A Feast of Golf and Wine

Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Melbourne 

Royal Melbourne is consistently recognised internationally and at home as Australia’s most respected club and highest rated course. Golf fans worldwide recognise Royal Melbourne's sweeping fairways and bold bunkering, thanks to countless tournaments and rave reviews by the world’s best players.

The West Course combines the greatest land, greatest design, and greatest construction to make the club the best in the country.

The East Course is not to be outshone however. Ranked #7 in Australia, the course features superb bunkering, smaller and intricately sloped greens, and one of the most awesome finishing holes in golf.  

Highlights:

• Ranked #6 in the world by US Golf Digest (West Course).
  
• Ranked #55 in the world by US Golf Digest (East Course).
  
• Ranked #1 in Australia by Golf Australia magazine (West Course).
  
• Ranked #6 In Australia by Golf Australia magazine (East Course).

The National Golf Club, Cape Schanck 

A true test of golf, the National Golf Club, is located a short drive south of Melbourne.

With four exceptional and highly regarded 18 hole golf courses; the Old, the Moonah, The Ocean and Long Island, The National Golf Club is one of the  best pieces of golf real estate in the country.

Discover the thrilling coastline of the Mornington Peninsula on the Cape Schanck site, with three courses to choose from, or visit the Long Island course and experience the sandy soil of the Melbourne Sandbelt region.  

About the area:

Located on the eastern side of Port Phillip Bay and within an hour’s drive of Melbourne, Victoria’s spectacular Mornington Peninsula is famous for its iconic coastline, world-class wineries, seaside villages, exceptional golf courses, spa retreats and local produce.

Highlights:

• Ranked #87 in the world by US Golf Digest (Old Course).
  
• Ranked #9 in Australia by Golf Australia magazine (Moonah Course).

Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove, Mornington Peninsula

Montalto produces premium cool climate wines on the Mornington Peninsula.

Visit Montalto and you get much more than wine - the estate is also renowned for its welcoming ambience, relaxed Australian architecture, intimate cellar door, and the beauty of its grounds that include an olive grove, acclaimed restaurant and café, sculpture walk and wetlands.

Highlights:

• Choose from a la carte dining in the restaurant, casual dining in the Piazza and Garden Café or private, catered picnics at selected locations.
  
• Pick up a glass of wine at the cellar door and take a stroll through the sculpture walk and wetlands.
  
• Take a winery tour and taste wine straight from the barrel.

De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate, Yarra Valley

De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate is an award-winning maker of premium cool climate wines.  This family owned and managed winery produces wines from 240 hectares of vines, some of which are more than 40 years old.

The restaurant 'Locale' reflects the family's heritage in name and nature.

About the area:

The picturesque Yarra Valley, one of the most visited wine regions in the country, is famous for the quality and flavour of its food and wine, its magnificent vineyards and its rolling green hills.  The Yarra Valley is home to more than 80 wineries and is renowned for the quality of its sparkling wine, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Highlights:

• Visit the cellar door and sample award winning wine matched with delicious local and international cheeses from the cheese shop.
  
• Indulge in a long lazy lunch at Locale, serving innovative Italian-inspired dishes made from locally sourced produce.
  
• Experience a behind-the-scenes vineyard and winery tour to see what goes into making premium Yarra Valley wine.

Lake House, Daylesford

This luxury lodge is an acclaimed dining destination and accommodation located on the shores of Lake Daylesford. 

The Lake House boasts one of Australia's most highly awarded restaurants and a wine cellar of some 10,000 bottles.  The ever-innovative and continuously refreshed menu offers modern Australian cuisine paying homage to the region's produce. A strong ‘sense of place’ philosophy and constant creativity and innovation underpins the Lake House experience making this one of Australia’s highlight culinary destinations.

About the area:

Daylesford, located at the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, just 75 minutes form Melbourne Airport, is a region famed for its high concentration of naturally occurring mineral springs and exquisite local produce. In the township there is much to explore and enjoy including day spas, restaurants, galleries, wineries, boutique shops, historic buildings and markets while a few minutes’ walk south of the town centre, you will find Lake Daylesford, perfect for a picnic or walk along of its many walking tracks. 

Highlights:

• Get hands on with a cooking class at the Lake House Cooking School.
  
• Explore everything Daylesford has to offer including cellar doors, farm gate tours, markets, galleries, nature walks, golf and horse riding.
  
• Escape for an afternoon of bliss with a signature treatment at the Salus Day Spa.

Suggested Trip Extensions

Kingston Heath Golf Club, Melbourne

A jewel of the Melbourne Sandbelt, Kingston Heath enjoys an enviable reputation for its superb conditioning all year round.

The course harnesses the natural dips and hollows of the landscape to create surprising challenges to the non-observant golfer. Located on a small strip of land just outside Melbourne, the difficulty of the course is centred around its bunkering, which is both challenging and visually stunning.

Fowles Wine, Strathbogie Ranges

Fowles Wine is an award winning producer of premium cool climate wines located in the ruggedly beautiful high-altitude region of the Strathbogie Ranges.  The nearby winery facility, available to tour by appointment, offers spectacular views. Enjoy some of their elegant, cool climate wines as you indulge in modern European dishes in the relaxed atmosphere of their Cellar Door Cafe.

Tahbilk Winery, Tahbilk

Established in 1860 Tahbilk is one of Australia's most beautiful and historic family owned wineries.  Tahbilk is located in the Nagambie Lakes region, one of the nation's premium viticultural areas. The property comprises some 1,214 hectares of rich river flats with 8kms of permanent backwaters and creeks.

Pizzini Wines, King Valley

Pizzini Wines is a family-owned winery in the King Valley wine region of North East Victoria.  Pizzini specialises in the production of Italian wine varieties such as Pinot Grigio, Arneis, Prosecco, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo.

The A tavola! Cooking School, run by Katrina Pizzini, offers a range of cooking classes throughout the year and the Pizzini family regularly host exciting food and wine events at the cellar door.