For many years Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula sat in the shadow of its cross-bay sister peninsula, the Mornington, when it comes to golf. However, the emergence in 2001 of the first course at 13th Beach drew golfers’ attentions to the south-western corner of Port Phillip Bay as the golf offerings on the Bellarine began to flourish. Tony Cashmore’s Beach course was an instant hit, adding a second high-quality golf venue to accompany the long-standing Barwon Heads course next door.
Cashmore used distinct pockets within the property to create loops that were later reconfigured for the Victorian Open. These loops give the layout subtly different settings while keeping the entire 18 seamless. Within the course are four exceptional par 3s, the most commendable being the tiny 16th, which teases and tantalises for its 113 metres. First hosting the Vic Open in 2013 shone the spotlight on 13th Beach, but keen golfers always knew how good it was.
The second layout had a lot to live up to when the Creek course opened three years after the highly accoladed Beach course, yet rather than try to emulate it, the Creek instead sought to carve its own identity. While the same designer was called in, this time Cashmore worked with six-time major winner Nick Faldo as the duo created a complementary rather than copycat layout. The Creek course doesn’t have the seaside dunes and blowout bunkers of the Beach, but it does have spacious fairways, a little water, clever bunkering and requires a different strategy.
THE DETAILS
Beach course
Ranking in 2022: 32nd
Prior rankings: 32nd (2020), 32nd (2018), 28th (2016), 29th (2014), 24th (2012), 29th (2010), 33rd (2008), 41st (2006), 34th (2004)
Creek course
Ranking in 2022: 71st
Prior rankings: 76th (2020), 84th (2018), 74th (2016), 77th (2014), 95th (2012)
Where: Barwon Heads Rd, Barwon Heads VIC 3227
Phone: (03) 5254 2922
Web: 13thbeachgolf.com
