CAPE WICKHAM

Cape Wickham Links opened on King Island in November 2015 and rapidly entered top world golf course rankings. Presently it is among the top five courses in Australia and in the top 25 world ranked courses (Golf Australia and Golf Digest magazines).

The 18 hole course is on the NW corner of the island, 48 klms from the airport at Currie. Every hole has an ocean view and eight are on the shoreline itself. Fairways are very wide, which is necessary as the winds, the Roaring Forties, reach 30 klms an hour most days. The recurring theme from among those who have played the course is, "Some of the most spectacular golfing scenery anywhere in the world". The 18th hole, a par-4, requires a drive across the cove and has been described by one Golf Digest writer as having "The most glorious natural setting of any finishing hole in Australia".

There are no passenger ferries to King Island so you will need to fly here. If you are in Tasmania you can fly from either Launceston or Burnie, while in Melbourne there are flights to King Island from both Tullamarine and Essendon (flight time around 45 minutes). Charter flights are also available. On the island, rental cars or a hire bus can be booked, with the Links offering a minibus transfer service.

Overlooking the course is historic Cape Wickham Lighthouse. The tower was built of granite in 1861 and at 48 metres (157 ft) it is Australia's tallest. The island is the site of many shipwrecks, dating back to at least 1801.

For day visitors, lunch service and snacks can be obtained at the clubhouse. Non-golfers just need to book in advance. As well, restaurants can be found in the township of Currie.

The 16 accommodation cabins all have ocean views, with verandas overlooking Bass Strait, Victoria Cove and the Lighthouse, as well as the 1st and 18th fairways. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the clubhouse.

Cape Wickham Golf Links was brought into being by Duncan Andrews, developer of The Dunes on Mornington Peninsula and 13th Beach. It was designed by golf architect Mike De Vries together with Darius Oliver of Planet Golf renown. De Vries lived on site for several months while he worked on the layout.