The greatest run of golf in the southern hemisphere, in one trip. This ten day route opens on the Melbourne Sandbelt, the world's finest cluster of inland courses, for Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Metropolitan and Victoria, then flies south to the wild new links of Tasmania and King Island, Barnbougle, Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes. Here is the trip, with indicative 2026 green fees and how to link it all.
Photograph: Royal Melbourne Golf Club, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is the bucket list Australian golf trip, built for the serious traveller who wants the Melbourne Sandbelt and the new Tasmanian links in a single, well organised journey. The Sandbelt, a band of sandy heathland south east of Melbourne, holds the densest collection of world top 100 courses anywhere outside Britain and Ireland, golf of strategy, exquisite bunkering and firm running turf. Tasmania and King Island add the other half of the modern Australian story, raw, windswept links of the Barnbougle and Cape Wickham kind that have rocketed up the world rankings since they opened. Ten days lets you do both justice with the internal flights built in.
It suits a committed golf group or a couple for whom the golf is the trip, and who will relish the contrast between the manicured Sandbelt and the elemental island links. The crucial thing to plan is Sandbelt access: these are private members clubs that take overseas visitors only on limited days, usually arranged well ahead, while the island courses book directly. Get the Sandbelt tee times locked and the rest of the trip falls into place around two flights.
The 10 day plan
Royal Melbourne, West Course
Open with the finest course in Australia and one of the greatest in the world, Alister MacKenzie's 1931 West Course, a masterclass in strategy where wide fairways, lightning greens and the most celebrated bunkering in golf reward the bold, thoughtful line. Firm and fast on the Sandbelt sand, it is the round every visiting golfer dreams of. Indicative 2026 visitor green fees are around A$780; access is by arrangement, so this must be booked well ahead.
Kingston Heath Golf Club
Many judges rate Kingston Heath the equal of Royal Melbourne, and on a tighter site it may be the better strategic test, its Des Soutar routing framed by MacKenzie's superb bunkering and a famous short par 3 fifteenth. The conditioning is immaculate and the greens are among the best in the country. Indicative 2026 visitor green fees are around A$700; like the other Sandbelt clubs it is private, so arrange the day in advance.
Metropolitan Golf Club
Play the third of the great Sandbelt names, Metropolitan, renowned for having perhaps the finest turf in Australia and a pure, classical examination of golf among the tea trees. A former host of national opens, it is elegant, demanding and beautifully kept, a worthy companion to its famous neighbours. Indicative 2026 visitor green fees are from around A$600; an afternoon in Melbourne's restaurants and laneways is the natural reward.
Victoria Golf Club, then fly to Launceston
Round out the Sandbelt at Victoria, the home club of five time Open champion Peter Thomson and a strategic delight that sits right across the road from Royal Melbourne. Then take the short evening flight south to Launceston in northern Tasmania, swapping the city for the wild coast and the new links. Indicative 2026 visitor green fees at Victoria are from around A$450; bank a relaxed first leg before the golf turns elemental.
Barnbougle Dunes, Tasmania
The course that started the Australian links revolution, a Tom Doak and Mike Clayton design from 2004 laid out through giant dunes along Tasmania's north coast at Bridport. Wild, firm and endlessly fun, it plays differently in every wind and sits among the world's top 100 at a fraction of the price of its rivals. Indicative 2026 green fees are around A$235, with all day rates available; stay on site at the Barnbougle lodges.
Barnbougle Lost Farm, Tasmania
Stay at Barnbougle for its second course, Lost Farm, a Bill Coore design from 2010 spread over even bigger dune country with twenty holes and constant views of the sea and the Forester River mouth. Bolder and more expansive than the Dunes, it is the perfect companion round and many visitors cannot choose between them. Indicative 2026 green fees are around A$235; two days here is the heart of the Tasmanian leg.
Cape Wickham Links, King Island
Fly across the Bass Strait to King Island for Cape Wickham, a Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver links from 2015 that wraps around a wild headland beneath a historic lighthouse, with the ocean in play on hole after hole and a beach running right through the closing eighteenth. Routinely rated among the very best modern courses in the world, it is the most spectacular round of the trip. Indicative 2026 green fees are from around A$300.
