Cape Wickham Links: 2026 Access and Booking Update
On the wild northern tip of King Island, between Tasmania and the Victorian coast, Cape Wickham Links has spent the decade since it opened as one of the most talked about courses in world golf, a clifftop links wrapped around a lighthouse where every hole sees the ocean. Here is where it stands in 2026, and how to play it.
The news: a modern links still near the top
Cape Wickham opened in 2015 as a Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver design laid out on the dramatic cliffs and dunes around the Cape Wickham lighthouse, and it announced itself immediately, debuting at number three on Australia's top 100 and climbing into the conversation among the world's greatest modern courses. A decade on, into 2026, it remains a fixture near the top of the Australian rankings and inside the global lists, the reason serious golfers make the effort to reach King Island.
The headline for 2026 is that the spectacle endures. This is a par 72 links where, unusually, every hole has an ocean view, the routing tracing the coast around the lighthouse so that the sea is a constant companion and the wind off Bass Strait the chief defence. There is no gimmick here, just a rare site used to the full, and the course continues to welcome golfers through the southern season as the anchor round of any King Island trip.
The course, and getting there
What sets Cape Wickham apart is its setting and the way the design uses it. The holes run along clifftops and down to a beach that comes into play, the greens sit in natural amphitheatres in the dunes, and the closing stretch beneath the lighthouse is among the most photographed in the game. It is a walking links in the truest sense, best played more than once so the changing wind reveals the design in full. King Island also holds the highly rated Ocean Dunes nearby, giving the island a genuine two course draw.
The catch, and the charm, is the remoteness. King Island is reached by a short flight from Melbourne or Tasmania rather than a drive, so Cape Wickham rewards a stay of a night or more rather than a flying visit, ideally pairing it with Ocean Dunes. For the full design and fees detail see the Cape Wickham Links course profile.
How to play it in 2026
Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands play best through the southern summer, December to February, when the daylight is long and the island climate at its mildest, though the well drained links holds up across a longer shoulder season into autumn and spring. Because King Island is a fly in destination, the smart 2026 itinerary builds in at least a night on the island, plays both Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes, and treats the trip as a destination in its own right rather than a side excursion.
The natural pairing for a wider 2026 trip is the rest of Australia's links and sandbelt golf: Barnbougle in Tasmania's northeast and the Melbourne Sandbelt across the strait. Green fees sit at the premium destination end and move with season and package, so treat any quoted figure as indicative for 2026 and always confirm directly before booking, and book peak summer rounds well ahead given the limited tee sheet on a remote island.
Our take
Our take is that Cape Wickham is essential for any golfer serious about modern links architecture and dramatic settings, a course whose world ranking is earned on the strength of one of the great clifftop sites in golf. The remoteness is part of the reward: this is a destination you commit to, and the commitment is repaid by some of the most exhilarating coastal golf anywhere.
For 2026 the advice is simple. Give King Island at least a night, play Cape Wickham more than once, pair it with Ocean Dunes and, if time allows, with Barnbougle and the Sandbelt, and you come away understanding why this lonely corner of Bass Strait sits on every committed golfer's list.
Plan your Cape Wickham and King Island golf trip
From Cape Wickham to Ocean Dunes on King Island, and on to Barnbougle and the Melbourne Sandbelt, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Who designed Cape Wickham Links and when did it open?
Cape Wickham Links was designed by Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver and opened in 2015, laid out on the cliffs and dunes around the Cape Wickham lighthouse at the northern tip of King Island, Tasmania. It is an 18 hole par 72 links and debuted at number three on Australia's top 100, quickly earning a place among the world's leading modern courses.
What makes Cape Wickham special?
Cape Wickham is famous for having an ocean view on every hole, an extremely rare feature, with the routing tracing the coast around a lighthouse and a beach that comes into play. The wind off Bass Strait is the main defence, and the closing stretch beneath the lighthouse is among the most photographed in golf.
When is the best time to play Cape Wickham, and how do you get there?
King Island plays best through the southern summer, December to February, though the well drained links holds up across a longer shoulder season. The island is reached by a short flight from Melbourne or Tasmania, so a stay of a night or more is wise, ideally pairing Cape Wickham with the nearby Ocean Dunes. Book peak summer rounds well ahead.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, design history and access verified June 2026 from club, ranking panel and golf travel sources; conditions, access and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.