Visit Geelong & the Bellarine | Vic Open
Set on the stunning Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria, 13th Beach Golf Links is famously known for its two award winning courses, with first class conditioning all year round. With a modern Clubhouse and great facilities, whether you’re a golfer, or simply want to admire the views, visiting 13th Beach is a must.
Golf The Bellarine
If you’ve watched the Vic Open at 13th Beach in the past decade and imagined yourself playing golf in this breathtaking neighbourhood, here’s your perfect chance. 13th Beach and its sister courses at Barwon Heads, Lonsdale Links, Queenscliff, Curlewis and Portarlington have banded together to create Golf The Bellarine.
Now is your chance to play at these spectacular courses, in a tournament known as The Epic. The Epic in 2024 will be held from 5-9 May at Lonsdale Links, 13th Beach (Beach Course) and Queenscliff and includes dinner at the award-winning Claribeaux restaurant at Curlewis and capped off with a presentation dinner at the Portarlington Golf Club. after the final round to hand out the array of prizes on offer.
Visit www.golfthebellarine.com.au for further information.
Beach Course The first of the two courses, The Beach Course was opened in December 2001 and designed by Tony Cashmore. The challenging and natural links style course has received many high accolades and is currently ranked number 3 on mainland Australia for public access golf courses. Creek Course The Creek Course, designed by Cashmore in conjunction with 6 time major championship winner Sir Nick Faldo, is a wonderful complement to The Beach Course and is ranked number 22 on mainland Australia for public access golf courses.
Golf Lodges There are 16 beautifully appointed rooms which were built in 2020, all enjoying a stunning view of the 1st hole of the Beach Course, Lake Murtnaghurt and beyond to the dunes of 13th Beach. Two of the rooms are suitable for all abilities. Each room is spacious at 55 square metres and is designed and presented to a luxurious standard. When you are not playing golf, the private outdoor patio area is the perfect place to enjoy the idyllic views and setting with a glass of wine.
The 13th Beach Golf Lodges are less than a 2 minute stroll to the Clubhouse where breakfast, lunch and dinner is available in the restaurant. In the Clubhouse, you will also find the Reception, Golf Shop, locker rooms and conference facilities. 13th Beach is a wheelchair friendly venue with all amenities accessible on the ground floor.
10 reasons why you should visit Geelong & The Bellarine
Wondering what to do in and around Geelong and its seaside sister of The Bellarine? We’ve done the hard yards and road tested the best of the best to bring you our Top 10 list.
1. Destination dining The region is home to some amazing regional dining and some fabulous newcomers have hit the scene. You can’t go past the newly opened Two Noble, which blends contemporary Asian dining with exceptional service. Three other restaurants well worth the dinner date are – Tulip on Pakington Street, modern Asian restaurant BAAH LAH! on the same street and La Cachette, a hidden refined modern French inspired restaurant off Geelong’s waterfront that was also awarded a chef’s hat in the latest Good Food Guide. Felix will delight with an eye-catching interior and modern focus on seafood and vegetables and Barwon Edge will have you dining on Middle Eastern inspired fare not far from the river’s edge. Curlewis Golf Club has a superb French restaurant Claribeaux and Jack Rabbit Vineyard restaurant sits high on the hill overlooking the You Yangs, the bay and Melbourne with award-winning food and wine. Find boutique wineries, farm gates and provedores and establishments serving up dishes featuring local produce on the Bellarine Taste Trail. Pick up a map and start discovering today.
2. Reinventing the past - in style! Creative and inventive locals continue to transform old manufacturing spaces converting them into hip cafes, bars, restaurants and accommodation. On The Bellarine, The Whiskery, set on a former Cobb & Co historic site is turning heads with its original Teddy and The Fox gin, while The Q Train offers guests a gastronomic journey of local produce on board restored Queenslander carriages. In Geelong Little Creatures Brewery has firmly imprinted themselves at the site of the old woollen mills and The Old Paper Mills at Fyansford along the Barwon River is home to the award-winning Provenance Wines and arts and culture precinct. Impressing visitors with its grand makeover is the awe-inspiring restaurant 1915 and adjacent distillery, Anther Distillery, in the old Federal Mills site in North Geelong.
3. Melbourne’s not the only place with a thriving laneway culture In and around Geelong’s Little Malop Street the city continues to thrive, with every doorway eluding a surprise for the senses. You will find Geelong Cellar Door, a wine bar dedicated only to Geelong wine, middle eastern share dishes at The Arborist and with a newly added rooftop to enjoy, a hidden 1930s speak-easy cocktail lounge in The 18th Amendment Bar, ramen and sake at Sober Ramen, dumplings galore at Drunken Dumpling bar and Bahjong and Eureka Hotel [AS1] is the ideal meeting place for contemporary Australian cuisine and a vast range of beers and wines. Around the corner on Gheringhap Street you’ll discover Augustus Gelato and delicious Asian dishes on the grill at Sumi.
