Golf Holidays Package
Blog (6)
What makes the Perfect Australian Golf Holiday
Written by Golf Explorer
When it comes to diversity of landscape, activities and experiences, it’s tough to beat Australia as a holiday destination. With its welcoming, outdoor culture and year-round sunny climes (there’s sunshine to be found in one state or another, year-round!), it’s not surprising Australia has been on the top of many travellers ’ bucket-lists for the past 30 years.
Perhaps not so widely known, is the fact that Australian golf holidays are a thing, infact they are becoming a big thing! With world-class golf courses a plenty and top-end gastronomic dining experiences in just about every state, Australia’s iconic tourism experiences are being woven into itineraries, to create the golf holiday of a lifetime. Popular with groups of American, European and Canadian golfers, escaping the harsh northern hemisphere winter, the Australian holiday golf season for international visitors runs from October until April.
So, how’s the golf in Australia anyway?
Any great golf holiday experience requires the inclusion of top-notch golf courses. In a vast country like Australia, these golf experiences are somewhat scattered, so unless you’re fortunate enough to have unlimited time to hand, you will need to carefully choose the most appealing courses and destinations to create the perfect two or three-week golf holiday itinerary.
Australia’s most globally recognised golfing region is Victoria’s Sandbelt, which boasts a number of highly-ranked championship courses, including, Royal Melbourne (East and West), Kingston Heath, Metropolitan, Victoria, Commonwealth, Huntingdale, Yarra Yarra and Peninsula (North and South). Also high on any international golfers’ bucket-list, are the challenging and scenic links courses of Barnbougle Dunes and The Lost Farm in Tasmania. These world-renowned courses are unique in experience, yet strangely reminiscent of famous links courses in Scotland and Ireland. Perhaps less well known, is that Australia is also home to a number of hidden gems, such as Hamilton Island Golf Club in Queensland and the Four Reds golf courses (Royal Adelaide Golf Club, Grange Golf Club, Kooyonga Golf Club & Glenelg Golf Club), in Adelaide, South Australia.
To make life easier, Golf Explorer has put together a selection of Australian Golf Holiday tours that combine the most iconic tourism experiences with the best golf courses in Australia. Let us guide you as to how much golf, how much sightseeing and how much travelling, can be squeezed into a typical Australian Golf Holiday break. Bear in mind that any of the experiences below can be combined to create a longer itinerary.
The Great Barrier Reef & Hamilton Island Golf Club in Queensland
If you are looking for sun, sea and a Great Barrier Reef experience during your Australia golf holiday, then a 4 night stay on Hamilton Island is an absolute must. Hamilton Island Golf Club is an 18-hole championship course, located on its very own private island, with stunning 180-degree ocean views from every hole. Designed by five times British Open winner Peter Thomson, the course is recognised as one of the most challenging in Australia, although the spectacular views of the Whitsunday Islands and Coral Sea more than make up for any stressful golfing moments! Getting on to the island is a highlight in itself, with a James Bond-esque, 20-minute speedboat transfer the only option.
All levels of accommodation are catered for on Hamilton Island. For a truly luxurious stay, look no further than the fabulous, adults-only Qualia Resort. Soak up the natural beauty of the island at this earthy, tropical hideaway. Alternatively, stay at the 5-star Beach Club with relaxed, contemporary beach house style and magnificent beach views. Also popular with our guests is the Reef View Hotel, with large, comfortable, modern rooms, the Reef View Hotel offers a perfect getaway for couples, families or groups of friends.
For a Barrier Reef experience, diving and snokelling daytrips can easily be arranged from Hamilton Island. After all, it’s a shame to come to Australia and not experience the Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
Sydney and Melbourne city experiences and NSW Golf Club and Royal Melbourne Golf Club
For most first-time visitors to Australia, a stay in the iconic cities of Melbourne and Sydney are an absolute must. Who doesn’t want to take in the sites of Sydney’s famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge and Melbourne’s atmospheric and gastronomic
laneways. The good news for golfers, is that Sydney and Melbourne’s best golf courses are located close enough to both cities to allow for city accommodation and daily transfers to chosen golf courses. At Golf Explorer, we recommend a minimum 4 night stay in both Sydney and Melbourne.
In Sydney, play a round at the fabulous New South Wales Golf Club and the prestigious Lakes Golf Club. The New South Wales Golf Course was designed by the legendary Alister Mackenzie and is the jewel in the crown of Australia’s golf offering. The Lakes Golf Club has long been a major tournament venue having hosted many events, including the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship.
In Melbourne, play golf at two world-class championship Sandbelt courses, namely Royal Melbourne Golf Club and Kingston Health Golf Club. Both courses are of world-class standing and have featured in the top 20 Golf Courses in the world.
