Your Trip
Mornington Peninsula, Australia
“Australia’s sandbelt-by-the-sea, where windswept links meet cool-climate pinot.”
An hour south of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is a knuckle of land where the Bass Strait wind has sculpted some of the finest sandy-soil golf in the Southern Hemisphere. Over six days a foursome plays The National’s three contrasting courses, the Open-tested Moonah Links, Tom Doak’s minimalist St Andrews Beach, the firm-and-fast Dunes, and the cliff-edge drama of Cape Schanck — then trades spikes for a slow day among Red Hill’s pinot vineyards and the steaming geothermal pools of Peninsula Hot Springs. Base yourself at the Jackalope, eat extravagantly, and let the summer light do the rest.
Qantas
LAX → MEL (Melbourne Tullamarine)
15h 50m nonstop · The only nonstop from the US west coast on most days. Premium economy runs about $3,400 and is worth it for a body that wants to tee it up the morning after landing.
United
SFO → MEL nonstop
15h 30m nonstop · Often a touch cheaper than Qantas out of the Bay Area. Lands mid-morning, leaving plenty of daylight for the 75-minute transfer down to the Peninsula.
Fiji Airways
LAX → NAN → MEL
19h 45m (1 stop in Nadi) · Cheapest reasonable option and a chance to stretch out in Fiji. The connection adds four hours — only worth it if the fare gap is real on your dates.
Prices are AI estimates based on typical fares — verify on a flight search engine before booking.
01
Day 1
Land, settle, and the Moonah course at The National
$520 per person
Morning
Clear customs at Melbourne Tullamarine and pick up the rental SUV. The drive south to the Peninsula is about 75 minutes down the M11 — grab a flat white at the airport before you go.
Afternoon
Check in at the Jackalope, drop the bags, and head straight to The National Golf Club for a loosener on the Moonah course — Greg Norman’s rumpled, links-like layout that eases jet legs into the trip.
Evening
Unhurried first dinner at the hotel’s flagship restaurant, an early night, and a glass of estate pinot by the Flaming Star pool.
The National Golf Club — Moonah Course
The most highly ranked of The National’s four courses — Norman’s sandbelt-meets-links design rolls over genuine duneland with barely a flat lie on the property.
Difficulty
Challenging — wide off the tee but the green complexes punish a poor approach
Signature
The par-4 17th, a heaving fairway tumbling toward a green set against the dunes and the bay beyond
Dress code
Collared shirt and tailored shorts or trousers; soft spikes only. Denim and cargo shorts are a no.
Walking
Carts available and recommended given the spread-out routing, but the firm fairways walk beautifully
Green fee
AUD $195 (visitor rate, approx. USD $130)
Club rental
AUD $90 per set (premium TaylorMade) · Excellent — current-model TaylorMade Stealth sets kept in good nick by the pro shop
Lunch
The National Golf Club halfway house
A proper Aussie pie and a sausage roll at the turn — nothing fancy, exactly what a 15-hour flight calls for.
Dinner
Doot Doot Doot at Jackalope
The hotel’s hatted restaurant under that ceiling of 10,000 hand-blown light bulbs — a tightly choreographed tasting menu leaning on Peninsula produce and biodynamic wine.
Post-round
Flaming Star pool bar, Jackalope
A moody black-tiled pool bar with a serious negroni list, looking out over the vines as the summer light goes long.
StayJackalope Hotel, Willow Creek Vineyard
02
Day 2
The Open stage — Moonah Links
$610 per person
Morning
Drive out to Fingal for an early tee time on the Open Course at Moonah Links, the purpose-built host of two Australian Opens — big, brawny, and exposed to the wind off the strait.
Afternoon
Regroup over lunch, then take on the gentler Legends Course in the afternoon if the legs are willing, or peel off to walk the cliffs at Cape Schanck lighthouse.
Evening
A long, slow lunch turned dinner in the hills above the coast, then back to the Jackalope.
Moonah Links — Open Course
Designed by Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett as the spiritual home of Australian golf — a true Open venue you can actually play, set in a national-park dune system.
Difficulty
Hard — a championship test that bites hard in any breeze; bring your wind game
Signature
The brutal par-4 14th, “The Beast” — a long dogleg into the prevailing wind that has wrecked many an Open card
Dress code
Standard golf attire, collared shirt, soft spikes; resort-relaxed but no singlets
Walking
Walking encouraged with caddies on request; carts available
Green fee
AUD $130 (resort guest rate, approx. USD $87)
Club rental
AUD $75 per set · Good — solid Callaway rental sets, ideal if you flew clubless to dodge the oversize-bag fees
Lunch
Pebble Beach Bar & Grill, Peppers Moonah Links
The clubhouse grill overlooking the 18th — generous parmas, fresh Bass Strait fish and chips, and cold tap beer between rounds.
Dinner
Ten Minutes by Tractor
A two-hatted restaurant named for the distance between its three estate vineyards — precise, seasonal degustation matched to some of the Peninsula’s best chardonnay and pinot.
