Labour of love: The devil is in the detail at this bucolic course wedged snugly between Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula

One of the enduring charms of Devilbend Golf Club is that its location at rural Moorooduc feels like it’s out of way, yet the truth is quite the opposite. The course’s positioning near the Mornington Peninsula Freeway makes it conveniently accessible for residents of south-east Melbourne, the peninsula itself or anyone travelling between the two.

It’s a handy situation that more and more golfers are discovering. Devilbend general manager Tim O’Sullivan says the course’s location and competitive green fee ($55-$65 midweek, $70-$80
on weekends) are getting noticed.

“It’s very rural,” he says. “We don’t have a lot of residents nearby, but it’s an easily accessible golf course in terms of getting here. We’re starting to get some traction. It’s really accessible from the city, or at least from this side of the city. It’s an affordable course to come and play, compared to nearby clubs that are charging $120 to $140 per round.

“We position ourselves somewhere in the middle where I think we can be a real value way for people on the journey between Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.”

Devilbend Golf Club was formed in 1973 and the course welcomed its first players in 1975. The layout was designed and constructed by Eric Horne, who had previously worked alongside Sam Berriman, the acclaimed designer of numerous courses across Victoria, most notably Huntingdale. Water from the nearby Devilbend Reservoir feeds into Devilbend Creek, from which the course draws its name. The creek is a minor feature within the layout.

“It’s been a labour of love for a lot of the members here,” O’Sullivan says. “So we’re 50 years – formed in ’73, opened in ’75, so you could call us right in the middle of that 50 years window. But it’s probably come on in the past 20 from being a real country course to a layout of higher standard.

“It’s been mentioned a lot of times, but it was a lot of volunteer labour that used to do a lot of the maintaining of the golf course. Now it’s just come into a professional era; it’s starting to get into that higher echelon. Our clubhouse renovation is just about to go ahead, so we’re taking that next step but we want to still maintain that country feel.”

Undulations are a feature of the layout at Devilbend, but it’s almost exclusively up and down rather than side to side. You’re unlikely to feel the ball above or below your feet too often. Several slender greens are also a feature and such narrowness places a premium on accuracy into the greens, although accurate driving is equally valuable. The course is not overly bunkered – several holes feature none – but the ones that are part of the layout are cleverly placed and often deep.

Recent tree clearing has helped improve the playing surfaces, which have never been in better shape, while more than $100,000 has been spent on drainage works since COVID, an important investment on what is a clay-based site. Veteran course architect Ross Perrett has also advised the club on further improvements via a course masterplan. All the while, Devilbend has maintained that country quality. You might even spot a family of Cape Barren geese waddling across the course.

“We want to get more people to enjoy it and come and have a go,” O’Sullivan says. “I only ask people to come have a game, and they can make up their own mind. And given the value for money, I think they’ll walk away saying, ‘We’d love to come back and play here again.’” 

THE DETAILS
Devilbend Golf Club
Where: Loders Rd, Moorooduc VIC 3933
Phone: (03) 5978 8470
Web: devilbendgolf.com.au