Let Golf Explorer recommend the best 4 and 5-star hotels in Melbourne and Sydney to suit your needs and make your holiday as memorable as possible.
Adelaide City Golf and Wine Packages with Four Reds Packages
When planning an Australian Golf Holiday, a visit to the city of Adelaide and its golf courses may not necessarily be top of your list. Let us share a secret with you, Adelaide and its golf courses are a hidden gem that are just waiting to be discovered! For many years now, the four premier golf courses in Adelaide (Royal Adelaide Golf Club, Grange Golf Club, Kooyonga Golf Club and Glenelg Golf Club), have come together to offer a unique golf and wine experience, called the Four Reds. Play all four courses and afterwards, enjoy a specially paired bottle of premium South Australian wine and a gourmet tasting platter in each Clubhouse. This simple, but very social golfing experience has been hugely popular with Australian and international golfers alike.
Our best-selling Four Reds package, is the 6-night Four Reds Vintage Experience. This includes four rounds of golf, a food and wine experience in the clubhouse after each round, 5-star accommodation in the CBD, daily breakfasts, private transfers, as well as a full day private wine tour to the Barossa Valley.
What appeals most to many of our clients, is that all of the golf courses included in the Four Reds package are just a short 15 to 20-minute transfer from the city centre. The Four Reds has truly put Adelaide on the map as an Australian golfing destination.
The Wilderness of Tasmania and Barnbougle Golf Resort
Tasmania is best known for its rugged wilderness, outstanding beauty and picture- perfect white sand beaches. Little wonder it is also home to some of the most spectacular links golf courses in the world. Situated on the rugged and windswept northern coast of Tasmania, Barnbougle Dunes Golf Resort boasts links land golf that is usually only found in Ireland or Scotland. Since opening its doors to golfers in 2004, Barnbougle Dunes Golf Resort has become a world-renowned golfing destination. It now includes two 18-hole championship courses, namely, Barnbougle Dunes and The Lost Farm, as well as the recent addition of Bougle Run Golf Course. This spectacular 14-hole short course is set among the undulating sand dunes of the resort and takes in some of the highest points of the property.
The enchanting wilderness and pristine coastlines of Tasmania are guaranteed to make you feel as though you are getting away from it all. A three night stay in the group-friendly Barnbougle Cottages will truly round off any Australian golf holiday package.
The depth and breadth of golf in Australia, together with the world-class, iconic tourism experiences make an Australian golf holiday so very appealing. So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us and give us an opportunity to make your Australian golf holiday a truly unforgettable one.
6 Luxury Golf Holidays for your Bucket List
Written by Golf Explorer
Whether you’re a pro golfer, or completely new to golf, our luxury golf holidays are guaranteed to tantalise and inspire you, particularly given the travel restrictions we have all endured in 2020 and 2021.
Many of Golf Explorer’s spectacular destinations may not be possible to reach at the moment, but now is the time to get planning your future luxury golf holiday. The restrictions won’t last forever! Here we present to you our top 6 luxury golf holidays that are guaranteed to deliver the golf holiday experience of a lifetime. With travel bubbles most likely to open first between Australia and New Zealand and Australia and Fiji, we have included our most popular luxury golf holidays to these two top golfing destinations. So, let's have a detailed look at their inclusions:
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North Island Golf and Lodge Tour, New Zealand
New Zealand now has a global reputation for its luxury 'lodge lifestyle'. In recent years, luxury golf holidays to New Zealand have become all the more lavish with the emergence of many incredible, designer luxury lodges. With these beautiful 5-star ultra-deluxe properties now dotted throughout the North Island, we have created a North Island Golf and Lodge Tour package, that combines world-class golf, with luxury lodge accommodation. Stay 2 nights at the Greenmantle Boutique Hotel, where Tiger Woods stayed during his 2002 New Zealand Open visit. Follow it up with 2 nights at the world-renowned Farm at Cape Kidnappers and round off the holiday with a three night stay at Kinloch Manor & Villas. If it’s ultra-luxury and pampering you are after, then The Kinloch Club delivers in spades.
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Qualia Luxury Golf Retreat, Queensland
Qualia is a world-renowned luxury resort on the northern tip of Hamilton Island, in the Australian state of Queensland. If you are looking for one of Australia’s best luxury accommodation and golfing experiences, you’d be hard pressed to beat Golf Explorer’s 4-night Qualia Luxury Golf Retreat. Play two rounds on one of the countries’ most spectacular championship golf courses, while staying in a world-class tropical resort, complete with breathtaking views of the sparkling Pacific Ocean. Designed to fit in perfectly with its natural surroundings, Qualia is an adults-only luxury, tropical hideaway with an appealing earthy feel to it. To reach the 18-hole championship golf course on nearby Dent Island, guests transfer with a memorable 20-minute speedboat ride. Designed by five times British Open winner Peter Thomson, Hamilton Island Golf Course offers breathtaking, panoramic ocean views from almost every hole. A Qualia luxury golf retreat is a must for anybody looking to enjoy a high end, secluded Australian golf break.