Post-round
Polperro Cellar Door, Red Hill South
A relaxed winery deck for a tasting flight of estate pinot noir as the afternoon cools — the unofficial 19th hole of wine country.
StayJackalope Hotel, Willow Creek Vineyard
03
Day 3
Doak’s minimalism — St Andrews Beach
$480 per person
Morning
A short drive to St Andrews Beach for Tom Doak’s only Australian design — a walking-only, low-key masterpiece carved through the tea-tree with barely any earth moved.
Afternoon
Replay the back nine, or rest the legs and explore the surf at Gunnamatta and Rye before the bigger day tomorrow.
Evening
Casual dinner in Sorrento on the bay side, watching the ferries cross to Queenscliff.
St Andrews Beach Golf Course
Tom Doak’s minimalist hand at its purest — a cult favourite among architecture buffs, with firm fairways, blind shots, and devilish green contours that change every time the wind shifts.
Difficulty
Moderate to challenging — generous landing areas, but wildly contoured greens reward thoughtful play
Signature
The drivable par-4 3rd, where a bold tee shot over the scrub leaves an eagle look but a timid one is dead
Dress code
Relaxed — neat casual is fine, but soft spikes and no singlets; this is the least stuffy course on the trip
Walking
Walking only — no carts; pull buggies available and the rolling routing is a joy on foot
Green fee
AUD $95 (approx. USD $63)
Club rental
AUD $60 per set · Decent — functional rental sets; fine for a round but the keen will want their own sticks here
Lunch
St Andrews Beach clubhouse
A pared-back cafe matching the course’s no-frills ethos — toasties, a good burger, and a beer on the deck overlooking the tea-tree.
Dinner
The Baths, Sorrento
A breezy beachfront institution right on the front beach — oysters, Port Phillip Bay snapper, and a glass of local rose with your feet almost in the sand.
Post-round
Hotel Sorrento, the back deck
The grand limestone pub on the hill, with sunset bay views from the Q Train deck and a properly poured local pale ale.
StayJackalope Hotel, Willow Creek Vineyard
04
Day 4
Firm and fast — The Dunes
$590 per person
Morning
Tee off at The Dunes, Tony Cashmore’s rugged, public-access links at Rye — wide, windswept, and consistently rated among Australia’s best value rounds.
Afternoon
A second nine on The Dunes’ Cups short course if the appetite holds, or head to Montalto for a vineyard lunch and a wander through the sculpture trail.
Evening
Dinner among the vines, then back to the hotel to rest up before the rest day.
The Dunes Golf Links
The course that proved the Peninsula could rival the Melbourne sandbelt — genuine links golf on public land, with firm running fairways and not a house in sight.
Difficulty
Moderate — forgiving lines off the tee, but the wind and the bunkering set the real test
Signature
The par-5 12th, sweeping downhill toward the coast with a temptingly reachable green guarded by deep sand
Dress code
Standard golf attire, soft spikes; relaxed public-course feel
Walking
Walking and carts both fine; the firm turf and gentle elevation make it a great walk
Green fee
AUD $110 (approx. USD $73)
Club rental
AUD $65 per set · Good — well-maintained Mizuno and Callaway hire sets through a busy, switched-on pro shop
Lunch
Montalto winery restaurant
A one-hatted vineyard restaurant with a piazza for casual grazing or a proper degustation — estate pinot, a sculpture garden, and produce pulled from the on-site kitchen garden.
Dinner
Long Table, Red Hill
Shared, family-style feasting on a working farm — wood-roasted meats and garden vegetables passed down a literal long table; convivial and unmistakably Peninsula.
Post-round
Pt. Leo Estate cellar door
A sleek tasting room above a clifftop sculpture park, pouring estate shiraz and pinot with one of the best coastal views on the Peninsula.
StayJackalope Hotel, Willow Creek Vineyard
05
Day 5
Rest day — vines, springs, and zero spikes
$430 per person
Morning
No golf today. A leisurely breakfast, then a morning soak at Peninsula Hot Springs — a hilltop geothermal bathing complex with more than 20 pools, the panoramic Hilltop Pool, and a Roman bath house.
Afternoon
Lunch and a tasting tour through Red Hill’s cool-climate wineries — hire a driver so everyone can sample the pinot and chardonnay freely.
Evening
A low-key, indulgent dinner and a massage or two at the Lindenderry day spa to reset the golf muscles.
Lunch
Montalto winery (piazza menu)
Lazy share plates on the piazza — wood-fired flatbread, local cheese, and a glass of estate pinot in the summer sun between vineyards.
Dinner
Lindenderry at Red Hill restaurant
A relaxed country-house dinner on the estate — produce-led mains matched to Lindenderry’s own cabernet, the perfect quiet night before the finale.
Post-round
Bathhouse Cafe, Peninsula Hot Springs
Robes on, a herbal tea or a crisp Peninsula riesling between soaks — the most relaxed ‘19th hole’ you’ll ever have.
