It’s time to hit the open road. Here’s some inspiration when planning that next golf holiday.

Part of the fun with a golf holiday is the journey getting there. The sense of occasion builds as the destination approaches. Think of playing the Melbourne Sandbelt for the very first time or that maiden voyage to Barnbougle Dunes. A road trip with playing companions is even more memorable. Along with the camaraderie, driving from one course to another allows the freedom to discover local attractions.

Famed 17-Mile Drive on California’s Monterey Peninsula is considered by many as the most storied road in all of golf. The 27-kilometre scenic loop hugs the rugged Pacific coastline, winding its way past pine forests, historic landmarks and arguably the greatest collection of golf courses on the planet: Cypress Point Club, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, The Links at Spanish Bay, Poppy Hills and Spyglass Hill.

The road was originally built as an excursion for guests at the Hotel Del Monte seeking to take in the sights around Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove and Carmel-by-the-Sea. Today, it’s America’s oldest toll road that draws golfers and non-golfers alike.

With many fine golf courses spread across the Australian continent, 17-Mile Drive was the catalyst to collate a bucket list of Great Drives In Australian Golf.

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The Great Ocean Road from Torquay to Allansford would be the favourite drive of many Australians for the sheer beauty encountered. Torquay provides the opportunity to sample the many fine Bellarine Peninsula courses around Geelong (13th Beach, Barwon Heads, Curlewis, RACV Torquay, Lonsdale Links). First stop along the Great Ocean Road is the iconic Bells Beach, home of the Rip Curl Pro surfing competition each Easter. Unpack the sticks for a round at Anglesea Golf Club, Lorne Country Club and/or Apollo Bay Golf Club before the journey to view The Twelve Apostles, the renowned limestone stacks just before Port Campbell on the Shipwreck Coast. The reward for making it this far west are Warrnambool Golf Club, the home of Ripper GC’s Marc Leishman, and the outstanding Port Fairy Golf Links.

Melburnians are blessed for choice when it comes to golf tours across regional Victoria. The ‘Mornington Peninsula Crossroads’ would define the tapestry of thoroughfares where links golf reigns supreme amid rolling farmland, boutique wineries and therapeutic hot springs. The Mornington Peninsula Freeway extends from Dingley in Melbourne’s south-east all the way to Rosebud (Rosebud Country Club). Options galore for golf. Head west along Point Nepean Road through Rye and Blairgowrie to the beachside towns of Sorrento and Portsea (Sorrento and Portsea golf clubs). Or head south along Boneo Rd where you’ll come to a crossroads. Turn right and head west on Browns Rd where signage points the way to Peppers Moonah Links Resort, The Dunes Golf Links and St Andrews Beach. Or continue southwards on Boneo Rd to The National Golf Club and RACV Cape Schanck Resort. Then venture east on Boneo Rd to Flinders Golf Club where Peter Thomson used to prepare for his Open Championship campaigns.

Murray Valley Highway Drive is the 663km tourist route between Euston and Corryong. However there’s plenty of good golf on offer along the 391km stretch from the riverboat town of Swan Hill to the wine-making region of Rutherglen (Murray Downs, cluBarham, Rich River, Tocumwal, Cobram Barooga, Yarrawonga Mulwala, Black Bull, Corowa).

The Coastal Princes Highway Drive (A1) from Sydney to Melbourne is somewhat of a rite of passage for residents of the two state capitals. The 1,030km trek can be broken down into a two-day journey or extended for a week-long marathon. Depart Sydney and just past Wollongong is the lovely Calderwood Valley Golf Course in the shadows of the Illawarra Escarpment. Or play 18 holes at the delightful Kiama Golf Club before checking out the Kiama Blowhole next to the lighthouse. Accomplished players should tackle Mollymook Golf Club’s demanding Hilltop course near Ulladulla. Narooma Golf Club, which was made famous by Paul Hogan’s television commercial, features breathtaking scenery as well as a quality layout. Catalina Club at Batemans Bay is worthy of a visit. So, too, Tura Beach Country Club and Pambula-Merimbula Golf Club. On the Victorian side of the border, Lakes Entrance Golf Club is an underrated layout and Warragul Country Club is the host venue of the Gippsland Super 6 tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

The Pacific Highway Drive from Sydney to Brisbane is packed with options for golf and has 14 layouts ranked in Australia’s Top 100 Golf Courses. The Springs at Peats Ridge is a hidden gem located just after the Mooney Mooney Bridge. Magenta Shores is a beautiful links-style layout set among coastal sand dunes at The Entrance on the Central Coast. A detour to Pokolbin in the Lower Hunter is well worth the trek to play The Vintage and Cypress Lakes. Newcastle Golf Club at Stockton, which is set to undergo a Bob Harrison makeover, is the best course on the New South Wales side of the border while the highly rated Pacific Dunes forms part of a residential golf community just off the A1 at Medowie.