4. World class beaches – surf, swim, paddle Avid surfers head to popular surf spots such as 13th Beach or Raffs Beach in Barwon Heads, while beginner surfers can enjoy a surf lesson at Ocean Grove with Go Ride a Wave, Sea Earth Adventures or Great Ocean Road Surf Tours. Families can take advantage of the pristine sand and gentle waves at the Ocean Grove main beach, considered one of the safest in Victoria. The mouth of the Barwon River, Barwon Heads is great for paddling and rock pooling. Other great beachside spots are at Point Lonsdale and the sheltered and family friendly bay at Portarlington. Geelong has the Eastern Beach Reserve with sandy bay beach, sea bath pool, playground and the iconic bollards.
5. Unique boutique accommodation Lon Retreat and Spa allows guests to slow down and relax. Set on 200 acres overlooking the ocean, the adult only exclusive retreat features seven luxurious suites and a mineral spa. The Woods Ocean Grove offers a tranquil escape complete with outdoor bath, pizza oven and firepit amongst the gum trees. Laze on the deck, in the spa and ogle at the expansive views from the luxury eco-cabins at The Nest. Take the opulence up a few notches at the Mansion Hotel & Spa in Werribee or Campbell Point House on the shores of Lake Connewarre. There’s heritage charm at the Portarlington Grand Hotel (188), an icon that’s just had a mega makeover resulting in plush rooms with a hint of Art Deco and new, refined accommodation abounds by the fairways at Curlewis Golf Club and 13th Beach Golf Links. Why simply visit a winery when you can stay? The new eco villas overlooking the vines at McGlashan’s Wallington Estate offer abundant light and space or take a bath with vineyard views at Mt Duneed Estate’s new accommodation pods[AS2] .
6. Arts and culture Visit the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre’s magnificent five-storey dome structure with children’s tactile area, archive collection, café and of course a library. Head over the road to the Geelong Arts Centre which has reopened its stunning new building as Australia’s largest dedicated regional arts centre. MoPA (Museum of Play and Art) is a creative, intellectual, fun learning and interactive space for young children. Geelong Gallery is one of Australia’s leading and oldest regional art galleries with an outstanding collection including Eugène von Guérard’s View of Geelong (1856) and Frederick McCubbin’s A bush burial (1890) and the National Wool Museum explores the landscape through thousands of years of Wadawurrung culture to the more recent wool industry and hold renowned temporary exhibitions as well.
7. It’s all about the water With a spectacular coastline that spans from Geelong to Barwon Heads and beyond, it’s no surprise there’s plenty of water based activities. Swim with the dolphins with See All Dolphins Swims or cruise between the Bellarine and Mornington Peninsula aboard Searoad Ferries vehicle and passenger ferry. You can now access Geelong and Portarlington direct from the Docklands as a foot passenger with Port Phillip Ferries. Enjoy a boutique boat tour sampling fresh mussels aboard Portarlington Mussel Tours [AS3] or snare a catch on a fishing charter from Queenscliff Harbour.
8. Time to par-tee The Bellarine is a golfer’s paradise with five outstanding public courses rated in the Top 100 Public Courses in Australia. Take your pick from Barwon Heads Golf Club, one of the two courses at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links, Lonsdale Links or Curlewis Golf Club. Add golf courses at Queenscliff (sitting on the scenic Swan Island) or Portarlington to the impressive list of courses.
9. On your bike Whether you wear shorts or lycra, the region is home to a number of cycling trails. The You Yangs[AS4] are great for mountain biking, boasting two designated mountain bike areas with 50 kilometres of track. The Bellarine Rail Trail is a scenic 35 kilometre trail that winds from South Geelong to Queenscliff. Thousands flock to Geelong in January every year for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Cyclists can join Cadel himself in the People’s Ride which starts and finishes in Geelong.
10. Keep it in the family Geelong’s waterfront comes alive in summer. Young ones love discovering the old world charm of the beautiful Geelong Carousel[AS5] and older kids enjoy the diving boards at the historic early century Eastern Beach promenade. Everyone enjoys the iconic bollard trail. Out of town head out to Adventure Park, to ride the Tsunami water ride and many more, and stay in the cool safari tents at Big 4 Bellarine or family friendly Ingenia Holidays Queenscliff Beacon.
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