Ocean Dunes, King Island
Stay on King Island for its second great links, Ocean Dunes, a Graeme Grant design from 2016 on the island's west coast, where several holes play out to and over the rocks and surf of the Bass Strait. Raw, dramatic and a thrilling foil to Cape Wickham, it completes one of the most remarkable two course island destinations anywhere. Indicative 2026 green fees are from around A$220; the island's crayfish and cheese are a fine reward.
Return to Melbourne, optional Sandbelt round
Fly back to Melbourne and either rest and explore the city, its coffee, restaurants and sport, or slip in one more Sandbelt round at Commonwealth or Yarra Yarra, both fine classical courses that round out the region beyond the headline names. This flexible day lets the trip breathe after the island flying. Indicative 2026 visitor green fees on the supporting Sandbelt courses are from around A$400.
Final round and departure
Close with a final round, a return to a Sandbelt favourite or a relaxed last loop, before the flight home from Melbourne, or onward to Sydney for a New South Wales extension taking in New South Wales Golf Club and the coastal courses. Either way, ten days have delivered the Sandbelt and the island links, the two pillars of Australian golf, in a single unforgettable trip.
Green fees, flights and logistics
| Round | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Melbourne West | Around A$780 | Private; overseas visitor access by arrangement |
| Kingston Heath | Around A$700 | Private; limited visitor days |
| Metropolitan | From around A$600 | Private; arrange in advance |
| Victoria | From around A$450 | Private; near Royal Melbourne |
| Barnbougle Dunes | Around A$235 | Tasmania; books directly, all day rates |
| Barnbougle Lost Farm | Around A$235 | Tasmania; books directly |
| Cape Wickham | From around A$300 | King Island; flight from Tasmania or Melbourne |
| Ocean Dunes | From around A$220 | King Island; books directly |
Green fees verified indicatively in June 2026 from course and tour listings; they vary by season and access status and change without notice, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Find a base near the golf.
When to go and where to stay
The Australian spring and autumn, roughly September to November and March to May, bring the firmest Sandbelt turf and the most comfortable temperatures, while the Tasmanian and King Island links play best from late spring through autumn. Remember the seasons are reversed: the December to February southern summer is hot on the Sandbelt and busy on the islands. Base the first leg in Melbourne, ideally bayside near the Sandbelt clubs, then stay on site at the Barnbougle lodges for Tasmania and in the island accommodation on King Island. Two internal flights, Melbourne to Launceston and across to King Island, stitch the trip together, and a hire car covers the Sandbelt and Bridport drives.
Plan your Australia golf trip
We arrange the hard part, overseas visitor access to the private Sandbelt clubs, then sequence the Tasmanian and King Island links, the internal flights and the lodges so the whole trip runs smoothly. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Australia golf itinerary questions
What is the best Australia golf itinerary?
The classic Australian golf trip pairs the Melbourne Sandbelt with the new links of Tasmania and King Island. Spend the first four days on the Sandbelt for Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Metropolitan and Victoria, then fly to northern Tasmania for Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm, and on to King Island for Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes. Ten days covers the greatest concentration of world top 100 courses in the southern hemisphere. Always confirm current tee times and fees directly before booking.
How much does an Australia golf trip cost in green fees?
The Sandbelt private clubs are the costliest rounds, with indicative 2026 visitor green fees around A$700 to A$800 at Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath, while the Tasmanian links are superb value at roughly A$200 to A$300 a round. A full ten day trip across both regions therefore lands in the region of A$3,000 to A$3,500 per golfer in green fees, plus the internal flights to Launceston and King Island. These are indicative figures, so always confirm current fees directly before booking.
Can overseas visitors play the Melbourne Sandbelt courses?
Yes, with planning. Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Metropolitan and Victoria are private members clubs that welcome overseas visitors on limited days, usually arranged well in advance and often through a member introduction or an accredited tour operator. The Tasmanian and King Island courses, by contrast, are set up for visitors and book directly. A trip planner secures the Sandbelt access that is otherwise hard to arrange from abroad. Always confirm access and tee times directly before booking.
When is the best time for an Australia golf trip?
The Australian spring and autumn, roughly September to November and March to May, bring the firmest Sandbelt turf and the most comfortable temperatures for the southern courses, while the Tasmanian links play best from late spring through autumn. Remember the seasons are reversed, so this is a southern summer escape from a northern winter only at the December to February peak, which is hot on the Sandbelt and busy on the links. Always confirm current seasonal rates and availability directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Indicative green fees and course notes verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.