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Queenstown Lakefront Villa Golf Retreat, New Zealand
The Queenstown Lakefront Villa Golf Retreat offers 4 couples the opportunity to enjoy a golf break in a beautiful private house, overlooking Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. Stay 7 nights and play 2 rounds at Jack's Point Golf Club, 1 round at Millbrook Golf Club and 1 round at Arrowtown Golf Club. This spacious, designer Queenstown Lakefront Villa is a place to relax and truly retreat from the stresses of life. With spectacular 180-degree views over the lake, the open plan living space on the top floor includes two lounge areas either side of the designer, high-spec kitchen. The comfortable sofas on the private sun-deck are the perfect place to enjoy morning coffee or evening sunset drinks while discussing the golfing events of the day.
As we all get to grips with living with COVID 19, a small group golf holiday, staying in a private residence ticks many boxes. Stay within your own bubble and enjoy some great golf in a truly luxurious setting.
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Laucala Private Island Experience, Fiji
Fiji is famed for its outstanding, warm hospitality. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the ultra-exclusive, secluded private island of Laucala. This exclusive island resort is a refuge for golfers looking to play championship golf within a luxurious tropical setting.
Set on over 1,400 hectares of coconut plantations are twenty-five spacious bures (Fijian for house), all of which are built from sustainable indigenous materials. With designer interiors, thatched roofs, private pools, and indoor and outdoor stone tubs, each bungalow includes a buggy for guests to explore the resort at their leisure.
Golf Explorer’s Laucala Private Island Experience offers unlimited golf on its 18-hole Championship golf course. Designed by Scotsman David McLay Kidd, this stunning 18-hole layout is set upon a sheer cliff top with a backdrop of volcanic mountains.
Undulating fairways, challenging greens and strategic bunkers will appeal to both experienced and novice golfers, while the signature hole, a par-five 12th with a green extending to the beach, results in wet feet at high tide. A golf professional is always on hand should guests need tips to improve their swing.
A Laucala Private Island golf break takes luxury golf holidays to a whole other level.
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Four Reds Vintage Experience
If it’s a luxury golf and wine break you are after then check out Golf Explorer’s Four Reds Vintage Golf and Wine Experience to Adelaide, South Australia. Stay six nights in a 5-star hotel of your choice, either by the beach or in the heart of Adelaide city. Play four of Adelaide’s premier golf courses, Royal Adelaide Golf Club, Grange Golf Club, Kooyonga Golf Club and Glenelg Golf Club. After each round enjoy a bottle of specially paired premium red wine and a gourmet tasting platter, sourced from local artisan producers. This unique golf product enables golfers who enjoy world-class golf, premium wine and gourmet food in equal measures, to combine their passions into one great golfing break. Also included in this luxury golf holiday package, is a full-days private wine tour to the Barossa Valley to taste wine at some of the most celebrated cellar doors in Australia.
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Pebble Beach Resort
If you fancy walking on the same hallowed greens as Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, then how about a luxury golf holiday to Pebble Beach Resort in California.
Spend 3 nights at The Inn at Spanish Bay at Pebble Beach Resort. Nestled among majestic Monterey pines and fronted by a Scottish-style links golf course that touches some of the most breathtaking coastline in the world, The Inn is an idyllic luxury retreat. All guest rooms feature stylish and comfortable furnishings and a warm, cozy fireplace. While at The Inn, eat in a range of fabulous restaurants, stroll along meandering boardwalks and discover hidden coves and sandy beaches. Golf Explorer’s Pebble Beach Resort package allows you to play 1 round of golf at the famous Spyglass Hill Golf Course and of course the Pebble Beach Links course, venue for the 2019 US Open Championship. When you aren’t playing golf, take the opportunity to go on a kayak tour to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and paddle around playful sea lions and stunning kelp forests. The Pebble Beach Links Resort is a big one to tick off any golfers’ bucket list.
Final Words
Please note if none of the above-mentioned luxury golf holidays quite fit the bill, then please don’t hesitate to speak directly with Golf Explorer about tailoring any luxury golf holiday to suit your needs.
Is Four Reds the Best Group Golfing Experience in Australia?
Written by Golf Explorer
The fact you have landed on this page means you are most likely searching for the best group golfing experience you can find in Australia. Well, you’ve come to the right place!
Four Reds golf and wine packages to Adelaide offer groups of golfers the opportunity to play four of South Australia’s best golf courses and after each round, enjoy a bottle of specially paired premium wine – each bottle valued over $100 – along with a tasting plate sourced from the gourmet producers of South Australia. Many golfers believe that Four Reds is hands down the best group golfing holiday in Australia, which explains the high return rate year after year.
