Royal Melbourne (West)
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Course Type
Private -
GOLF Top 100 World Rank (2023-24)
7 -
Year
1931 -
Architect
Alister MacKenzie -
Par
72 -
Yardage
6,780
Course Overview
Beside the club parking area is the horse-drawn plough and scoop that was used to slowly construct the finest course in the Southern Hemisphere. Because construction played out over a four-year period, the tie-ins are gorgeous, meaning where nature stops and man’s hand begins is nearly indiscernible. The bunkers are steep-faced and chew into the putting surfaces. The sand is compact, so to short-side yourself is to likely cost yourself a stroke. How refreshing to find hazards that play as hazards! Standout holes abound, from the short par-4 3rd with its green that falls away to the ½-par 4th that plays up and over the crest of a hill, to the photogenic one-shot 5th to one of the game’s quintessential doglegs, the 6th, which sweeps around a large native area to a fiercely contoured green. The course embodies all of Alister MacKenzie’s design ideals, even though he was only in the country for nine weeks. (Photo: Gary Lisbon)
3 things to know
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Hole everyone talks about
No. 5, par-3, 176 yards: The elevated green site, in a natural amphitheater and with magnificent bunkers lining both sides, requires a well-struck shot to hold. If you don’t find the green, good luck — the resulting chips or blasts from short, long or the sand will test every ounce of your short-game skills. -
Best non-golf amenity
Take a tour of the clubhouse, which houses all kinds of Royal Melbourne and Australian golf artifacts. Among the cooler offerings: Adam Scott’s clubs from his 2013 Masters win. -
Insider tip
The fairways look wide — and they are! But not all tee shots from the short stuff are created equal. The West Course is all about angles. Attacking a green from the wrong side of the fairway will give you all you can handle.
