Day 1: Arrive Melbourne
Take the time to explore the city and settle in at your hotel.
Overnight Melbourne
Day 2: Yarra Yarra Golf Club
AM- Depart your hotel for The Melbourne Sandbelt.
Enjoy a round of golf at Yarra Yarra Golf Club
The primary architect of this renowned Sandbelt course was Alex Russell who, in 1926, had formed a partnership with the famed Dr Alister MacKenzie during his brief visit to Australia. Today, Yarra Yarra remains substantially the same as the original layout and, like all great golf courses, has stood the test of time. Many of the world’s greatest golfers have competed in tournaments here. This includes, Greg Norman, Ian Baker-Finch, Karrie Webb, Annika Sörenstam, Jan Stephenson and Rachel Teske. What’s more, Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby both launched their professional careers from their membership as amateurs at Yarra Yarra.
Designers: Alex Russell, Dr. Alister MacKenzie
Length: 6155/Par: 72
PM- Refuel with lunch in the Private Dining Room.
Transfer to the Yarra Valley – famed for its many vineyards and cellar doors. Sample a local tipple at the likes of Yering Station, Dominique Portet or Oakridge Wines before checking into your accommodation.
Day 3: Yarra Valley
Enjoy the Yarra Valley region.
Suggested activities:
Coombe Yarra Valley, De Bortoli Yarra Valley, Domaine Chandon, Giant Steps, Healesville Sanctuary, Yarra Valley Dairy, Yarra Valley Chocolate.
Head back to Melbourne accommodation.
Meander through Melbourne’s famous laneways or take a tour with local operator Hidden Secrets, Walk Melbourne or Localing and discover the city’s secrets.
Melbourne is famous for its graffiti-adorned laneways renowned for their street art and dotted with hidden bars. Give ‘Main Street’ a miss and head down alleyways to find walls covered with stencil work, light boxes and sculptures that point you to the door of quirky bars in basements and on rooftops. Check out Bar Americano in Presgrave Place, Section 8 in Tattersalls Lane, Croft Institute in Croft Alley and Cherry Bar in ACDC Lane. Find the hidden doors that open into velvety jazz clubs and flashy wine bars, bare-bone student hangouts and dimly lit hideaways and experience the essence of Melbourne.
Overnight Melbourne
Day 4: Kingston Heath Golf Club
Kingston Heath Golf Club is one of Australia’s best golf courses. Ranked #19 in the world by US Golf Digest, Kingston Heath enjoys an enviable reputation for its superb conditioning all year round. Kingston Heath has hosted many major national and international tournaments including the 2009 and 2012 Australian Masters and the 2016 World Cup of Golf.
Designers: Dan Soutar (1925)/Alister Mackenzie (1926)
Length: 6436/ Par 72
PM- Explore the city’s fabulous museums and galleries, including the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).
The NGV has two magnificent galleries located a short walk for each other. Both offer free entry to the permanent collection and boast an enviable line-up of temporary exhibitions. NGV International houses a whole world of international art, displaying the gallery’s collection of European, Asian, Oceanic and American art. Since it opened in 1968, the total collection has doubled in size to more than 70,000 works of art. A truly iconic Melbourne building, the gallery has been totally redesigned to house one of the most impressive collections in the Southern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, NGV Australia at Federation Square presents Indigenous and non-Indigenous art from the colonial period to the present day.
Overnight Melbourne
Day 5: Metropolitan Golf Club
Tucked away quietly in Melbourne’s southeast, just 25 minutes from the CBD, The Metropolitan Golf Club enjoys a reputation as one of the best-conditioned and most beautiful courses in the country. Pure couch grass fairways with large, fast bent-grass greens, hand-mown to the edges of the greenside bunkers, add greatly to the challenge of the course. Throughout its rich history, Metropolitan has challenged the best players in the world. In total the Club has hosted seven Australian Opens, five Australian PGAs, ten other professional tournaments and in 2001 hosted the Australian Amateur Championship for the fifth time.
Designers: J B MacKenzie (original) – Dr Alister MacKenzie, Peter Thomson (previous modifications) – Ogilvy Clayton Golf Design (current)
Length: 6430/ Par 72
PM- Make the most of your final evening in Melbourne and take in a show at one of the city’s heritage theatres or see the Melbourne Theatre Company perform at the Southbank Theatre.
Day 6: Depart Melbourne