Featured in Australia’s Golf Digest Magazine
Over the years, Four Reds golf and wine packages have been featured in many prominent golf magazines, not least Australia’s Golf Digest magazine. One of the most notable write ups was by author, columnist, broadcaster and TV presenter, Andrew Daddo. After enjoying the Four Reds Vintage Package he concluded; ‘The Four Reds experience gives you the opportunity to reconsider the traditional take on the group golf trip. It’s, dare I say it, very Adelaide. It’s also very simple – four great courses followed by four great South Australian wines at the 19th hole.’
The Golf
They may be less well known than their Victorian Sandbelt cousins, but all four premier golf courses in Adelaide are absolutely world-class. For any serious golfer, looking to play the best golf courses in Australia, you’ll be looking to tick Grange Golf Club, Glenelg Golf Club, Kooyonga Golf Club, and Royal Adelaide Golf Club, off your list. They are all located within spitting distance of the spectacular South Australia coastline and are built on the unique red sand of the region, capturing the traditional outback spirit of Australia, hence the ‘Four Reds’.
Let’s have a closer look at the unique features of each of the Adelaide Four Reds golf clubs:
● Grange Golf Club
Grange Golf Club includes two internationally rated 18-hole championship golf courses, the East Course and the West Course. The East Course was redesigned by legendary Australian golfer Greg Norman in 2012 and has produced a championship layout that will challenge and reward players of all skills. The West Course has hosted to Australian Women’s Open in recent years (2016 & 2019) and is a favourite of the tour players. Both courses at Grange Golf Club rank within the top 50 golf courses of Australia and are well-known venues for major golf tournaments, having hosted many PGA events.
● Glenelg Golf Club
Glenelg Golf Club is a relative hidden gem in the Australian golfing landscape. If you are looking out for a world-class golfing challenge, then Glenelg Golf Club should be on your bucket-list. Established in 1927, it ranks within the top 40 golf courses in Australia, but many golfers comment that it’s condition and playability make you question why it is not ranked higher. Tough and scenic, it’s 93 red sand bunkers will give any decent golfer a run for their money. World-famous singer/songwriter Lloyd Cole has even claimed, "if I was to be a member of a club in Adelaide I'd probably choose Glenelg, if they'd have me…"
● Kooyonga Golf Club
This golf course has been a venue for many international and interstate championships. The Kooyonga Golf Club has also earned for itself a high ranking among the best private clubs in Australia. Kooyonga has numerous elevation changes throughout its 18 holes and the challenging layout can provide you with one of the best golfing experiences of your lifetime. Kooyonga Golf Club has also hosted the Men’s and Women’s Australian Open
● The Royal Adelaide Golf Club
Ranked within the top 100 golf courses in the world, The Royal Adelaide Golf Club is widely considered to be one of the best golf courses in Australia. Formed in 1892, and re-design by renowned golf course architect Dr Alister MacKenzie in 1926, Royal Adelaide Golf Club lies just 20 minutes from Adelaide’s CBD and 2 kilometres from the coast. Having hosted many of Australia’s most prominent golf tournaments and more recently international tournaments as well, it is a beautifully maintained course that will challenge the best of golfers.
What’s included in a Four Reds Package?
Any Four Reds package, be it the Vintage Experience, the Cellar Door Experience or the 72-hole Golf Challenge, will include a round on all four of the golf courses above, as well as a wine and gourmet food experience in the clubhouse afterwards. Packages also include all hotel, golf course and airport transfers, as well and 4 or 5-star accommodation (stay at the beach or in the heart of Adelaide city!). Golf Explorer is also happy to recommend and book Adelaide’s best restaurants for groups to ensure your evening dining experience is just as outstanding as the golf.
Four Reds golf and wine breaks have become so popular that many golfing groups return year after year, to enjoy this unique relaxed, social experience. As Bernie Lloyd, group leader from Barwon Heads Golf Club, Victoria commented, “The Golf Explorer Four Reds experience has been superlative. The logistics have been that well managed that we haven’t had to think of anything, except ourselves. That’s just what you want on a group golfing holiday.”
International visitors
Over the years, many of our international clients have chosen to book the Four Reds golf and wine experience in Adelaide because it combines their love of golf, wine and gourmet food and travel experiences in one short four-day package. Afterall, where else in the world do you get to play beautifully manicured courses, complete with outback, red sand bunkers?! Why not tag on a Four Reds golf break to your longer Australia wide golf tour. Many clients have commented that it turned out to be the highlight of their Australian golf holiday.
Get booking!