The NSW Mid North Coast geographically starts at Port Stephens (Hawks Nest Golf Club). Forster Tuncurry Golf Club’s Tuncurry course has undergone extensive renovation along with coastal revegetation. Tallwoods Country Club is being lovingly restored to its former glory with investment from the Pace family. More hidden gems can be found at Wauchope, Port Macquarie, Nambucca Heads, Sawtell and Coffs Harbour golf clubs. But they tend to be overshadowed by the majesty of Bonville Golf Resort.

The NSW Northern Rivers region includes Ballina Golf Club, Byron Bay Golf Club, a former host of the Australian PGA Seniors Championship, and Ocean Shores Country Club, which was one of the earliest residential golf communities with investors such as American entertainer Pat Boone. Vijay Singh once honed his game at the undulating Murwillumbah Golf Club while Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club is an outstanding 36-hole facility.

On the Queensland side of the border, the Gold Coast is resort golf at its finest with big-name architects: The Glades (Greg Norman/Bob Harrison), Palmer Gold Coast (Graham Marsh/Ross Watson), Lakelands (Jack Nicklaus’ first signature course in Australia), Palm Meadows (Graham Marsh/Ross Watson), RACV Royal Pines (Graham Marsh), Links Hope Island (Peter Thomson/Mike Wolveridge/Ross Perrett) and Sanctuary Cove’s Pines (Arnold Palmer’s only Australian design) and Palms (Ross Watson) courses. By then it’s time to jump back onto the Pacific Motorway for the drive into Brisbane.

Across the continent, the Great Southwest Drive begins with a 72km journey south of Perth along the Kwinana Freeway to the coastal town of Mandurah where top-shelf golf beckons (Links Kennedy Bay, Secret Harbour, Meadow Springs, Mandurah, The Cut, Pinjarra). Continue southwards for 95km along the Forest Highway towards Bunbury (Harvey, Bunbury, The Sanctuary, Collie). Venturing further south along the Bussell Highway allows for more playing opportunities (Capel, Busselton, Dunsborough Lakes, Margaret River) before reaching Augusta and Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the most southwesterly point in Australia.

The adventurous may even be tempted to change direction in Bunbury and take the South Western Highway via Donnybrook through ancient red tingle forests en route to Albany where a quartet of splendid courses await (Walpole, Denmark, Albany, Mount Barker). It’s well worth the trek to play Albany – the most remote 18-hole layout on Australia’s Top 100 Golf Courses – despite the 405km return leg to Perth along the Albany Highway.

Speaking of remote, the Outback Queensland Masters will return for its grand finale in 2025. The adventure spans more than 1,900km at six outback locations with the opportunity to compete in the Million Dollar Hole-In-One Challenge. Over six consecutive weekends in June and July, amateur and social golfers will tee up in the towns of Mitchell, Augathella, Blackall, Alpha, Richmond and then Karumba for the Million Dollar Hole-In-One contest. Mount Isa Golf Club had previously staged the climactic finale, but this year competitors will journey along Burke Developmental Road to Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria where the outback meets the sea.

The Ultimate Tassie Road Tour could begin by taking your own vehicle aboard the Spirit Of Tasmania passenger ship from Geelong to Devonport. Tasmania’s north has an array of reasonably priced courses from Devonport Country Club through to the charming layouts on the north-west coast (Ulverstone, Penguin, Burnie, Wynyard, Stanley). From Devonport take the Bass Highway to Launceston (Launceston Golf Club) then the Tasman Highway to Scottsdale and Bridport Rd to the state’s north-east to play the epic trio of Barnbougle layouts (Dunes, Lost Farm, Bougle Run). The Tasman Highway to Hobart along Tasmania’s east coast features breathtaking scenery. In the state capital, Mathew Goggin’s much anticipated 7 Mile Beach east of Hobart is nearing completion. Be sure to add a round at Royal Hobart and/or Tasmania golf clubs. The return leg to Devonport via the Midland Highway is a chance to play and stay at Ratho Farm at Bothwell, which considers itself the oldest golf course in Australia.

