An island at the bottom of the world that punches far above its size in golf. Barnbougle on the northeast coast pairs two of the southern hemisphere's finest links, and a short flight across Bass Strait adds King Island's Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes. Here is how to build the trip, where to stay and play, and what a Tasmania golf holiday costs in 2026.
Photograph: Barnbougle Dunes, Tasmania, via Google
Tasmania is a bucket list links pilgrimage for golfers who already know the great courses of Scotland and Ireland and want the modern, far flung equivalent. The draw is pure, wind blown, walking golf on huge natural dunes, built by the best architects working today and ranked among the finest courses on earth despite sitting in one of its most remote corners. It suits the committed group, the buddies trip with miles in the legs, and the couple who will pair the golf with Tasmania's food, wine and wild coast.
The smart play is to treat the trip as two clusters and link them by air. Barnbougle, near Bridport on the northeast coast, anchors the journey with the Dunes, Lost Farm and the short Bougle Run on one windswept property. King Island, out in Bass Strait, adds Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes, a thirty minute light aircraft hop away. Four nights does Barnbougle properly; six or seven nights links both islands into one of the great golf weeks in the world. For the wider context, see our guide to golf in Tasmania and the full ranking of the best courses in Tasmania.
The course that put Tasmania on the world golf map. Tom Doak and Australian Mike Clayton routed it across towering natural dunes beside Bass Strait, with firm fescue turf, wild revetted bunkering and the constant northern coast wind. Holes like the short par 4 fourth and the cliff edge par 3 seventh are now famous, and the links is regularly placed inside the world's top one hundred.
The sister course next door, designed by Bill Coore of Coore and Crenshaw and opened in December 2010. Its twenty holes, including two extra short par 3s playable in any round, climb through dunes steeper than the original Dunes course, with elevated tees and huge views over the river mouth and the sea. Many visitors rate it the equal of its neighbour, which makes choosing between them the happiest of problems.
The dramatic counterpoint out in Bass Strait. Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver draped this links around the northern tip of King Island beneath its historic lighthouse, with the ocean in play on hole after hole and a closing eighteenth that runs along the beach itself. It vaulted into the world rankings on opening and pairs with Graeme Grant's Ocean Dunes a short drive away for a two course island stay.
The capital adds a southern leg for longer trips. The Tasmania Golf Club at Barilla Bay is a breezy seaside test on the Frederick Henry Bay shore, and Royal Hobart offers a parkland change of pace near the city. Pair them with the waterfront restaurants, the Museum of Old and New Art and the Tasman Peninsula's wild coast for the days you are not chasing links golf in the north.
Designers, opening years and course details verified June 2026. For round by round costs, see our Tasmania green fees guide and the full ranking of the best courses in Tasmania.
| Day | Base | The plan | Travel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Barnbougle | Fly into Launceston, drive to the northeast coast and settle into the Barnbougle lodge. An evening warm up on the short Bougle Run. | About 1 hour from Launceston airport |
| Day 2 | Barnbougle | The Dunes in the morning, lunch in the clubhouse, then play it again in the afternoon as the wind switches. | None |
| Day 3 | Barnbougle | Lost Farm across the full twenty holes, with the extra par 3s and the long views over the river mouth. | None |
| Day 4 | King Island | Light aircraft across Bass Strait to King Island, then a round at Cape Wickham beneath the lighthouse. | About 30 to 40 minutes by light aircraft |
| Day 5 | King Island | Ocean Dunes in the morning, an island lunch of crayfish and local cheese, an afternoon round or the coast. | A few minutes between the two courses |
| Day 6 | Hobart or depart | Fly back via Melbourne, or extend south to Hobart for the Tasmania Golf Club and the city for a day. | Connections via Melbourne |
| Day 7 | Depart | Home from Hobart or Launceston, or add nights in the Tamar Valley wine country before flying out. | Varies by routing |
Travel times are typical and weather dependent, verified June 2026; King Island light aircraft schedules and baggage limits should be checked when you book. Compare lodge and stay options at each base.
| Style | Per person, 2026 | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Barnbougle shoulder or winter break | From around A$570 to A$1,000 | 2 nights at the lodge, a round at the Dunes and Lost Farm, breakfast daily, May to September |
| Barnbougle peak season stay | From around A$1,500 to A$2,500 | 3 to 4 nights, multiple rounds across both courses, lodge rooms in the November to April season |
| King Island add on | From around A$1,200 upward | 2 nights, Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes, with the light aircraft transfer across Bass Strait |
| The full two island week | From around A$3,000 to A$5,000 | 6 to 7 nights, both clusters, all the marquee links, internal flights and transfers |
Indicative third party operator ranges for the 2026 season, excluding international airfares, shown to set expectations only. As supporting context, Barnbougle's published autumn and winter package starts from around A$570 per person for two nights with two rounds and breakfast, May to September 2026. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking. Compare operator packages.
Tasmania's golf season runs from the southern spring to autumn, roughly November to April, when the days are long and the links run firm and fast. Those are also the busiest and priciest months, so book the Barnbougle lodge and King Island flights four to six months out for the peaks. October and May are excellent value shoulder windows that still play well, while the depth of winter from June to August is cold and wild, best treated as a hardy value run rather than the trip of a lifetime. Pack for four seasons in a day whenever you go.
Tell us whether you want Barnbougle, King Island or the full two island week, and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head, holds the lodge rooms and tee times and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
The prime window runs from November to April, the southern hemisphere's late spring through autumn, when the days are long and the links are firm. October and May still play well and cost less, while June to August is cold, wet and windy, better suited to a value run if you do not mind the chill. Always confirm conditions and tee times directly before booking.
Barnbougle is the headline, with the Tom Doak and Mike Clayton Dunes course from 2004 and Bill Coore's twenty hole Lost Farm from 2010 side by side on the northeast coast, plus the short Bougle Run. On King Island, Cape Wickham Links and Ocean Dunes make a second world class pairing. Around Hobart, the Tasmania Golf Club and Royal Hobart add coastal variety.
Indicative third party figures for 2026 start around A$570 per person for a two night autumn or winter Barnbougle package with two rounds and breakfast, rise to roughly A$1,500 to A$2,500 per person for a peak season multi night stay, and run higher for a full week combining Barnbougle and King Island with charter flights. These exclude international airfares. We never quote our own pricing, so always confirm directly before booking.
Yes, and it is the dream Tasmania golf week. Barnbougle sits on the northeast coast near Launceston, while Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes are on King Island in Bass Strait, reached by a short light aircraft flight. Many groups play two or three days at Barnbougle, then fly across for two days on King Island.
Fly into Launceston for Barnbougle, about an hour by road to the northeast coast, with connections from Melbourne and Sydney. King Island is served by light aircraft from Melbourne and Tasmania, landing at Currie near both courses. A combined trip usually flies in to Launceston and out via Melbourne. Always confirm routes and times before booking.
Links openings, package windows and the trips worth moving on first. Every other week.