So, what are you waiting for? If you enjoy golf, fine wine and gourmet food in equal measures, then speak to Golf Explorer today about planning your group golfing holiday to Adelaide today. Check out our Four Reds packages for the lowdown on what’s possible, while keeping in mind that any Four Reds holiday can be tailored to suit the budget and requirements of your group.
The city of Adelaide in South Australia is already recognised as a world leader in a number of areas. It regularly ranks as one of the world’s top 10 most liveable cities. Every Spring, it morphs into the ‘Festival City’, playing host to world-renowned Arts and Fringe festivals, as well as the unique WOMADelaide world music festival. What is not such common knowledge (yet!), is that golf in Adelaide is developing into a major domestic and international attraction, thanks to a unique golf & wine product called the ‘Four Reds’.
What is a Four Reds Golf & Wine holiday?
Adelaide's four most prestigious golf clubs have partnered with four of South Australia's best wineries and Golf Explorer to offer the ultimate golf and wine holiday packages.
Play at Royal Adelaide Golf Club, Grange Golf Club, Kooyonga Golf Club and Glenelg Golf Club, and at the end of each 18 holes, enjoy a bottle of specially selected premium red wine – each bottle valued over $100 – along with a tasting plate sourced from the gourmet producers of South Australia.
Four Reds Golf and Wine packages include golf, accommodation, transfers to and from the airport and hotel and golf courses, as well as gourmet wine and food experiences after each round. Any golf in Adelaide package can be tailored to meet the requirements of particular groups.
What makes a Four Reds golf holiday so unique?
A Four Reds golf & wine tour is a convenient golf and city break in one! The size and accessibility of golf courses, wineries and tourism experiences in Adelaide make a Four Reds golf holiday work so well. Known as the 20-minute city, transfers from the airport to a beach or city hotel, and then from the hotel to each of the 4 golf courses, take only 20 minutes. It is rare in Adelaide to encounter traffic outside morning and evening rush hour. Afterall, who wants to be stuck in traffic on their holiday!
On a Four Reds break, you can stay in a beautiful boutique hotel in the heart of vibrant Adelaide city, in the knowledge that your morning transfer to the golf course will take less than half an hour. Lean on Golf Explorer’s insider knowledge to book yourself and your group into the best restaurants Adelaide has to offer, and supply recommendations for coolest laneway bars.
How popular are Four Reds Golf and wine packages?
In 2019 (pre-covid), more than 500 Australian and international golfers played golf in Adelaide through a Four Red package- many were returning clients. Even during pandemic hit 2020, demand for Four Reds holidays remained strong, with low-population Adelaide emerging as a relative safe haven of a city.
Why do groups love Four Reds golf in Adelaide?
In our experience, groups of 8 to 16 golfers tend to enjoy the Four Reds golf and wine experience the most because it’s a fantastically social. Picture finishing an intense 18-holes and then heading straight to the club house to enjoy generous artisan tasting platters and some of South Australia’s finest red wines. The perfect setting for some post round banter!
Groups also enjoy the fact that the logistics for a Four Reds golf tour are well and truly taken care of, meaning they simply have to turn up and enjoy it! Transfers, food and wine in the club house and even restaurant bookings and additional tours are all seamlessly organised by Golf Explorer.
What is the most popular Four Reds golf & wine package?
The Four Reds Vintage Experience is the most commonly booked package. Inclusions are as follows:
• 6 nights’ at a 4 or 5 star hotel/apartments in Adelaide
• Daily breakfasts
• Private transfers (airport, hotel and golf clubs)
• 4 rounds of golf (a single round at each of the Four Reds clubs)
• Special Food & Wine experience at each golf club after your round (includes a premium local wine and a seasonal tasting plate)
• Full day private wine tour to the Barossa Valley including VIP access to 3 wineries exclusive to Four Reds clients only.
• Collect and return to your hotel
• Sightseeing and restaurant recommendations
What is the best time of year to play golf in Adelaide?
Adelaide experiences hot, dry summers (Dec – Feb) and mild winters (June, July, August). Four Reds golf packages can be played year-round, although if you are booking in the summer months, you would want to secure early morning tee times to beat the heat of the day. If you are booking in the winter months, expect showers and bring warm clothing.
The shoulder months of March till May and September to December are ideal for playing golf in Adelaide. Expect pleasant temperatures and dry sunny clear-blue sky days.
So, if you are a golfer looking to organise a much-needed group golf holiday, you would be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable, social golf and wine experience, than Adelaide’s Four Reds. Book now!
For such an enormous country, it is a happy coincidence that many of Australia’s best golf courses lie in close proximity to its finest wine regions. A growing number of golfers are choosing to turn their golf vacation Downunder into a tailored wine and golf experience.
