What it is
Lonsdale Links is an 18-hole public links course at 31 Clubhouse Drive, Point Lonsdale, at the far end of the Bellarine Peninsula. It runs through coastal dunes along the edge of Lake Victoria, and it's open to the public every day of the year except Christmas Day.
It's also one of the more unusual courses in the country. The holes are modelled on famous "template" holes from the old Scottish and American courses, so you'll find a Biarritz, an Eden, a Road hole and a Punchbowl here, all in one round. Golf Australia magazine ranked it 20th in Australia in its 2026 Top 100, and Australian Golf Digest has it at 41st in its 2026/27 list.
It isn't long. That's part of the point. The interest is in the greens and the ground around them, not in how far you can hit it.
The course and its history
The club opened as the Point Lonsdale Golf Links on 18 November 1922, a nine-hole course marked out by volunteers on 43 acres running down to Lake Victoria. It turned 100 in 2022.
Just before that, it rebuilt itself almost completely. The club sold and subdivided some land, bought neighbouring farmland, and redeveloped both the course and the clubhouse. The new course and clubhouse opened to the public in December 2020. The course is by Ogilvy Cocking Mead (OCM, the firm of Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead) and the clubhouse is by Wood Marsh Architecture. Golf Australia's 2026 judges note the course was moved west from its original site, with five new holes.
The club's course tour lists the card as par 69 for men and 70 for women. It doesn't give a total length, but the Golf Australia judges described it in 2026 as "a modest 5,250 metres". There are four sets of tees on every hole.
What it's like to play
The club says the design draws on Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor and Charles Banks, the architects who built template holes across America in the early 1900s. A few the club describes on its course tour:
The 2nd, Biarritz
A par 3 from an elevated tee, looking over farmland and the lake. The real hazard is the deep chasm running across the middle of a big green.
The 6th, Eden
A par 3 played out of a chute of moonah trees, based on the 11th at the Old Course at St Andrews, complete with its own versions of the Strath and Cockleshell bunkers.
The 11th, Punchbowl
The longest hole, a par 5 along the southern edge that often plays straight into the wind. The green is blind, through a narrow gap in the dunes, so check the pin sign on the tee.
The 16th, Road
A short par 4 inspired by the Road Hole at St Andrews, with an out-of-bounds fence right against the green and a small bunker that pulls in far more balls than it looks like it should.
The reviews are mostly warm, with a bit of honest pushback. Golf Australia's 2026 panel mentioned "large, interesting greens, an abundance of short grass and plenty of room off the tee", and one judge called it "quirky" with architecture "you would struggle to find on any other course in the country". Another felt some holes were "pushing the limits of fairness". Australian Golf Digest's panellist Paul Burgin said it "requires a lot of knowledge and experience to play well". So expect odd bounces, and don't judge it on one round.
Visitors, booking and green fees
Who can play
Anyone, most days. The first tee time is 7:30am. Saturdays are the catch: during the Saturday competition, green fee play is only for golfers with a valid handicap and Golf Link number, and social play opens after 3pm.
Booking
Book through the online tee sheet on lonsdalelinks.com.au, which takes bookings up to six months ahead, or call (03) 5258 1955. The club is cashless.
Green fees
When we checked in October 2026, the green fees page (prices as of 1 October 2026) listed $150 on weekdays and $170 on weekends and public holidays for most of the year. From 26 December to 26 January it's $190 any day. Juniors are $70 ($80 in peak). Adult twilight is $100 in the standard season and $130 in peak, starting after 2pm or 3pm depending on daylight saving. The site also shows an older-looking price table, so go by the price the tee sheet shows when you book, and check before you book.
Dress code
Neat casual on the course: collared shirts or polos, tailored trousers, skirts or shorts, and soft spikes or flat-soled runners. No denim, gym or footy shorts, trackies, beachwear or thongs. The clubhouse is more relaxed, but still no singlets, bare feet or thongs.
Carts, practice and the clubhouse
Public cart hire is $60 on the green fees page. The club doesn't list hire clubs, so bring your own or ask when you book.
The practice facilities are a driving range, a short game area and two practice putting greens. The range is open 7am to 4pm (9:30am on Monday and Friday mornings, after maintenance). Drivers are fine before 9am; after that it's irons only. Buckets for visitors are $7, $14 or $20, and you have to use the club's range balls.
The clubhouse is open to everyone, golfers or not. It does lunch, dinner, coffee and drinks, with views over Lake Victoria, plus a golfers' lounge with an open fire and a kids' playground. That makes it an easy spot to meet the non-golfers in your group afterwards. Book a table through the club's website.
Photo: William Watt,
courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo: William Watt,
courtesy of Visit Victoria Getting there from Holyday House
Allow about 40 minutes from the house in north Torquay, across the Bellarine to Point Lonsdale. Give yourself more on a summer weekend. There's off-street parking for multiple vehicles back at the house, so a group in two cars is no trouble.
Queenscliff is next door, so it's easy to turn the round into a day out. If you're coming down from Melbourne's south-east, the car ferry from Sorrento lands in Queenscliff. Our Queenscliff ferry day-trip guide covers the crossing and nearby stops, while our getting to Torquay without a car guide has the ferry details. Keen to play two rounds over a weekend? Queenscliff Golf Club on Swan Island is about 10 minutes away, Barwon Heads is roughly on the way home, and Curlewis is over on the bay side of the peninsula.
Lonsdale Links FAQ
Can the public play Lonsdale Links?
Yes. It's open to the public every day except Christmas Day. On Saturdays during the competition you'll need a valid handicap and Golf Link number, or wait for social play after 3pm.
How much are green fees?
In October 2026 the club listed $150 weekdays and $170 weekends for most of the year, and $190 from 26 December to 26 January. Twilight rates are lower. Check the tee sheet for the current price.
Where is it ranked?
20th in Golf Australia magazine's Top 100 for 2026, and 41st in Australian Golf Digest's Top 100 for 2026/27.
Who designed it?
Ogilvy Cocking Mead (OCM), for the redevelopment that opened in December 2020. The clubhouse is by Wood Marsh Architecture.
Can non-golfers come along?
Yes. The restaurant and bar are open to the public, with neat casual dress, and there's a playground for kids.
How far is it from Holyday House?
About 40 minutes' drive from north Torquay. Allow extra in summer.
This is an independent guide; green fees, booking rules and visitor times change, so check with Lonsdale Links before you go. For the other courses within an hour of the house, see our golf guide. Making a weekend of it on the Bellarine? The wineries guide covers the cellar doors on the way, and the events guide has the Queenscliff Music Festival dates. And if you want somewhere to put your feet up after the round, 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.
- Lonsdale Links home — Lonsdale Links (official)
- Green Fees — Lonsdale Links (official)
- Practice Facilities — Lonsdale Links (official)
- History — Lonsdale Links (official)
- Course Tour (holes 1-18) — Lonsdale Links (official)
- Dress Regulations — Lonsdale Links (official)
- Public tee sheet — Lonsdale Links (official)
- RANKING: Australia's Top-100 Courses for 2026 — Golf Australia magazine
- Australia's Top 100 Golf Courses 2026/27 — Australian Golf Digest