Golf in Newcastle, Hunter Valley, Port Stephens, Central/North Coasts

One of the most popular tourist regions in NSW, The Hunter Valley is best known for its wineries, restaurants, accommodation venues and of course golf courses. Less than two hours drive north of Sydney and 45 minutes from Newcastle Airport, the destination is easily accessible. The Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine region – particularly famous for its Semillon wines.

Also North of Sydney and 90 minutes east of the Hunter Valley is the NSW Central Coast which covers the region along the Pacific Ocean from Broken Bay at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River to south of Newcastle. The Central Coast includes a mix of bays and inlets, pristine beaches, lakes and lush hinterland.

Both the Hunter Valley and the Central Coast have a lot to offer as golfing destinations. Whilst most of the courses are relatively young, such as The Vintage, Cypress Lakes, Magenta Shores, Pacific Dunes and Kooindah Waters they have attracted signatures from some of Australia’s and The World’s most recognised course designers such as Greg Norman, Craig Parry, Ross Watson, and Bob Stanton.

The Vintage Golf Club is a resort-style club found in Rothbury in the Hunter Valley. Boasting a truly spectacular 18-hole Greg Norman-designed golf course, The Vintage has been created specifically to complement the area's unique natural environment and prestigious Hunter Valley lifestyle. Measuring 6,310 metres with a Par of 71, the course gently winds around undisturbed wetlands, water carries, eucalyptus trees, the Beggars Bridge and Bimbadgen vineyards. A course that will be enjoyed by golfers of all standards.

Cypress Lakes Resort was completed in 1992 in Pokolbin, Hunter Valley. Built in the highest hills in the lower Hunter Valley, with spectacular views over the surrounding vineyards, Cypress Lakes is the centrepiece of this area, and offers an 18-hole, par 72 Championship course (6359 metres).

Designed by American golf course designer Steve Smyers in conjunction with Australian Golfing legend Bob Stanton, the course boasts distinct styles, with the first nine holes built around the hills and valleys overlooking surrounding vineyards and the second nine holes are built on lower plains in the traditional links style.

Cypress Lakes has one of Australia's longest par five holes (573 metres) a unique dual fairway hole and one of the only holes in Australia where you have to tee off straight over a vineyard.

Also located in Pokolbin, the Hunter Valley Golf and Country Club is the youngest golf club in the Hunter Valley. Set out amongst the picturesque vineyards of Lovedale and Pokolbin, the impressive new layout, with its idyllic lagoons, will certainly challenge golfers of all levels. The course surrounds the grand Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley.

Travelling east of the Hunter Valley and located at the mouth of the Hunter River is Newcastle and the Newcastle Golf Club (ranked 15 in Australia’s Top 100 courses). This superb championship golf club is one of only two courses in NSW given international recognition by the panel of experts rating the World's Top 100 Courses. A few years ago it was included as an "International Honourable Mention" by GOLF Magazine in their ratings of the world's best golf courses and only missed a higher rating because not enough panellists had made the trek to play the course.

A true championship course of 6160 metres (6800 yards), it comprises undulating sand dunes and fairways carved out of a forest of Eucalypts and angophoras. The native flora and fauna, including kookaburras, bearded dragons and kangaroos, make it a delightful as well as a challenging course to play.

Although the course is situated only a few kilometres from the busy industrial city and port of Newcastle, the wide bands of trees separating the fairways give a feeling of peaceful isolation from the cares of the world.

The golf course at Magenta Shores Golf and Country Club was created by acclaimed golf architect Ross Watson in 2006 and was recently rated the best Resort Course in NSW and the 6th best Resort course in Australia. A fair achievement for such a young course. The 18-hole championship golf course boasts an ideal sand base and is superbly located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean and Tuggerah Lakes. The course itself weaves its way through various coastal landscapes including links- style dunes, rainforests and native forests, ensuring that golfers of all levels will enjoy the course.

With a prime beach-front position, this stunning 18-hole championship golf course is complemented by a first-class purpose built club house and the luxurious 5-star resort, Quay West Resort Magenta Shores.

Like Magenta Shores, Kooindah Waters Residential Golf and Spa Resort opened in 2006, and was also designed by Ross Watson, this time in conjunction with Australian golf legend Craig Parry. Located on the Central Coast, this 18-hole layout is a component of a luxurious Residential Golf & Spa Resort and features a first-class Clubhouse. The layout is dominated by the spectacular existing wetlands with the course designed to interact with the natural water features and flora.

Divided into three distinct character precincts, the course is a “thinking golfer’s course” where accuracy, ball placement and imagination are the keys to scoring well. Sleeper retaining walls and bunkering are used to provide a “rustic” feel with a feature of the layout being the island green on the par 3, 17th hole.

Pacific Dunes is located in Port Stephens – an area surrounded by some of the east coast's most enticing scenery. Pacific Dunes' natural sandy base and rolling topography, combined with temperate, year-round golfing weather, create the perfect setting for a course to suit all golfers to a tee.

Winding through the natural undulations of the site, the international standard championship course comprises two distinct nine-holes. The back nine is interwoven among natural lakes and wetlands, while the outward nine meanders through shady Angophoras and Swamp Mahogany trees, an extension of the natural landscape.

Both nines play to a par of 36 with the typical championship configuration incorporating two par fives and two par threes on each nine. Thoughtful and tactical design delivers a pleasurable round for everyone, regardless of handicap.

Le Meilleur Horizons Golf Resort opened in December 1992. Since its opening, the golf course has achieved an Australian Golf Union (AGU) rating of 74 for its par 72, 18 hole international championship golf course.

The scenic layout of the golf course is the result of extensive native revegetation. When the course was built, care was taken to preserve the wetlands areas as a sanctuary for native birds and animals. Le Meilleur Horizons continues to follow an environmentally friendly and sustainable policy.

Le Meilleur Horizons Golf Resort provides leisure, accommodation and dining services to guests and visitors to the Resort.

Other things to do in the Hunter Valley and along the Central Coast

Apart from the wineries, the Hunter Valley has a vast array of activities to offer its visitors, such as its historic towns, antique shops, local produce and regional events (e.g. the Lovedale Long Lunch and the Semillon and Seafood and concerts featuring the world’s top musicians).

The Hunter region also boasts beautiful art galleries, gardens, bicycle tours & hot air ballooning, there are a myriad of things to do. Likewise along the Central Coast, visitors will be overwhelmed with the number of places to visit.

Here are just a few ideas to start:

Take a dip at Terrigal or Avoca beach, watch the pelican feeding at The Entrance each afternoon, go bushwalking in Bouddi National Park, whale watching between June and November, or sailboarding and kayaking on Tuggerah Lake.

Other places to visit include the Australian Reptile Park, Norah Heads Lighthouse, TreeTops Adventure Park, and events include the Central Coast Country Music Festival in March, The Australian Springtime Flora Festival near Gosford in September and the Brisbane Water Oyster Festival at Ettalong Beach in November.

Useful Facts and Figures

Below are some useful facts and figures for the Hunter Valley Region. Use these to work out the best time to visit this region.