With wine produced in all 6 states of Australia and within 60 plus designated wine regions, it can be a daunting task working out which wine regions to include in your wine and golf holiday itinerary. Understandably most golf tourists to Australia target the cellar doors of globally recognised brands, many of which have been enthusiastically sampled with friends around dining tables in their home countries. However, it is well worth getting off the beaten track and sampling some of Australia’s lesser-known wines labels; the ‘hidden gems’ that are favoured by the locals and too small to produce for export.
For the last 20 years, Australia has been refining its cellar door experience, resulting today in an unparalleled choice of beautifully located wineries, offering memorable, world-class dining experiences. The biggest challenge is choosing which wineries to visit, particularly when the best cellar door experiences are not necessarily at the biggest brand wineries.
At Golf Explorer, we have done the hard work for you. We have tried and tested these wineries and only include the best local wineries in our golf tour packages. So which Australian wine regions can be best integrated into a golf holiday?
Adelaide Four Reds
Wine can be incorporated into a golf holiday itinerary, through the inclusion of full or half-day tours to wine regions on non-golfing days. Alternatively, in Adelaide, the unique ‘Four Reds Golf and Wine Experience’, offers golfers the opportunity to seamlessly combine a gourmet golf and wine experience without having to go any further than the clubhouse. Play 18 holes on Glenelg Golf Club, Grange Golf Club, Kooyonga Golf Club and Royal Adelaide Golf Club, and after each game, enjoy a bottle of exquisite South Australian wine (valued at $100 or more), as well as a local, artisan tasting platter. This is a golf package dreamed up for golfers, who are equally as enthusiastic about premium wine, as they are about top-notch golf.
Golf Courses to play
• Royal Adelaide Golf Club
• Glenelg Golf Club
• Grange Golf Club
• Kooyonga Golf Club
Recommended Golf Holiday Packages
• Four Reds Vintage Experience
• Four Reds Cellar Door Experience
Yarra Valley & Golf
Melbourne’s Yarra Valley is less than an hours’ drive east of the city centre and is synonymous with the production of some of Australia’s finest Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wine. Escape the hustle and bustle of Melbourne and quickly find yourself in wine-lovers paradise, surrounded by lush, rolling countryside.
Home to Victoria’s first vineyards, planted in 1838, the Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s coolest wine regions with elevations ranging between 50 metres and 400 metres.
Today, the Yarra Valley plays host to over 100 wineries, each with their own individual character and sensory experience. Some of the regions’ best-known cellar doors include, Yering, Yarra Glen, De Bortoli and Coldstream and Domaine Chandon.
However, perhaps the greatest pleasure can be derived from unearthing the ‘hidden gems’ within a wine region, the cellar doors the locals frequent, the places with character and soul which you can’t wait to tell your friends about. For such an experience, it is wise to entrust the knowledge of a local tour guide to tailor an itinerary to include the ‘big names’, as well as the ‘quiet achievers’.
Golf Courses to Play
• Royal Melbourne Golf Club
• Kingston Heath Golf Club
• Victoria Golf Club
Recommended Golf Holiday Packages
• Sydney & Melbourne Golf Package
• Gourmet Golf & Wine Tour
• Ultimate Australian Golf Tour
Hunter Valley & Golf
The most accessible wine region to Sydney, is the Hunter Valley, located just a two hour drive north of the city. With two premium golf courses, The Vintage and Cypress Lakes Golf Courses, located within the wine region itself, the Hunter Valley is a dream destination for any golf and wine enthusiast.
Vines were first planted in the Hunter Valley in the early 1830s, making it Australia's oldest wine growing region. Today, it is best known for varietals such as Semillon and Shiraz.
There is no shortage of unique and memorable cellar door experiences in the Hunter Valley. Some of its famous brands include Meerea Park Wines, Brokenwood, Tyrrell’s and Audrey Wilkinson Winery.
Sophisticated, yet laidback dining experiences go hand-in-hand with Australian cellar door experiences and on this level the Hunter Valley does not disappoint. For a mouth-watering lunch experience, incorporate Muse, The Lovedale, Redsalt Restaurant or EXP into your Hunter Valley tour itinerary.
Golf Courses to Play
• The Vintage
• Cypress lakes
• New South Wales Golf Club
Recommended Golf Packages
• Sydney & Melbourne Golf Package
• Gourmet Golf & Wine Tour
Barossa Valley & Golf
Just an hour’s drive north-east of the city of Adelaide, the Barossa Valley is widely considered to be the powerhouse of Australian wine production. Home to more than 150 individual wineries, the region is famous for its intense, full-bodied shiraz grape, as well as globally recognised brands, such as Penfolds, Henschke, Jacobs Creek and Peter Lehmann. Unbeknownst to many visitors, The Barossa Valley is also a breeding ground for many young, innovative wine producers. For a less mainstream cellar door experience, these are the wineries to target.
