What it is
Curlewis Golf Club is an 18-hole public course at 1345 Portarlington Road, Curlewis, on the bay side of the Bellarine Peninsula, with views across to Corio Bay. Members and non-members are both welcome.
It's a bit more than a golf course these days. There's a big modern clubhouse with a restaurant and bar, on-site accommodation, and The Range @ Curlewis just up the road, with a driving range, mini golf and simulators. If some of your group play and some don't, it's one of the easier places on the peninsula to keep everyone busy.
The course and its history
The East Geelong Golf Club bought the 60-hectare site in 1947, but water was scarce and the course didn't officially open for play until 1970. Vern Morcom did the original design. Kevin Hartley's master plan followed in 1976, and Michael Clayton's in 2001. Clayton's firm, then Ogilvy Clayton Cocking Mead, was brought in again from 2016, according to Planet Golf.
In July 2015 the club was bought by Lyndsay and David Sharp, who run local winery and cidery businesses, and they've put a lot into the course and clubhouse since. The $20 million clubhouse and accommodation opened in March 2022, the Bellarine Times reported.
The club lists the course at 6,150 metres from the championship tees, par 71 for men and 73 for women. It describes a links-type course on a sandy base, with few trees, rolling couch fairways, firm and fast greens, and the wind deciding how hard it plays on the day. Australian Golf Digest has compared the sandy shapes to Melbourne's Sandbelt.
What it's like to play
The 12th
The hole people talk about. It's a driveable par 4 (it was the 3rd until early 2022). Australian Golf Digest says better players can drive down the left and let the ball feed towards the green, while higher handicappers get a wide fairway and a fair shot at par. Michael Clayton, writing for Golf Australia's 2025 public access panel, said that if it were on the Sandbelt, critics would call it one of the finest short par 4s in the country.
The par 3s
Mostly short or mid-length, which Australian Golf Digest says higher handicappers appreciate, with bunkers and blind run-offs to keep better players honest.
Two different nines
One Australian Golf Digest panellist for 2026/27 called Curlewis "a story of two nines" and rated the back nine as the more interesting of the two.
On the rankings, the two big lists don't agree. Golf Australia magazine moved it up to 43rd in its 2026 Top 100, from 48th in 2024, with one judge saying it's "evolving so quickly that every visit feels like checking in on a brand-new version of the same course". Australian Golf Digest went the other way, dropping it from 62nd to 71st in its 2026/27 Top 100. It was also 21st in Golf Australia's Top 100 Public Access Courses for 2025.
Booking and green fees
How to book
Online through the club's tee sheet (you register for an online account first), or call the pro shop on (03) 5251 1111. The club asks for the name, mobile and email of every player, and for bigger groups it's best to call.
Green fees
The club's own fees page wouldn't load for us in October 2026, so check current fees with the club. For a guide, the online tee sheet in mid-October 2026 showed 18 holes at $90 on weekdays and $100 on weekends, and 9 holes or twilight at $50 on weekdays and $55 on weekends. Rates change with the season.
Carts and hire
Golf carts are available (they come with some of the club's stay and play packages), and the online booking system lists hire clubs. Ask about prices when you book.
Dress code
The club's motto is "Hip! Green! Fun!", and we couldn't find a detailed dress code on its site. If you're unsure, ask the pro shop when you book.
The Range, mini golf and the clubhouse
The Range @ Curlewis
A separate practice and play venue at 1201 Portarlington Road, a short way from the clubhouse. Its booking page lists driving range bays (up to six people a bay, booked in 55-minute sessions, with a dine-and-play option where food comes to your bay), XGolf simulators, a short game zone ($15 for 30 minutes, $20 for an hour) and dining. Lessons with the PGA pros are $65 for 30 minutes or $109 for an hour. The booking page listed 7am to 10pm daily when we checked, but check before you go.
Mini golf
The Range has an 18-hole mini golf course you can book online. It's the easy win for kids, or for anyone in the group who'd rather not spend four hours in the wind.
FootGolf
Curlewis has run a 12-hole FootGolf course (golf, but you kick a soccer ball) in the cooler months. Call the club to check when it's on.
The clubhouse
Claribeaux is the main restaurant and function space, and Ivor's Spike Bar is the casual one, named after a club member. The entry has a "Warhol Wall" of six signed Andy Warhol prints, which you don't see at many golf clubs. There's on-site accommodation too.
Photo: Cameron Murray/Assemble Agency,
courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo: Cameron Murray/Assemble Agency,
courtesy of Visit Victoria Getting there from Holyday House
Allow about 40 to 45 minutes from the house in north Torquay, towards Geelong and then out along Portarlington Road. Summer traffic on the Bellarine can add more.
Portarlington Road is wine country, so there's an easy afternoon here for the non-golfers. Leura Park Estate is on the same road at Curlewis, and our wineries guide has more nearby. Pick a designated driver if the golfers are joining in. For a second round, Portarlington and Clifton Springs are both close by, and Lonsdale Links is down the other end of the peninsula.
Curlewis Golf Club FAQ
Can visitors play Curlewis?
Yes. It's a public access course, and members and non-members are welcome. Book online or through the pro shop.
How much are green fees?
In mid-October 2026 the online tee sheet showed $90 on weekdays and $100 on weekends for 18 holes. Fees change with the season, so check current fees with the club.
Where is it ranked?
43rd in Golf Australia magazine's 2026 Top 100 (up from 48th), and 71st in Australian Golf Digest's 2026/27 Top 100 (down from 62nd).
Is there mini golf at Curlewis?
Yes, an 18-hole mini golf course at The Range @ Curlewis on Portarlington Road, along with driving range bays, simulators and a short game zone.
What's the famous hole?
The 12th, a driveable par 4 that used to be the 3rd.
How far is it from Holyday House?
About 40 to 45 minutes' drive from north Torquay.
This is an independent guide; green fees, booking rules and visitor times change, so check with Curlewis Golf Club before you go. For the other courses within an hour of the house, see our golf guide. Bringing the kids? The family holiday guide and events guide help fill in the rest of a weekend, and there's off-street parking for multiple vehicles back at the house (ask us about somewhere to keep the clubs). When you're ready, check dates and 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.
- Online tee sheet — Curlewis Golf Club (official, MiClub)
- About Curlewis (archived 23 Nov 2025; live site rate-limited) — Curlewis Golf Club via Internet Archive
- Bookings (archived 13 Dec 2025) — Curlewis Golf Club via Internet Archive
- The Range @ Curlewis bookings — bookitlive (official booking platform for The Range)
- RANKING: Australia's Top-100 Courses for 2026 — Golf Australia magazine
- Australia's Top 100 Golf Courses 2026/27 — Australian Golf Digest
- Top 100 Spotlight: Curlewis Golf Club — Australian Golf Digest
- $20m clubhouse and accommodation opens (28 Mar 2022) — Bellarine Times