King Island

King Island is located in the Bass Straight and about half way between the southern-most section of mainland Australia and Tasmania. Its rugged beauty and untamed coastline make it an excellent location for Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes golf courses.

Sea-side locations bring out the best in golf architecture. However, finding a world-class golf course combined with rugged coastline beauty often entails membership in a super-luxury private club, a year-long waiting list to play, or a jaw-dropping per-round price. Perhaps this is why golfing on King Island is so unique.

Accessible to the public and playing alongside the crash of the ocean, there are few places in the world in which a golfer may "have it all" with a feeling as if the course was built for them alone. Yet this is exactly how one can feel when playing Ocean Dunes and Cape Wickham, currently ranked #24 in the world by golf Digest.

Those who will include these course in a golf itinerary will do so as a more adventurous player- willing to travel the planet in search of the most iconic golfing locations. Because the island is in the "Roaring Forties" one may expect westerly winds to play a large part in club selection. King Island is physically removed from both mainland Australia and Tasmania, and with only 2000 permanent residents, it feels secluded and like a step back in time.

In an upcoming series of blog posts we will continue to document and update how to best experience the top-ranked courses on King Island: Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes. As clients combine Australia with New Zealand within their golf vacation, our goal is to support them with the most-efficient itineraries and a focus to include the best golf in the South Pacific.

Customer reviews

We had a spectacular time on our trip after leaving Port Douglas and all the arrangements that you made for us came off without a hitch. All flights and transportation that you arranged were on time and we were well taken care of at all the places we went to.

The Boatshed was incredible. We met Johnathan and had a small dinner with him on our second night. We were the only guests at the hotel and he and his staff just made us feel right at home. Jack and Jen, Johnathan’s staff, took us out to a couple of wineries and we had lunch together. When we got back Johnathan treated us to dinner prepared by his own self. Fantastic.

Next up was Napier/Hastings and the Craggy Range cottage. Excellent choice for us. We were close enough to Havelock North to be able to easily drive into the town and wander around. We went and played Cape Kidnapers as well. The course was wet so no carts were allowed out. Craggy Range winery was great to us and we had dinner at Terroire. Great staff and good eats to be sure. On to Queenstown.

What a wonderfully European feel Queenstown had. Small intimate streets and people all over the place. The Spire was perfect for us. Florence greeted us and was superlative in her suggestions and ideas for us to do. We did take a plane ride out to Milford Sound and the cruise. We went wine tasting and went to Amisfield for lunch where there was a spectacular sunset. It was so good that the staff came outside to take pictures. Simply wonderful. We took the gondola ride up the hill and enjoyed a glass of champagne while we took in the view. That was our last day and really enjoyable. We left the next day and flew back home.

Again, all the arrangements you made of us came off without a hitch. I even drove on the left side of the road without incident. It’s not so bad once you figure out the roundabouts. Thanks to you and your team for setting this up. Will highly recommend this service to our friends should they need to journey down under.

—​Bob E & Sharyn B, San Francisco

The Henley was incredible. What a find. Incredible grounds, the staff was waiting for us when we pulled up, great rooms, lovely breakfast. We could have stayed another day or two. Definitely the perfect place for us to recharge after the flight and a busy day... Everyone has been enjoying the trip.

—S Kucirek, CA