As you would expect, The Barossa Valley also plays host to some outstanding premium restaurants. Award winning Vintners Bar and Grill has long been one of South Australia’s landmark dining experiences and continues to wow with its delicious locally sourced ingredients and matching wines. For a true cellar door dining experience, you would be hard pressed to beat Saltram for fine quality and outstanding service.
Golf Courses to play
• Royal Adelaide Golf Club
• Glenelg Golf Club
• Grange Golf Club
• Tanunda Pines Golf Club
Recommended Golf Holiday Packages:
Adelaide Hills & Golf
Famous for its production of cool climate wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, the Adelaide wine region is conveniently located just a thirty-minute drive from Adelaide CBD. As the closest wine region to the city of Adelaide, it is a popular cellar-door lunch destination for Adelaideans looking to escape city life. With over 90 wine labels and 48 cellar doors, the Adelaide Hills wine region is less well-known internationally than other Australian wine regions, but offers some of the most picturesque cellar doors and beautiful views over the surrounding countryside.
In Adelaide, it is possible to play golf on one of Australia’s finest golf courses in the morning, and then take a half day wine tour into the Adelaide Hills in the afternoon. Cellar doors, such as Shaw + Smith, Deviation Road, Golding Winery, Nepenthe Winery are experiences not to be missed.
In addition to the Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wines for which the region is well known, Adelaide Hills wineries are winning awards for some more unusual cool climate grape varietals, such as 'new wave' Chardonnays, crisp and zesty Pinot Gris and lesser known spicy Grüner Veltliner.
Golf Courses to play
• Royal Adelaide Golf Club
• Glenelg Golf Club
• Grange Golf Club
• Kooyonga Golf Club
• Mount Osmond Golf Club
Recommended Golf Holiday Packages
• Four Reds 72 Hole Golf Challenge
• Four Reds Cellar Door Experience
• Gourmet Golf & Wine Tour
McLaren Vale & Golf
If you are looking for as little time as possible between the end of your game and your arrival at a fabulous cellar door, McLaren Vale wine region should be added to the Adelaide leg of your golf tour itinerary.
McLaren Vale is the birthplace of South Australian wine and one of the oldest and most famous wine regions in Australia. Situated just half an hours’ drive from the centre of Adelaide, McLaren Vale sits between the elevated Mount Lofty Ranges and the spectacular white, sandy coastline of South Australia. Its unique location and the warm Mediterranean-like climate enable talented wine makers to produce an impressive range of Italian, Spanish and Portuguese varietals.
Through the ‘Four Reds Golf and Wine Experience’ package, it is possible to play a round of golf at Royal Adelaide Golf Club and afterwards enjoy a bottle of Clarendon Hills Syrah, before visiting the cellar door of the winery that actually produced the wine, the following day.
Golf Courses to play
• Royal Adelaide Golf Club
• Glenelg Golf Club
• Grange Golf Club
• Kooyonga Golf Club
• Links Lady Bay Golf Club
Recommended Golf Holiday Packages
• Four Reds 72 Hole Golf Challenge
• Four Reds Cellar Door Experience
• Gourmet Golf & Wine Tour
There is no doubt that as a wine and golf holiday desintation, Australia takes a lot of beating. Let Golf Explorer organise the ultimate Australian golf holiday for you, taking in the best courses, wineries and tourism experiences in each State. The hardest bit will be choosing what to leave out!
As an Adelaide golf holiday specialist, clients frequently ask the simple question, ‘What are the best golf courses in Adelaide?’ Being the exclusive golf tour operator for the Four Reds Golf and wine packages, we have sent hundreds of Australians and international visitors on golf holidays to Adelaide, South Australia.
There’s nothing we love better than packaging up the ideal Adelaide golf courses, accommodation and transfers for our clients.If you are travelling from interstate or from overseas you are probably looking to play the best maintained, the highest-ranked or even the most scenic courses on offer within the State of South Australia.
As luck would have it, Adelaide is blessed with some truly spectacular, world-class golf courses and four of the best are located within a 5km radius of each other and just a 20- minute drive from the city centre. This makes it totally feasible to stay, either in the heart of the Adelaide CBD, or by the sandy white beaches of the popular beachside suburb of Glenelg and take short transfers to the golf course and back each day. It’s almost as if the city of Adelaide was designed around the concept of golfing holiday breaks!
So, let’s dive a little deeper into golf courses in Adelaide and compare their most noteworthy attributes Adelaide City Courses:
Adelaide City Golf Courses
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The Royal Adelaide Golf Club
The highest ranking and perhaps most prestigious of all Adelaide golf courses, Royal Adelaide is ranked within the top 100 golf courses in the world. Located in the suburb of Seaton 9 kilometres from the CBD and 2 kilometres from the coast, it is a championship layout that has the distinctive characteristics of a links course. Founded in 1892, it was the first golf club to open for business in Adelaide. Over the years, it has played host to many prestigious tournaments, including The Australian Open and the South Australian Open. Members and visitors alike comment on the joy of playing a links style course so close to a major city centre.
