Australia’s Top-100 golf courses: Latest rankings from Golf Australia magazine

Royal Melbourne tops Australia’s best golf course rankings closely followed by the gems at Barnbougle.

Royal Melbourne West once again tops the list of Australia’s best golf courses.

Golf Australia magazine has released its biennial list of Australia’s Top-100 golf courses and there are a few surprises at the top.

I was privileged to be a part of the judging panel for this year’s list along with 23 other golf course judges that include Golf Australia magazine readers, editors and golf course experts.

Royal Melbourne West has once again retained its spot as the best Australian golf course but Barnbougle Dunes and Barnbougle Lost Farm have usurped Kingston Heath to take out the second and third positions.

The ranking system is a fascinating one and this year the magazine controversially included Ellerston Golf Course that I was fortunate enough to play as part of the judging process.

The Packers’ private golf course is not easily accessible to the greater golfing public and only after much discussion did the editors of Golf Australia magazine decide to include Ellerston in the rankings which was ranked as Australia’s sixth best golf course.

Other golf courses to be feature inside the Top-10 were New South Wales, Royal Melbourne East, The National, Victoria and St.Andrews Beach.

The big movers on the list this year include Commonwealth Golf Club, Royal Queensland, RACV Healesville, Bonnie Doon Golf Club, The Grange East and the brand new Stonecutters Ridge golf course.

To see the full list and an explanation on the rankings process, check out the latest issue of Golf Australia magazine at your local newsagent.

Bonnie Doon Golf Club soars up the rankings after a recent redesign.