StayJackalope Hotel, Willow Creek Vineyard
06
Day 6
The grand finale — Cape Schanck and a last round at The National
$640 per person
Morning
Save the drama for last: an early round at Cape Schanck Golf Course (RACV), perched on the cliffs at the southern tip with the Bass Strait crashing below and the lighthouse on the horizon.
Afternoon
A farewell loop on The National’s Old course — the original Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout up on the ridge with that famous bay panorama — then settle the bets.
Evening
A final celebratory dinner, then the late drive back to Melbourne for the overnight flight home (or one more night if the schedule allows).
Cape Schanck Golf Course (RACV)
The most scenic round on the Peninsula — a Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout tumbling down a clifftop headland where every other hole frames the lighthouse and the wild Bass Strait.
Difficulty
Challenging — dramatic elevation changes and clifftop wind make club selection a guessing game in the best way
Signature
The clifftop par-3 4th, playing straight out toward the Cape Schanck lighthouse with the Southern Ocean as a backdrop
Dress code
Collared shirt and soft spikes; resort-standard neat attire
Walking
Carts recommended for the big elevation swings, but fit walkers will love the views
Green fee
AUD $89 (approx. USD $59)
Club rental
AUD $70 per set · Good — RACV resort rental sets in current condition, easy to arrange through the pro shop
Lunch
The National Golf Club clubhouse
A celebratory long lunch on the clubhouse terrace high on the ridge — a seafood platter, cold chardonnay, and the whole bay laid out below.
Dinner
Merricks General Wine Store
A converted 1920s general store turned wine bar and bistro — wood-fired pizza, charcuterie, and a deep local list for a relaxed last supper.
Post-round
Jackalope, Rare Hare wine bar
A final round of Willow Creek estate wine and a charcuterie board at the Jackalope’s own wine bar before the airport run.
StayJackalope Hotel, Willow Creek Vineyard (check-out)
Peninsula Hot Springs
Australia’s original geothermal bathing destination — 20-plus mineral pools terraced into a hillside, including the iconic Hilltop Pool with 360-degree views over the farmland.
Cape Schanck Lighthouse & boardwalk
A working 1859 lighthouse at the Peninsula’s wild southern tip, with a cliff-edge boardwalk down to the basalt rock platforms and pounding Southern Ocean surf.
Red Hill wine region
A tight cluster of cool-climate cellar doors — Montalto, Ten Minutes by Tractor, Pt. Leo Estate, Polperro — making some of Australia’s finest pinot noir and chardonnay.
Sorrento & the Mornington Peninsula coast
Grand limestone streetscapes, calm bay beaches for a morning swim, and the car ferry across to Queenscliff — the genteel, old-money side of the Peninsula.
LuxuryLimited availability — the 46 rooms book out months ahead in summer
Jackalope Hotel
Willow Creek Vineyard, Merricks North · central to every course
★★★★★(5.0)
A dark, theatrical design hotel set in a working vineyard. The Flaming Star pool bar and the seven-metre kinetic chandelier in the lobby are worth the stay alone.
BoutiqueAvailable
Lindenderry at Red Hill
Red Hill · in the heart of wine country, 15–20 min to most courses
★★★★½(4.5)
A country-house retreat on its own cabernet vineyard with a day spa — quieter and more classic than the Jackalope, ideal for the wine-and-hot-springs rest day.
ValueFilling up fast
Peppers Moonah Links Resort
Fingal · on-site at Moonah Links, steps from the first tee
★★★★(4.0)
The only true on-course resort on the Peninsula. Roll out of bed onto the Open Course — unbeatable for a golf-first trip, and the package green fees soften the budget.
Availability shown is indicative — confirm dates and rates on Booking.com.
Flights
$1,850 per person (LAX–MEL nonstop economy)
Hotel
$1,800 per person (5 nights at the Jackalope, twin-share)
Rounds
$650 per person (six premium green fees across the trip)
Food & drink
$1,500 per person (hatted dinners, winery lunches, drinks)
Transport
$550 per person (rental SUV, fuel, hot-springs day driver, parking)
Club rentals
$450 per person (premium hire clubs for those who flew clubless)
Total per person
$6,800 per person
Pack
Summer days hit the high 20s°C but the Bass Strait wind can drop it ten degrees in minutes — pack layers, a light windproof shell, and a beanie for early tees. Bring real sun protection (the UV is fierce), a swimsuit for the hot springs and hotel pool, and soft-spike shoes for every course. If you bring your own clubs, budget for oversize-bag fees on the nonstop — hiring premium sets locally is often cheaper.
Vibe check
Refined but unpretentious: world-class links in the morning, pinot and a geothermal soak by afternoon, and a hatted tasting menu by night. It’s a golf trip that doubles as one of the great food-and-wine weekends — less buttoned-up than the sandbelt, more grown-up than a buggy-and-beers run. Bring your A-game and your appetite.