What it is
The Barwon Heads Golf Club is on Golf Links Road in Barwon Heads, near where the Barwon River meets Bass Strait. It has an 18-hole links (the club calls it the Main Course), a separate Par-3 Course, and a heritage-listed clubhouse with rooms upstairs. The club calls itself Australia's first true links.
It's old. Golf started here in 1907 on a nine-hole course on Challis's farm. The current links, closer to the coast, was laid out by Victor East and approved by the members in 1921, and the clubhouse opened in December 1924. Golf Australia magazine credits Neil Crafter and Paul Mogford of Golf Strategies with design work from 2005 onwards.
Two things to know up front. The main course is hard to get on as a visitor, especially in summer. And the Par-3 Course is the opposite: open to everyone, casual dress, cheap. Plenty of people staying in Torquay will only ever play the Par-3, and that's fine.
The main course
It's not long. The club lists the four tees at 5,886 metres (Black), 5,591 metres (Blue), 5,252 metres (Red) and 4,240 metres (Green), and it's a par 70 off the men's tees. The club describes the challenge as cleverly placed hazards, subtle slopes and greens and some awkward tee positions, with the wind making sure it rarely plays the same way twice in a week.
The fairways are a local couch in summer and Poa annua in the cooler months, and the greens are mostly Poa, prepared every morning.
A couple of holes people mention
On the 7th you drive across a public road, a moment Australian Golf Digest said in 2024 "can, quite literally, stop traffic". And the par-3 13th, one of the club's shortest holes, was added to Golf Digest's list of Australia's "Most Iconic Holes" in 2011.
Where it ranks
31st in Australian Golf Digest's Top 100 for 2026/27, and 21st in Golf Australia magazine's Top 100 for 2026. The club also points to The Golf Course Guide 2025, which put it fourth among Australia's public-access courses and first on the mainland.
Playing the main course as a visitor
The club's wording is careful, so here it is: green fee play is "sometimes available" to non-members on Mondays, Fridays and after competition times Tuesday to Thursday. For a guaranteed tee time on weekends, public holidays, in summer or in other peak periods, it's guests staying overnight in the clubhouse who get priority. The tariffs page goes further: in peak times, main course access for anyone not staying in the clubhouse is "usually unavailable or extremely limited".
So if you're staying in Torquay, aim for a weekday outside the summer holidays and get in early.
How to book
Call the club on (03) 5255 6255, fill in the green fee booking enquiry form on barwonheads.golf, or use the "Check Availability & Book Online" button on the visitors' booking page. The booking page doesn't mention a handicap requirement.
Green fees
When we checked in October 2026, the club listed $250 for 18 holes Monday to Friday and $300 for peak times "when available". Peak means weekends, public holidays and 26 December through to the Australia Day long weekend. Check before you book.
What to wear
It's a traditional club. On the course: a collared shirt or polo (tucked in for men), tailored trousers, shorts or skirt, and visible white socks for men in shorts. Soft spikes or flat rubber soles. No blue denim, cargo or drawstring shorts, tracksuits or singlets. In the clubhouse, caps and hats come off at the door.
Carts and hire
We couldn't find cart or club hire listed on the website, so ask the Golf Shop when you book.
The Par-3 Course
This is the easy one. It was first laid out by Legh Winser in 1961, then redesigned by Crafter and Mogford and reopened in January 2008. The club pitches it as a relaxed place for people new to the game. Golf Australia magazine's 2026 rankings describe it as a 9-hole par-3 course.
When it's open
Daily from 7:30am, to everyone, except when club competitions are on. The club says that's normally Saturday mornings and Junior Golf Week in mid-January.
Booking and cost
You have to book and pay before you play: online, in person at the Golf Shop (at the top of the hill opposite the clubhouse) or by phone on (03) 5255 6255. When we checked in October 2026 it was $15 for adults, $12 for locals with proof of address and $8 for children. Check before you go.
The rules
Casual clothes are fine, but closed shoes and a shirt (no singlets) are a must. No alcohol at any time. Take a sand bucket. The first tee is about 70 metres down the path from the west end of the lower car park. One thing to know: if you're only playing the Par-3, you don't get access to the clubhouse.
The clubhouse
The clubhouse is listed with Heritage Victoria and the National Trust, and people have been staying in it since 1924. It closed in June 2024 for restoration and reopened in September 2025. There are 19 ensuite rooms, four of them balcony rooms looking towards The Rip and the Point Lonsdale lighthouse.
Staying there is how most visitors get a guaranteed main-course round. The full board Stay and Play package includes dinner, the room, breakfast, an 18-hole round and lunch before you leave. From February 2026 the club lists it from $475 per person per night twin share for non-members, Sunday to Thursday. Room rates also cover the tennis courts, billiards room, driving range, short-game practice area and free use of the Par-3. Evening dining is in the Western Dining Room, where the dress code is smart casual and golf clothes aren't considered suitable.
Getting there from Holyday House
Allow about 25 minutes from the house in north Torquay, heading east to Barwon Heads. You'll pass 13th Beach Golf Links on the way, so a 13th Beach round one day and Barwon Heads the next is an easy pairing. Lonsdale Links is the other big one on this side of the Bellarine.
The house has off-street parking for several cars and room for a boat or trailer, so a group arriving in two or three cars with golf bags isn't a problem. Ask us about storing clubs when you enquire. And after a windy day on a links, the hot tub back at the house is hard to argue with.
Barwon Heads Golf Club FAQ
Can visitors play Barwon Heads Golf Club?
Sometimes. Green fee play is sometimes available on Mondays, Fridays and after competition times Tuesday to Thursday. On weekends, public holidays, in summer and in other peak periods, guests staying in the clubhouse get priority, and access for anyone else is usually unavailable or extremely limited.
How much is a round?
When we checked in October 2026, $250 for 18 holes Monday to Friday and $300 at peak times when available. The Par-3 Course was $15 for adults. Check the club's website before you book.
Can anyone play the Par-3 Course?
Yes. It's open daily from 7:30am except during club competitions (normally Saturday mornings and mid-January's Junior Golf Week). Book and pay first, wear closed shoes and a shirt, and leave the drinks at home.
Is there a dress code?
Yes, and it's traditional on the main course: collared shirt (tucked in for men), tailored shorts or trousers, white socks with shorts for men, no denim. The Par-3 is casual.
How far is it from Holyday House?
About 25 minutes' drive east from north Torquay.
This is an independent guide; green fees, booking rules and visitor times change, so check with The Barwon Heads Golf Club before you go. For every course within an easy drive, see our Torquay golf guide. Our Torquay restaurants guide covers dinner back in town, and the group accommodation guide helps if you're bringing the whole four-ball and partners. When you've got dates in mind, send us an enquiry.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 15 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Booking Your Round — The Barwon Heads Golf Club
- The Course - Overview — The Barwon Heads Golf Club
- The Par-3 Course — The Barwon Heads Golf Club
- Quick Facts — The Barwon Heads Golf Club
- Tariffs - Guests — The Barwon Heads Golf Club
- Dress Code — The Barwon Heads Golf Club
- Australia's Top 100 Golf Courses 2026/27 — Australian Golf Digest
- RANKING: Australia's Top-100 Courses for 2026 — Golf Australia magazine