The National Moonah: 2026 Access and Booking Update
The Moonah Course at The National Golf Club has been a fixture of the Mornington Peninsula since 2000, a Greg Norman design built on pure sand south of Melbourne. Here is where it stands in 2026, how visitor access works, and how to play it.
Photo via Google.
The news: a Norman classic, still on form
The Moonah Course opened in 2000 as a Greg Norman and Bob Harrison design at The National Golf Club, laid out across rolling former farmland on pure sand near Cape Schanck at the tip of the Mornington Peninsula, an hour and a bit south of Melbourne. A quarter of a century on it remains one of the most admired courses on the peninsula, a wide, firm, sand based layout that takes its name from the ancient Moonah trees scattered across the property.
The headline for 2026 is steadiness. The par 72, which stretches to around 7,192 yards from the tips, still plays as a proper test of links influenced golf, with jagged edged bunkers, long reeds and bunkers that vary enormously in size and shape. As part of The National, the largest golf club in Australia, the Moonah sits alongside the Old, Ocean and Gunnamatta courses to give the property an extraordinary depth of golf on one stretch of coast.
The course, and The National around it
The Moonah is one of four courses at The National Golf Club, and that scale is the point. Alongside the original Old Course and the Gunnamatta Course, the club offers more championship golf in one place than almost anywhere in the country, which makes it a natural anchor for a Mornington Peninsula trip. The detail on the layout sits on our National Moonah course page.
What sets the Moonah apart is its sandy, firm running character. Built on pure sand, it plays with the kind of ground game more often associated with the Melbourne Sandbelt proper, and the wind off Bass Strait gives it a links edge. It is a course that rewards width, angles and imagination rather than brute length, and it holds up beautifully across the southern seasons.
How to play it in 2026
The National is a private members club, so the Moonah is not a straightforward public tee time. Visitor access is generally arranged through members, reciprocal arrangements or, most practically for travelling golfers, through golf travel operators who hold access and can package rounds across the club's courses as part of a Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne trip. Plan it as an arranged round rather than a walk up, and book well ahead.
The peninsula plays best through the southern spring, summer and autumn, and the Moonah sits within easy reach of Melbourne and the Sandbelt, so the smart 2026 itinerary pairs The National with the city's great courses and the wider coast. Green fees and access terms move with the arrangement and season, so treat any quoted figure as indicative for 2026 and always confirm directly before booking.
Our take
Our take is that the Moonah is one of the most enjoyable rounds on the Mornington Peninsula and a worthy companion to the Melbourne Sandbelt for any golfer touring Victoria. The sand based turf, the width and the Norman bunkering add up to a course that is fun to play and rich to think your way around, and the club's four course depth means a single visit can fill a memorable day or two.
For 2026 the advice is to arrange access early through the right channel, build The National into a wider Melbourne and peninsula trip, and give yourself time to play more than one of the club's courses. Our Australia golf hub and the Australia 2026 season outlook set the trip in context.
Plan your Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne golf trip
From The National's courses on the Mornington Peninsula to the Melbourne Sandbelt, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge arranges access and costs the trip, working the right channels, with no obligation.
Questions
Who designed The National Moonah Course and when did it open?
The Moonah Course at The National Golf Club was designed by Greg Norman and Bob Harrison and opened in 2000, built on pure sand near Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne. It is a par 72 that stretches to around 7,192 yards and is named for the Moonah trees across the property.
Can visitors play The National Moonah Course?
The National is a private members club, so the Moonah is not a standard public tee time. Visitor play is generally arranged through members, reciprocal arrangements or golf travel operators who hold access and can package rounds across the club's courses. Plan it as an arranged round and book well ahead; always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
When is the best time to play The National Moonah?
The Mornington Peninsula plays best through the southern spring, summer and autumn, when daylight is longer and the firm sand based turf is at its best, though the coastal wind is a constant. The course sits within easy reach of Melbourne and the Sandbelt, so it pairs naturally with a wider Victoria golf trip.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, access and visitor arrangements 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.