The wind blows in from Bass Strait, and the sea surges ashore just metres away.
But it’s the views that are most distracting as you stand over your putt at one of Tasmania’s world-class golf courses.
With three of the top four courses in the country, according to Golf Australia’s 2022 course rankings, Tasmania is teed up and ready for play.
Best golf experiences
King Island
Take the coastal challenge of the links-style courses at Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes Golf Course, a pair of island courses ranked among the top 20 in Australia. Cape Wickham sits in the shadow of Australia’s tallest lighthouse, while Ocean Dunes flirts with a wild stretch of Southern Ocean coast.
Barnbougle
These are the courses that started Tasmania’s golfing revolution, stretched along a dune-lined strip of coast at Bridport. The Dunes and Lost Farm are among Australia top-five courses, while the newest arrival is Bougle Run, a short 14-hole course with views as good as the design.
Ratho Farm
What’s old is new again at Ratho Farm, near Bothwell in the Central Highlands. Laid out in the 1830s, Australia’s oldest golf course has six restored holes. Enjoy the fairways trimmed by sheep.
Quamby Estate
The grand ancestral home of the first premier born in Tasmania also sports a nine-hole golf course, laid out in the 1990s with beautiful rural views. Sir Richard Branson holds the No. 1 membership ticket, but the well-groomed course is open to the public.
Holiday golf
Sometimes you just a want a round of golf to while away an afternoon on holiday, and Tasmania has plenty of courses in beautiful locations. Tasman Golf Club sits atop cliffs at Port Arthur, with views across the water to Cape Raoul. The nine-hole Freycinet Golf Club is just 7km from Freycinet National Park, with views of the Hazards, while Stanley Golf Club is a nine-hole, links-style coastal course laid out beneath The Nut.