Rockingham Golf Club

Set amidst magnificent bushland, Rockingham boasts a golf course that's a natural fit for a metropolitan area. Open bushland, wide fairways lined with grass, ancient eucalyptus trees and wildlife (you may have to wait for a kangaroo to cross the border for your next shot) make the course a challenge.

Founded in 1947, Rockingham Golf Club moved from its original location in 1985 to a new site beside Lake Cooloongup, where Murray Dawson carved an 18-hole course out of native bush.

The 190-acre course stretches nearly 6,200 metres, with tree-lined holes arranged in two nine-hole loops. The terrain is flat and the 18 holes are easily navigated on foot. There are several irrigated ponds in the centre of the course near the maintenance facility, but these have never been put into use, allowing golfers to play without water hazards.

Highlights of the record include the first (and shortest) par three at the 140-metre 3rd, where two large bunkers guard the front of the green; the longest par five at the 480-metre 7th, which is straight but relatively wide; and the farthest par four from the clubhouse, the 14th, where the fairway gradually veers left from the tee to the green.