In Tropical North Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef Drive is a winding passage from Cairns to Port Douglas with spectacular views over the Coral Sea. Consider Half Moon Bay Golf Club at Yorkeys Knob on Cairns’ northern outskirts for a hit before the 73km journey to Port Douglas. Palmer Sea Reef Golf Course, designed by Mike Wolveridge, should be on every golfer’s bucket list for its uniqueness as a links in the tropics. Mirage Country Club once hosted the Australian Skins exhibition matches in the 1980s featuring Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus. Mossman Golf Club, 20 minutes to the north, features lush vegetation with towering canopies. Port Douglas is an ideal base from which to discover the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest and Mossman Gorge.

Canberrans can explore the many golf courses along the NSW South Coast. But they can also take the Barton Highway north-west of the capital past Gold Creek Country Club onto Burley Griffin Way to play Harden Country Club. Continue on Burley Griffin Way to the crossroad at Wallenden where a dilemma awaits. Turn left for a Riverina Tour (Wagga City, Wagga Wagga CC, Narrandera) or right for a Central West Tour (Bathurst, Duntryleague, Wentworth, Parkes, Forbes).

Day trips and long weekends

A Fleurieu Peninsula Tour is perfect for a long weekender. From Adelaide Airport (next door to Glenelg Golf Club), head south via Victor Harbor Road past McLaren Vale to Willunga Golf Course, host of the Webex Players Series SA, and Mount Compass Golf Course before reaching McCracken Country Club and Victor Harbor Golf Club. Alternatively, take Main South Road towards Fleurieu’s south-west coast to Normanville and use it as a hub to play Links Lady Bay and Wirrina Cove.

For a Sunshine Coast Drive, hiring a rental vehicle at Maroochydore airport is a great way to explore the surrounding courses. Head north along David Low Way, the scenic 36km alternative to the Sunshine Coast Motorway, which links Maroochydore with Noosa Heads (Mount Coolum, Palmer Coolum Resort, Peregian Springs, Noosa Springs, Noosa Golf Club).

Alternatively, head south along David Low Way to encounter Twin Waters, Maroochy River at Bli Bli and Headland Golf Club at Buderim. Nicklin Way leads to Pelican Waters Golf Club. Then onto the Bruce Highway – which could include a detour on Bribie Island Road to Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club and/or Bribie Island Golf Club – before returning the hire car at Brisbane Airport next to Nudgee Golf Club, home of the Queensland PGA Championship.

A Yarra Valley Getaway is an idyllic retreat away from Melbourne to combine golf and wine tasting. Eastern Golf Club carries Greg Norman’s imprimatur while Heritage Golf & Country Club boasts 36 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tony Cashmore. Yering Meadows and Gardiners Run are fine layouts, while further along the Maroondah Highway is RACV Healesville Country Club.

For a day trip in the west, a Swan Valley escape 30 minutes north-east of Perth is an attractive option for the variety of wineries, microbreweries, rum and gin distilleries. Add golf to the mix by staying at Novotel Swan Valley Vines Resort in the foothills of the Darling Ranges. 

Stay and play

Alloggio Group has Australia and New Zealand’s largest collection of professionally managed holiday homes with more than 3,500 properties. Its portfolio of ‘Golf Getaways’ is a popular feature on its website, alloggio.com.au

What we drove: Maserati GranTurismo

The all-new Maserati GranTurismo is a luxurious grand tourer designed for those who demand both sophistication and performance. Starting from $357,500 (excluding on-road costs), this Italian masterpiece perfectly blends beauty, power and precision engineering, making it the ultimate vehicle for those who seek the thrill of high-performance driving and unparalleled elegance.

At its heart, the GranTurismo features a powerful twin-turbo V6 engine, delivering exceptional acceleration and performance. Whether you’re cruising to your next tee-time or enjoying a scenic drive, the GranTurismo promises a thrilling experience with impressive speed and handling.

The exterior design of the GranTurismo exudes muscular elegance, with sleek lines and
carbon-fibre accents, making for a striking presence wherever it goes. The car’s bold, athletic stance captures the essence of performance while maintaining a sense of elegance. For those who prefer an open-air driving experience, the GranTurismo is also available as the Gran Cabrio, offering the same thrilling performance but with the added joy of enjoying the journey with the top down.

Inside, the GranTurismo’s cabin is a masterpiece of Italian craftsmanship, blending premium finishes with cutting-edge technology to keep you connected on every journey. Whether on a long road trip or a quick drive around town, the luxurious interior ensures a comfortable and immersive experience, with every detail meticulously designed for maximum comfort and style.

Perfect for golfers who appreciate both performance and luxury, the Maserati GranTurismo is the ideal vehicle for Australia’s scenic drives. You can now customise and order your Maserati GranTurismo at https://www.maserati.com/au/en