Brisbane named in Australia’s Top 100

The Brisbane Golf Club has again been named in Australia’s Top 100 Golf Courses according to the Australian Golf Digest.

After a 18 year absence BGC returned to the list in 2016 in 96th place and was the most improved course in the Top 100 after jumping to 81st place in 2018. This year the 182-strong judging panel has BGC 85th on the list.

Interestingly there were a total of 10 new golf courses included in the class of 2020 who were not ranked in 2018 and five of these finished ahead of BGC including Peninsula Kingswood (North), Peninsula Kingswood (South), Concord Golf Club, RACV Cape Schanck Resort and Cranbourne Golf Club.

A total of 263 different courses across the country were visited and ranked based on a selection criteria which included Shot Value, Resistance to Scoring, Design Variety, Memorability, Aesthetics, Conditioning and Ambience.

BGC General Manager, Geoff Kuehner, said it is very pleasing to be included in the national rankings for a third consecutive time.

“To be named alongside the other golf courses on the list is an honour and we are very proud of our ranking among the nations elite” he said.

“Our golf course, like others, has had its challenges over the years and we feel this ranking reflects the efforts of our Course Superintendent, Mitch Hayes and his team to present a quality golf course for our Members.”

Mr Kuehner said the selection criteria and independence and quality of the judges brings significant credibility to the process undertaken by Australian Golf Digest every two years.

“This is by no means an easy list to produce and I was very impressed with the knowledge and expertise of judges I met who visited BGC,” he said.

“They were not only lovers of the game of golf but also very well qualified to be on the panel and briefed in terms of the selection criteria.”

Australian Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses commander-in-chief, Steve Keipert says he loves the rich tapestry of voices that can be heard come Top 100 season.

“Whether it’s our readers, course superintendents, architects, club managers or punters, their opinions are what makes Australia’s original and best Top 100 Courses ranking such an interesting process, he said.

This is the 17th occasion Australian Golf Digest has presented its evaluation of the Top 100 golf courses in Australia with the first list published in 1986.

Royal Melbourne Golf Club remains the benchmark Australian golf course and saw off some determined competition to retain is throne as the best on the land. This is the 16th time that the Royal Melbourne Golf Club has topped the list. In 2010 is was ranked No. 3.

Only one other golf course in Brisbane was included in the list.