RANKING: Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses for 2025

This list, compiled by an expert panel of judges, is a celebration of the country’s finest golfing destinations, from coastal masterpieces to inland gems. Our Public Access Courses list intertwines with a rankings list of the best golf courses in the country no matter their member status.

For those who enjoy exploring public access layouts though, this list is a must-read. These are the courses at which you can tee off five and a half days a week.

100. DUNTRYLEAGUE

Orange, New South Wales

If you planned your trip here in autumn, you’d be that blown away by all the colours around you, that 20 stableford points wouldn’t raise your blood pressure. A fun, well-kept layout and the clubhouse will be in your phone’s camera, trust me. – Mark Hayes

99. BUNBURY GC

Bunbury, Western Australia

Laid out on good golfing land between the Collie River and the Leschenault Estuary, Bunbury rolls across a 180-acre bushland setting, with mature native trees lining every hole. Length is not the course’s primary defence, but the tight driving lines from most tees to the tree-lined fairways demand accuracy to score well.

98. TOOWOOMBA GC

Middle Ridge, Queensland

97. YARRA BEND GOLF

Melbourne, Victoria

96. PAMBULA MERIMBULA GC (RED/YELLOW COURSE)

Pambula, New South Wales

95. BLACKWOOD GC

Cherry Gardens, South Australia

Opened for play on the current site in 1963, Blackwood has undergone many changes from Vern Morcom’s original work. Combined with the maturing over more than 50 years of hundreds of trees, Blackwood has evolved into a tight-driving layout, where a premium is placed on accuracy. The rolling landscape combines well with the heavily tree-lined fairways to provide a picturesque setting for an enjoyable and challenging round.

94. TEVEN VALLEY

Teven, New South Wales

This little nine-hole course, 25 minutes’ south-west of Byron Bay, could well be the model for the future of golf. The place just screams fun, from the welcoming and relaxed clubhouse staff, to the lack of dress codes, through to the design, which is simply perfect for the land it is located on. The stretch of holes between 4-8 could be the best use of a paddock for golf in the country: short grass everywhere, three driveable par-4s, a lovely running creek featuring on three of these holes, and green complexes which are intelligent and hide dangers of missing to the wrong locations. The first hole is a stern test and the final hole “Snakebite” would probably be ridiculous anywhere else but here; it just works. Do yourself a favour and add this to your itinerary. You won’t be disappointed. – Brendan Egan

93. BRIGHTON LAKES

Moorebank, New South Wales

92. CATALINA CLUB (HOLES 1-18)

Batemans Bay, New South Wales

If you are looking for an easy walk, then this is the course for you. Located just outside Batemans Bay, Catalina Club offers 27 holes of flat, open holes. The old course is just over 6000m in length, so not particularly long, but can challenge you with plenty of bunkers and slick greens. – Robert McLaughlin

Horizons Golf Resort. (PHOTO: Brendan James)

91. HORIZONS GOLF RESORT

Salamander Bay, New South Wales

90. COBRAM-BAROOGA GC (OLD COURSE)

Barooga, New South Wales