What it is
Queenscliff Golf Club is an 18-hole course on Swan Island, just off Queenscliff at the tip of the Bellarine. You get there over a bridge across Swan Bay and then a narrow causeway. The island is Australian Defence Force land, and the club shares it with Defence, which is why there's a security gate before the bridge.
That gate is the thing to plan around. Everything else is fairly relaxed: it's a public-access club with modest green fees, hire gear, and views over Swan Bay, Port Phillip and Queenscliff. The club says the only thing likely to break the quiet is the occasional whistle from the Bellarine steam train.
Getting through the gatehouse
Read this bit before you go. The club's booking page says advance bookings are essential, and to get onto Swan Island you have to show photo ID and your booking details at the Department of Defence gatehouse before crossing the bridge. It has to be the original document or an official digital driver's licence. Photocopies, scans and photos of your ID aren't accepted.
The club's events page says all members and visitors have to show photo ID at the gatehouse, so make sure everyone in the car has theirs, not just the driver. Visit Geelong Bellarine puts the gatehouse on Bridge Street. Searoad, which partners with the club, also asks visitors not to stop or take photos while crossing the bridge or causeway, and to follow the signs.
Because Defence controls access, the rules can change. If you're unsure about anything (an early tee time, a non-golfer coming along for the ride), call the club on (03) 5258 4344 before you drive over.
The course and its history
Golf on Swan Island goes back a long way. According to the club's history, a Mr Banks, described as a championship player, picked the site in 1907 and had five holes ready by Christmas Day that year. The club itself was formed on 18 October 1913. A house was moved onto the island to become the clubhouse in 1920, the course grew to 12 holes in 1922 and 15 in 1954, and the committee laid out the full 18 in 1961. The front and back nines were swapped in 1989.
The card on the club's course tour adds up to a par 72 (35 out, 37 in), at a bit under 5,900 metres from the back tees. More recent work has put santa ana couch on 14 fairways, rebuilt tees and started swapping bunkers for steep-faced pot bunkers.
The island is built up from drifting sand, and the club calls it a true all-weather course: after heavy rain, it says, you'd need to step into Swan Bay or a water hazard to get your feet wet. The prevailing wind is a south-westerly, and plenty of the hole notes mention playing into it.
What it's like to play
It's a shortish course with a lot of short par 4s, water in play, and the wind doing most of the defending. A few holes the club singles out on its course tour, each with a flyover video:
The 6th
The club's signature hole. A long par 4 with views across Queenscliff, Swan Bay and Port Phillip, and the club's advice is to block out the view for your second shot.
The 7th
A downwind par 4 of under 280 metres with the bay wrapped around the tee. Eagles are possible. So are doubles, with water on the right and out of bounds down the left.
The 11th to the 14th
Back-to-back par 5s, the first with a tee that becomes an island on king tides (especially over Easter, the club says). The 12th starts the stretch members call "Amen Corner", which finishes at the 14th, a par 3 of up to 176 metres that usually plays into the breeze.
The course isn't in either national Top 100, but Australian Golf Digest listed Queenscliff among the 25 courses that narrowly missed out on its 2026/27 list.
Booking, green fees and hire
How to book
Through the Public Bookings page on queenscliffgolfclub.com.au. You register as a "public member" first (it's just an online account), then pick a tee time. You can also call the club. Book ahead: you'll need the booking details at the gate anyway.
Green fees
When we checked in October 2026, the club's fees page listed 18 holes for adults at $55 to $85 on weekdays and $65 to $85 on weekends and public holidays, and 9 holes at $35 to $50. Juniors were $25 for 18 holes. Prices move with the day, the season and demand, and the booking calendar shows the actual rate. Check before you book.
Hire
Handy if you've flown in or left the clubs at home. The fees page lists a motorised cart at $45 for 18 holes ($35 for 9), a set of clubs at $32 ($27 for 9) and a pull buggy for $8.
Dress code
On the course: no sleeveless, singlet or crop tops, shorts or skirts of a sensible length, and golf shoes or flat-soled sports shoes with no metal spikes. Neat, clean casual in the clubhouse.
Birds, tides and the clubhouse
Swan Bay is part of a Ramsar-listed wetland, and the club lists royal spoonbills, swans, pelicans and plovers among the birds on the island, plus the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot. The course staff say they keep chemical use to a minimum and plant natives.
It's exposed out there, so the club has a clear weather policy. If lightning's around, one long blast on the air horn means stop play and head in. Three short blasts mean it's safe to go back out.
The clubhouse is low-key. Visit Geelong Bellarine lists a bar and snacks. For a proper lunch, Queenscliff's cafes and pubs are a few minutes back over the bridge.
Getting there from Holyday House
Allow about 45 to 50 minutes from the house in north Torquay to the island, plus a few minutes at the gatehouse. Leave a bit earlier than you think you need to. Turning up late to the gate with a tee time ticking isn't fun.
It pairs well with a second round at Lonsdale Links, about 10 minutes away at Point Lonsdale, or a wander around Queenscliff afterwards. The Searoad ferry from Sorrento also lands at Queenscliff, which our getting to Torquay without a car guide covers. And if you're coming for the Queenscliff Music Festival, the dates are in our events guide.
Queenscliff Golf Club FAQ
Do I need ID to play at Queenscliff Golf Club?
Yes. You show photo ID and your booking details at the Defence gatehouse before crossing to Swan Island. Originals or an official digital driver's licence only, no photocopies, scans or photos.
Can I just turn up?
Don't count on it. The club says advance bookings are essential, and you'll need your booking details at the gate.
How much does it cost?
In October 2026 the club listed 18 holes for adults at $55 to $85 depending on the day and season, and 9 holes at $35 to $50. The booking calendar shows the current rate.
Can I hire clubs and a cart?
Yes. The club lists clubs at $32 and a motorised cart at $45 for 18 holes, and pull buggies at $8.
How far is it from Holyday House?
About 45 to 50 minutes' drive from north Torquay, plus time at the gatehouse.
This is an independent guide; green fees, booking rules and visitor times change, so check with Queenscliff Golf Club before you go. For the other courses within an hour of the house, see our golf guide. If you're making a weekend of it, the wineries guide has the Bellarine cellar doors, and there's off-street parking for multiple vehicles back at the house if the group comes in a few cars. For another Bellarine course nearby, compare St Leonards Golf Club. 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.
- Public tee sheet — Queenscliff Golf Club (official)
- Events at Queenscliff Golf Club — Queenscliff Golf Club (official)
- Public Fees — Queenscliff Golf Club (official)
- Public Bookings — Queenscliff Golf Club (official)
- Our History / About Us / Course Tour / Dress Code / Weather Policies — Queenscliff Golf Club (official)
- Queenscliff Golf Club — Visit Geelong Bellarine
- Queenscliff Golf Club (partner page) — Searoad Ferries
- Australia's Top 100 Golf Courses 2026/27 — Australian Golf Digest