Push to make Melbourne the golf capital of Australia

Melbourne is already Australia’s sporting capital. But a new push could see our city become one of the top five “bucket list’’ golf destinations on earth.

Melbourne could become one of the world’s top five “bucket list’’ golf destinations, rivalling international hot spots in a boost to the state economy.

A push to make Victoria Australia’s golf capital will see regular professional tournaments on Melbourne’s major events calendar and a tourism drive to lure visitors to watch and play the game statewide.

PGA Tour vice-president Matt Kamienski told the ­Herald Sun Melbourne could rival the UK and US as a global golf drawcard destination.

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“There are not many places that have everything ­Melbourne has when it comes to the golf courses but also the city, the events, the food, ­fashion, the fun, entertainment,’’ he said.

“Everything that happens makes it a great destination, but golf is also a draw for ­people coming down here to enjoy the courses. You can compete with Scotland, ­Ireland and west coast of the United States.’’

After hosting the World Cup of Golf last week and with the Presidents Cup in town next year and the Australian Open in 2020 and 2022, Mr Kamienski said Melbourne had huge scope to lure sports tourists from interstate and overseas.

“It should be on people’s bucket lists to come down here and play,’’ he said. “Four major events over five years is truly telling — it’s a push to get more professional golf here from an events standpoint.’’

Melbourne could see a lot more of top golfers such as Aussie Marc Leishman under a push to make the city one of the top five “bucket list’’ golf destinations on earth. Picture: AFP/William West

Golf visitors contributed about $564 million to Victoria during the year ending ­December 2017 but a new push will market our best courses to the world, particularly Asia.

Melbourne’s sandbelt courses such as Kingston Heath and Metropolitan, Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas, Yarra Valley and Murray River towns will be marketed as must-visit golf destinations globally.

Visit Victoria chief executive Peter Bingeman said now was the time “to capitalise on the enthusiasm for golf as a key driver of interstate and international visitation”.

“Melbourne and Victoria have an incredible opportunity to position their golf tourism experiences among the top five golfing destinations in the world,’’ he said.

Scotland, Ireland, England, the Monterey Peninsula and New York in the US currently fill the top five golf global ­destinations.

Seven Victorian courses appeared on the 2018 list of the World’s 200 Greatest International Golf Courses, including Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Victoria and Metropolitan golf clubs.

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