Sunshine, championship golf and full resort comfort on one estate. The Gold Coast resorts and the island golf of the Whitsundays, with the bill arranged up front and one concierge to plan it all.
Photograph: Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club, via Google
An all inclusive golf holiday in Australia is warm weather, resort based golf at the easy end of the long haul. The country's greatest courses, the Melbourne Sandbelt classics, are private members clubs, but Australia's sunny golf resorts are a different proposition: self contained estates that bundle the room, the meals and the golf into one stay, so a group can settle into a single sunny base, play a different course each morning and spend the afternoons by the pool, the beach or the spa. It suits the buddies group escaping a northern winter, the couples trip after sun and comfort, and the golfer who wants the trip organised, the weather reliable and the resort doing the heavy lifting.
The warm weather hubs lead the way. The Gold Coast in Queensland is the heart of resort golf, with Sanctuary Cove and its Arnold Palmer designed Pines course and the championship RACV Royal Pines a short drive apart, and the tropical Whitsundays add the spectacular island golf of Hamilton Island, laid out on neighbouring Dent Island. For a contrasting links pilgrimage, the two course Barnbougle resort in Tasmania offers world class golf and a lodge stay, a fine option for a cooler, golf focused leg.
The headline Gold Coast estate, home to The Pines, Australia's only Arnold Palmer signature design, carved through tall pine forest, and the contemporary Palms course. Anchored by the InterContinental resort, with a marina, pools and dining, it is resort golf at its most polished and the natural base for a Queensland trip.
A championship resort a short drive from Surfers Paradise, with 27 holes that have hosted the Australian PGA Championship, a full spa and family facilities. A reliable, all under one roof Gold Coast base that pairs serious tournament golf with the warm Queensland weather and the beaches close by.
One of the most spectacular rounds in the country, a Peter Thomson course laid across the whole of Dent Island in the Whitsundays, reached by a short boat ride from Hamilton Island, with the Coral Sea on every side. Paired with the island's resorts and the Great Barrier Reef, it makes an unforgettable tropical golf and beach escape.
Designers, hosts and resorts verified June 2026. Resort packages bundle the room, board and golf; for a links leg the two course Barnbougle resort in Tasmania is a fine add on. Always confirm directly before booking.
A short transfer from Gold Coast or Brisbane airport to your resort base, with an easy first evening and a warm up on the range.
Open on Australia's only Arnold Palmer course through the pines, then an afternoon by the pool or the marina.
The championship resort course that has hosted the Australian PGA, followed by a relaxed evening on the resort board.
A flexible day for the beach at Surfers Paradise, the spa or the Gold Coast hinterland, keeping legs fresh for the closing golf.
A final Gold Coast round on the contemporary Palms course, or a short flight north to the Whitsundays for the island golf leg.
A slow morning by the pool or a last nine for the keen, then the transfer back to the airport to fly out.
A Gold Coast base keeps transfers short, with the resorts a few minutes apart. Adding the Whitsundays or a Tasmanian links leg means a domestic flight, which we route around the tee sheets.
| Style | Per person, 2026 | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable week | From around A$2,500 to A$3,200 | 6 nights half board, 4 rounds, transfers |
| Five star resort | From around A$3,200 to A$4,500 | Higher grade resort, 4 to 5 rounds, spa, private transfers |
| Luxury and island golf | From around A$4,500 upward | The best resorts, Whitsunday island golf, full concierge |
Indicative third party operator and resort package ranges for the 2026 season, excluding international flights, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Queensland resort golf is a year round destination, with the most comfortable weather from about April to October, the dry, mild southern winter that draws the crowds for warm days and low humidity. The summer from December to March is hot and humid with afternoon storms, still playable with early tee times but less pleasant for a full day outdoors. The Whitsundays follow a similar pattern, at their best in the dry season. Because Australia is a long haul trip and the best resorts fill in the prime winter months, the marquee rooms and tee times move ahead. Pin down the resort and the golf early, and a trip booked in good time secures the sun and the courses you want at the rate you want.
Tell us the group size, the region you fancy and roughly when. One concierge matches the right resort to your group, costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Yes, in the resort sense. The classic Sandbelt clubs of Melbourne are private, but Australia's warm weather golf resorts, led by the Gold Coast estates of Sanctuary Cove and RACV Royal Pines and the island golf of the Whitsundays, bundle the room, the meals and the golf into a single stay. A group can settle into one sunny resort, play a different course each morning and spend the afternoons by the pool or the beach, with the bill arranged up front.
For a resort based, all inclusive style trip the Gold Coast leads, with Sanctuary Cove and its Arnold Palmer designed Pines course, RACV Royal Pines, a championship resort that has hosted the Australian PGA, and the tropical island golf of Hamilton Island Golf Club on Dent Island in the Whitsundays. Each pairs championship golf with full resort facilities and warm, year round weather.
Indicatively, a week at a Gold Coast or island golf resort with half board, four to five rounds and transfers runs from around 2,500 to 4,500 Australian dollars per person, rising for the best resorts and suites, and excluding international flights. Resort grade, season and golf all move the number, so always confirm directly before booking.
Yes. Submit a brief and one concierge costs the whole trip to the head, matching the right Gold Coast or Whitsunday resort to your group, pre booking the tee times and arranging the transfers, then routes it to a vetted operator. You book once and the group just plays, with the dining and the beach taken care of.
Warm weather golf, resort deals and the long haul trips worth moving on first. Every other week.