A pretty exclusive golf club. I've only been there for a work function. The surrounds and…read morefacilities are great and the food was good. They have a sensible dress code and a policy of not allowing mobile phone use in the public areas. That does a lot to keep the atmosphere dignified.

VGC is one of the famed 'Sand belt' courses in Melbourne. Pure couch in natural surrounds this is…read morejust as good as a golf course can be in terms of condition. Even though the course is mainly populated by Victorians it was a special day for me and I loved every minute. Got slugged for full freight green fees even though I am supposed to have some reciprocity which was a bit rough, but I still got to finally play a sand belt course. The club has largely lived down the 2002 Australian Open debacle where a days play was lost because the weather was too good, according to Rich Beem -who at the same time asked if the fly was Australia's national bird. My view is that the Melbourne Sand Belt should be registered with the World Heritage Register, and so should some of VGC's members. One day I'll get to play its neighbour, THE sandbelt course - Royal Mexico. One day.

Often rated as the best course in Australia - this is a very private expensive club for the gentry…read moreof Melbourne in the famed Sandbelt area of Melbourne. Has two 18 hole courses - East and West spread over four sections of land. For tournaments only one main section is used - making up the Composite Course. The West Course is definitely superior, has most of the holes of the composite layout and the front nine of the West has a stretch of five or six holes that are world class. Noted for its large bunkers and fast greens it is a masterwork of noted course design legend Dr Alistair McKenzie. Interstate or overseas players may be able to get a round with a letter of introduction from their club - sent well ahead of time. The course is well-treed but maintains something of a links feel as it is built on ancient sand-dunes that are now well inland. I was a caddy at Royal Melbourne for four years but actually rate Kingston Heath and Barnbougle Dunes as better course designs overall (and The Dunes at Rye remains my favourite all time course).

What a pleasant public golf course, challenging, well maintained, spacious and full of little traps…read morelike lakes, mid course bunkers, deep bunkers around the greens. You need to have your wits about you here but isn't that part of the challenge? 19th hole with a range of drinks and food options, an outdoor area to enjoy that well earned stubby and plush couches to fall into after you've followed a little white ball all day. Be careful though the depth of the couch can be a challenge to get out of. Pro shop well stocked with gear and extra balls at $1 a pop you can stack up on before you head out to the course where you will possibly leave 1 or 2 in a lake. A good choice of golf course if you're looking for a public one close to the Eastern burbs.

A great shorter public 18 hole golf course along the side of Gardiner's Creek. Proshop has good…read morecheap hire gear and helpful friendly staff. I've bought gear here and been very happy with their advice. Less pressure, cheaper, selective range of gear, and better advice than at many off course golf shops. I've played with, and equiped, my 2 younger teenage sons here. They appreciate the shorter, more technical course layout. A lesson from the Pro, Chris Staff, is totally helpful. Arlo's Cafe is the place for brunch, lunch, or a post game drink. You need to book (7 days in advance) as it can be busy. After 2pm weekdays all the tradies play but after 2pm on weekends is quiet. 9 holes takes 1.5-2hrs depending on time waiting for other groups. Look for the hidden convenience shed near the 6th tee. Take a few rough balls or buy some cheaply at the Pro-Shop as some will likely end up in the creek or in the dense rough and be lost forever. Big hitters need to take care on the front 9 holes, thus the course nicely equalises stronger and weaker players. Greens are slow but vary as with most public courses. The back 9 is more open and forgiving. A great place to walk the course if you're not a golfer. A real inner-city green escape. A real find.

Public golf course in Brighton - 11km from City centre. Usually in good condition. Front nine is…read moretougher - back nine has a number of short par fours. Most holes have at least two bunkers. Greens are mostly fairly small with little borrow and the fairways are narrow and tree-lined. Hitting off can be daunting for beginners as the waiting area is right behind the tee and there is often a crowd waiting and watching. Beware of balls from other fairways as the fairways are narrow. Four holes on the front nine go up and down hills but the back nine is just undulating. The back nine has nicer shots into the green as some of the hole were redesigned a few years back. The last hole is a useful par-5 that sweeps around a corner. Usually very busy and is popular with beginners so can be slow.

They refer to Spring Valley as the hidden jewel of the world famous sand belt golf courses. I don't…read morehear much about the course in comparison to their neighboring courses, such as Kingston Heath, but note that it is rated amongst the top 40 courses in Australia. The course is fantastic. Always in immaculate condition and the greens must rate amongst the nations very best. Beautiful bunkering and great design in that every hole presents s different challenge. Great clubhouse and facilities backed up by courteous and knowledgable staff. Highly recommend.

Melbourne Golf Academy is the most impressive and flashy golf driving range in Melbourne. It has…read moreabout 50 bays, a comfortable licensed cafe that is popular for corporate and social functions and has a very large 18-hole putting green with some challenging slopes. No charge for putting. There is also a bunker and pitching practice area. They have a large teaching staff with some female teachers. They have demo nights once a month so that you can try equipment from various top-name brands. It is a very pleasant place to spend a warm summer night. The balls are more forgiving that the rocks you hit at other places. The range is more than 280 metres long so there is no way you will run out of room. On a still or foggy night there is sometimes an unpleasant smell from the garbage tips that are a couple of kilometers away - you just have to live with that I guess. I like it for the high quality facilities, the great putting green and the quality of the balls.

After having my husbands 40th in the function centre of Melbourne Golf Academy in 2014 which was…read morefantastic I thought I'd have my 40th there in 2016. As it was a themed party I asked for one cocktail to be made. A recipe was given in October 2015. I received a approximate quote of $200.00 for 10 litres in writing and also verbally in Dec 2015. Accepting this quote in writing I ordered, paid and received my invitations and went to pay my deposit. This is when I received a "detailed" quote with the price of cocktails being 8 litres for approximately $450.00. I queried this jump in approximation based on the previous written and verbal quote in Dec 2015 (same recipe) and was told the price could not be altered, MGA would lose money on my function and received this reply: " I would encourage you to try another venue that may be able to help meet your requirements and costs as we cannot honestly host the event without considerable losses to MGA." (Verbatim) Obviously, I took my party elsewhere.

A nine hole public course conveniently located in Elsternwick. Fairly short and flat with a total…read moreof 24 bunkers. Great option if you don't have much time or if you are just learning golf. Very pleasant mid-week to have nine holes and then go to one of the cafes nearby to talk about the triumphs of the round. Usually in good condition as that part of Melbourne is a drainage area so the course stays pretty green. One of the few courses around where you can arrive by tram.