Victoria Golf Club

Completed in 2019, along with its neighbor Royal Melbourne, Victoria Golf Club is rated among the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World, quite an oddity for true city courses.

The original course was located at Fisherman’s Bend in Port Melbourne, however in 1927 the new course opened at its present site. Located in the city’s sandbelt across the street from Royal Melbourne and within walking distance of Cheltenham Station, a blessing to members without cars in the day.

During the war years and until the 1990s much of the original character was lost. In 1996 a historic ariel photograph was discovered.

Mike Clayton, a former professional Australian golfer, along with his firm at the time (Jeff) Ogilvy, Clayton Cocking & Mead (OCCM) embarked on bringing back lost elements and completing an extensive green replacement, making Victoria Golf Club what it is today.

Victoria Golf Club is comfortably ranked among the Top 10 Golf Courses in Australia, but the quality of its membership past and present might be No.1. 

Starting with its founder in 1903, William Meader, recognized as the ‘Father of Victorian Golf.’  Along with founding VGC he set up the Victoria Golf Association and served as its secretary from 1907-1932.

In 1926 during Dr. Alister Mackenzie’s visit to design Royal Melbourne, he was asked to review the design that Meader, Oscar Dammon, and Frank Lennox had drawn up. He supposedly remarked, “Little more is required to make this a magnificent golf course.” That design opened in 1927 with Prime Minister Lord Stanley Bruce, the first Australian Captain of the R&A, hitting the first shot.

However, like at Kingston Heath, Mackenzie consulted on the bunkering which still today gives the course its distinctive character, and the 100 or so that dot the fairways are considered among the finest in the world.

He is also credited for having input on as many as nine holes along the routing. The renovations with his input opened in 1935.

Member Peter Thomson won The Open Championship 5 times, the Australian Open 3 times, and 2 World Cups. In 1954 The Club had the unique distinction of Thomson holding the Claret Jug while another member, Doug Bachli, held the British Amateur Trophy. Geoff Ogilvy was instrumental in the refurbishment having grown up at VGC starting as a junior member.

Member and golf writer, Don Lawrence, is credited for giving Jack Nicklaus his ‘Golden Bear’ moniker when he visited the Club for the first time in 1964. 

There are 12 dormy rooms in the Clubhouse for visiting golfers so you can stay right in Melbourne’s sandbelt as you experience some of the world’s best inland links golf.