Tasmania / King Island - Cape Wickham, Barnbougle, Lost Farm and Ocean Dunes!
I had the pleasure of being invited to Tasmania and King Island recently. I have heard over the years a lot about Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm, two outstanding golf courses complemented with similarly high quality accommodation. The views from Lost Farm dining room are simply spectacular - a panorama to set the primitive golf juices flowing....
Rooming at Lost Farm is also incredibly comfortable, and with a number of enquiries from clients over the years wishing to extend their New Zealand golf experience, I have steered them towards an add-on to Tasmania / King Island. I kick myself for taking so long to experience this incredible place for myself as it really is such a great option and golfing adventure.
Logistically, on first glance, it appears hard to get to these locations. However, for myself, the extra effort to make it happen, really does pay off.
Barnbougle Dunes & Lost Farm are ranked in numerous Top 100 in the world rankings :
You have two options for getting your logistics right for a trip to Barnbougle / Lost Farm / King Island -
1. Fly scheduled service from Melbourne or Sydney to Launceston in Tasmania, and then either hire a car or take advantage of Rexy's transfer service to Lost Farm / Barnbougle. Once you've finished here (I suggest at least two nights, if not three), you can return to Launceston, where there is a scheduled plane ride over to King Island, located in the middle of the Bass Straight between Tasmania and Melbourne.
Alternatively for the more time challenged, and wishing to negate overland logistic issues -
2. Take a private plane which will fly you directly from Melbourne into Barnbougle Dunes (there is a grass runway there - not a fairway !) You'll also have the benefit of flying directly into King Island to experience the two world class courses on offer at Cape Wickham / Ocean Dunes. We have teamed up with Air Adventure, who supply an 8 seater plane, making it an excellent option for golfing groups of 4+.
As far as my golfing experience went, I must say, in my view, Cape Wickham is up there as one of the finest modern links golf courses I have ever played. It complements the three other courses perfectly, and even though I played it in a 60mph gale, it was still fun ! The intimacy of the golf course with the ocean is quite simply breathtaking. And with the generosity offered off most tees, and playing into fescue greens from beautifully manicured fescue fairways, creates an experience that you will take a long time to forget (if ever).
Ocean Dunes is a tougher offering. With its slick bent grass greens, the course weaves along the ocean side and into dunes to re-emerge with some spectacular holes. The overall intimacy of the ocean is not quite that of Cape Wickham, but this is still a fantastic test of golf and these two courses are very much needed to support each other on this small and remote Island, which will now see a boom in golf tourism.
If you require any assistance with travel arranging for your golf expedition to Tasmania, King Island, let me know and I can of course bolt it on to a few days in Melbourne, where why not play Royal, Kingston Heath, Metro, Huntingdale etc....golfing heaven....!
Aye,
Alistair
