The National is a private members’ club with three 18-hole courses in the tall dunes of Cape Schanck, at the ocean end of the Mornington Peninsula, about 90 minutes from Melbourne. Victorian residents can play only as a member’s guest, but golfers from interstate and overseas can request tee times on set weekdays with a letter from their home club. That makes it one of the few places where a visitor can play courses by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Greg Norman and Tom Doak in a single day, with views over Bass Strait and back towards Port Phillip Heads.
The National Golf Club green fees and tee times.
Visitor access is the crucial detail. Victorian residents who are not members must be invited by, and play with, a member. Interstate and overseas golfers can request a tee time on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays through the form on the club’s Visitors page, giving their home club and Golflink or handicap details; a letter of introduction from your home club will be requested. Requests cannot be made more than three months ahead. From 26 December to 26 January, and on public holidays and long weekends, the courses are reserved for members and their guests. Reciprocal club members should say so on the form. Dress regulations are strictly applied, and staff will refuse entry to anyone who does not meet them.
INDICATIVE GREEN FEE · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026From A$660
Overseas visitor, 18 holes, Monday–Friday, on the club’s 2025–26 rate card (letter of introduction required); interstate visitors A$400. 2026–27 rates may differ. Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The courses at The National Golf Club.
The Old Course
Robert Trent Jones Jr. routed the original course through dunes he compared to Royal Birkdale’s, only more dramatic. Fairways weave over and between big sand ridges bordered by tea tree and coastal scrub, with deceptively wide landing areas and heavily contoured greens. Jones called it a true match-play course, and its exposed holes are at their hardest when the wind gets up.
Moonah
Greg Norman and Bob Harrison built Moonah on the adjoining links land, naming it after the ancient moonah trees scattered across the property. Serpentine fairways and towering dunes demand strong, accurate tee shots, and the par fives are the standout holes. It was ranked ninth in Australia in its first year, and Harrison singles out the remote 11th as his favourite corner.
Gunnamatta
Tom Doak rebuilt the former Ocean course beside the surf of Gunnamatta Beach, working with the natural cup-and-bowl hollows of the sandy ground. Fairways are generous, bunkering is strategic and the green contours reward a creative short game. The opening par five looks over Bass Strait, and the short, drivable second is Doak’s own favourite change from the old layout.
The round, in perspective.
The National sits on some of the best golf land in Australia: deep sand, big dunes and a near-constant wind off Bass Strait. The club opened its first course in March 1988, then bought the adjoining links land and had two more 18-hole courses in play by the end of 2000. Each has its own architect and character, so two days here feel like three different trips. All three are par 72 and between about 6,300 and 6,600 metres from the back tees, and all run firm in summer, so angles and the ground game matter more than carry distance. Guests may play up to 36 holes a day, with the second round at half price, which makes a morning-and-afternoon double on two courses the natural plan.
Make the trip work.
Because tee times are requests rather than instant bookings, apply as soon as your dates fall inside the three-month window and offer a second date in case the first is taken. Cart hire for non-members was A$65 for 18 holes on the 2025–26 card, and a second round the same day is charged at 50% of the green fee. With visitor days on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, a four-night stay on the peninsula from Sunday fits neatly around them and leaves Wednesday for the public courses nearby. If you plan 36 holes, start early: these are long walks over dune country.
Melbourne Airport (MEL) is about 110 km away, roughly 90 minutes by car via the ring roads and Peninsula Link. From central Melbourne allow 75 to 90 minutes. There is no practical public transport to the course, so hire a car or book a transfer. Coming from Geelong or Avalon Airport, the Searoad car ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento cuts out the drive around Port Phillip.
RACV Cape Schanck Resort is the closest large hotel, a few minutes away, with its own course. Moonah Links Resort at Fingal sits beside two public courses. For restaurants and a village feel, Sorrento and Portsea at the tip of the peninsula, or Flinders and the Red Hill wineries to the east, all work as bases within 20 to 30 minutes. Many groups rent a beach house in Rye or Blairgowrie, which keeps The National, St Andrews Beach and The Dunes all close at hand.
Make a trip of it.
The peninsula has strong public golf within 15 minutes. St Andrews Beach, a Tom Doak design at Fingal, and The Dunes at Rye take bookings from anyone, and Moonah Links has two courses shaped by Peter Thomson. Melbourne’s sandbelt, including Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath and Metropolitan, is about an hour north and works on a similar letter-of-introduction basis for visitors. Away from golf, Peninsula Hot Springs at Fingal is minutes from the course, and the walks to Cape Schanck lighthouse and Bushrangers Bay start nearby.
Find your season.
Spring, from October to November, and autumn, from March to April, are the best times to visit. Summer brings the firmest, fastest conditions, but visitors are shut out from 26 December to 26 January. Winter, June to August, is wet and windy on this exposed coast and the courses play long, though weekday visitor requests are still taken.
Yes, if you live outside Victoria. Interstate and overseas visitors can request tee times on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays using the form on the club’s website, and will be asked for a letter of introduction from their home club. Victorian residents must play as a member’s guest.
How much are green fees at The National?
On the 2025–26 schedule, valid to 30 June 2026, overseas visitors paid A$660 and interstate visitors A$400 for 18 holes on weekdays, with a second round the same day at half price. Ask for the current year’s rates when you submit your request.
Which course should I play at The National?
If you can play only one, the Old Course has the most dramatic dunes and the longest history, while Gunnamatta has the most ocean frontage and the most modern design thinking. Guests can play 36 holes a day, so pairing two courses makes the most of a visit.
Is The National open to visitors in January?
Not before 27 January. From 26 December to 26 January, and on public holidays and long weekends, the courses are reserved for members and their guests. Plan a visit for February or March if you want summer conditions without the holiday closure.
Last checked 4 October 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
