Luxury Vacation & Golf Tours
Luxury Vacation & Golf Tours
Located in the heart of Melbourne’s world-renowned Sandbelt region, Huntingdale Golf Club occupies a unique position in Australian golf history. While many of its neighbors are defined by the 1926 visit of Alister MacKenzie, Huntingdale followed a distinct architectural path.
The club was officially established in 1941, though its lineage stretches back to 1896. When land at the old Melbourne Hunt Club grounds became available in 1938, the club commissioned celebrated British architect Charles Hugh Alison to design the 18-hole layout. Alison was a partner of the legendary Harry S. Colt and one of golf’s most prolific travelers, best known internationally for shaping course design in Japan during the 1920s and for projects like Hirano and Sea Island in Georgia. His influence on Huntingdale gave the club a distinguished foundation that set it apart from its Sandbelt neighbors.
Huntingdale is perhaps best known for its long association with the Australian Masters. Since 1979, the course has served as the primary stage for the coveted “Gold Jacket”, hosting the event 31 times. The tournament drew international champions to Melbourne, including Bernhard Langer (1985), Mark O’Meara (1986), Michael Campbell (2000), and Colin Montgomerie (2001), while home-grown talent consistently contended at the top of the leaderboard.
Throughout this era, Huntingdale played long and fast, with greens maintained in tournament condition year-round. Various figures left their mark on the layout over the decades. In 1959, American architect Dick Wilson advised the club on bunker modifications and tree management, quietly shaping the course that tournament golf would later showcase to the world.
In 2023, Huntingdale brought in Melbourne-based firm OCM Golf, comprising Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking, and Ashley Mead, to execute a comprehensive redesign. The revamped course opened in December 2025, re-routing the northern section and modernizing the Sandbelt aesthetic throughout. The result is a layout that feels both rooted in the region’s traditions and genuinely forward-looking.
OCM’s design draws on the Sandbelt’s classic vocabulary while pushing it in a sharper, more contemporary direction. The firm introduced crisp bunker edges and significant contouring around the putting surfaces throughout. Because the property runs long and narrow, with 16 of the 18 holes oriented north to south, OCM used a clever bunker scheme to inject strategic variety and prevent the routing from feeling repetitive.
The northern portion of the property contains the most interesting topography, and the front nine makes full use of it.
Hole 4 (Par 4, 400 yards) is an immediate standout. The fairway falls away to the right, forcing a considered tee shot, while a bunker eating into the back-left of the green makes the pin accessible only to those willing to challenge the inside corner off the tee.
Holes 6 and 7 form one of the most demanding back-to-back stretches on the course. The 7th, a 535-yard par five, weaves gracefully up the hillside to a green guarded by dynamic bunkering that rewards precise positioning from the fairway.
The southern half of the property underwent the most dramatic transformation. OCM relocated the practice range to open up space for new hole designs, and the results give the back nine a different character entirely.
Hole 11 (Par 4, 400 yards) opens with a central fairway bunker that demands a decision off the tee. The on-grade green sits flush with its surroundings and features a Biarritz-style swale in the left half that adds complexity without theatrics.
Holes 12 and 18 share a double green that recalls the famous layout at Kingston Heath. The massive shared putting surface creates a natural spectator amphitheater, and during competitive rounds it becomes the focal point of the course.
Hole 14 (Par 4, 437 yards) plays deceptively straightforward. A single intrusive bunker dictates strategy from the tee, but the green narrows toward the back and tilts heavily left, punishing anyone who plays for the safe middle of the putting surface.
The OCM redesign ensures Huntingdale is no longer defined solely by its tournament history. By combining modern design principles with the distinctive soils of the Sandbelt, the club has created a course that stands confidently alongside the MacKenzie-influenced heavyweights in the region. With its broad contouring and sharper bunkering, Huntingdale now offers a high-quality contemporary alternative to the traditional Golden Age layouts nearby, and a compelling reason to extend any Melbourne golf itinerary.
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Just a short drive south of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is home to one of Australia’s premier golfing destinations: Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club. This unique club stands out as the only Sandbelt course offering luxury on-site accommodation. It combines world-class golf with first-class amenities, creating an unforgettable experience for every visitor. A Tale of Two Courses Peninsula Kingswood boasts two championship golf courses: the North Course and the South Course....
https://www.bestofaustraliagolf.com/spotlight/peninsula-kingswood-golf-accommodations/