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Kooyonga Golf Club
Kooyonga Golf Club is situated just 15 minutes from the central business district of Adelaide and set among undulating sandhills. It has hosted many international and interstate championships and has always enjoyed a high ranking amongst private clubs in Australia. There is much to be enjoyed at Kooyonga including the land, the routing, the turf and above all the bunkering. It’s a wonderful test of golf on a beautifully presented golf course that simply won’t disappoint.
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The Grange Golf Club (West Course)
Grange Golf Club is home to two championship 18-hole golf course, namely The West Course and The East Course. Generally considered the superior of the two courses, the West Course measures 6,840 yards from the back markers. It begins with a relatively easy par 5 and finishes with four testing par four holes. There are some very enjoyable tree-lined holes to be played in between making for a standout, traditional parkland track. Grange West Course played host to the 2016 and 2019 Women's Australian Open.
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The Grange Golf Club (East Course)
Grange East Golf Course was redesigned by the great Greg Norman in 2012 and ranked within Australia’s top 50 golf courses shortly afterwards. Incorporating wetlands and a forestry into the design, The East Course varies in style from the West Course. With a variety of both long and short holes, to score well it requires the focussed attention of even the most professional of golfers. Most of the greens are slightly less undulating than the West Course but still challenge even the best golfer, particularly in the summer when they run hard and fast.
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Glenelg Golf Club
Glenelg is a lovely parkland members course situated in a coastal suburb of Adelaide. Built on a rolling sandy base, the course features elements of links golf. Even in the middle of the hot dry South Australian summer, Glenelg is famed for its beautifully conditioned, manicured greens. After a round at Glenelg, many golfers comment that the placement and style of the characteristic red sand bunkers, really add to the challenge. Glenelg Golf Club will appeal to the thinking golfer; it requires strategy and often calls for the use of every club in your bag!
Regional South Australian Golf Courses
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Mount Osmond Golf Club
Just a 15-minute drive from the CBD, Mount Osmond Golf Club offers golfers glorious views of the City of Adelaide, Mount Lofty Ranges and South Australian coastline. Boasting an attractive heritage clubhouse, wide undulating fairways, challenging greens and a stimulating course layout, Mount Osmond is highly regarded by members and visitors alike. At this course, visitors are always welcome. What better way to enjoy a round and familiarise yourself with the topography of Adelaide and the surrounding area. After playing Mount Osmond, clients frequently tell us that it was their most enjoyable round of golf in Adelaide.
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Links Lady Bay Golf Course
If it’s stunning ocean views and rolling vistas you are after, then look no further than Links Lady Bay Golf Course. Just an hour’s drive from Adelaide city Centre, this gem of a course is set in the beautiful tranquil, South Australian countryside. Get away from it all and enjoy the added bonus of spotting wild birds and kangaroos in their natural habitat, during your round. Strong enough from the back tees to test gifted golfers, yet fair enough to be enjoyed by the average golfer, this championship golf course is considered one of South Australia’s finest.
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Mount Compass Golf Course
Located in the heart of South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula and an easy 45-minute drive from Adelaide city centre, Mount Compass Golf Club is certainly worth adding to any golf in Adelaide bucket-list. The layout of Mount Compass golf course delivers fun and a strategic round for golfers of all standards. In 2021 this South Australian gem rose 17 places to reach No.42 in Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking, making it one of Australia’s most improved courses in recent years.
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Tanunda Pines Golf Course
This world-class golf course is a stunning 18-hole, par-72 course with 100-year-old gum trees lining fairways that undulate across the hilltops of the Barossa Ranges. Located in the famous Barossa Valley wine region, just an hours’ drive from Adelaide, a round at Tanunda Pines is ideally combined with a visit to some of South Australia’s most prestigious cellar doors. This pretty, recently re-sequenced course won’t disappoint.
If you are short on time and want to centre your Adelaide golf break around city courses, then you might want to consider the Four Reds golf and wine packages. Combine a round on each of Adelaide’s four premier metropolitan golf courses (The Royal Adelaide Golf Club, Grange Golf Club, Kooyonga Golf Club & Glenelg Golf Club) and at the end of each round enjoy a bottle of specially paired premium South Australian red wine and a delicious, regionally sourced tasting platter. Packages include accommodation and transfers.
If, on the other hand, you prefer a mix of city and regional golf in Adelaide, don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss tailoring a South Australian golf package to suit your needs.
Whichever way you look at it, golfers in Adelaide are truly spoilt for choice. Come join them and see what all the fuss is about!
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