Sydney & New South Wales

Alister MacKenzie routing on the cliffs above Botany Bay, and yes, it really is that good. The 5th and 6th holes — a par 3 down to a tee on a peninsula and a par 5 along the cliff edge — are the photos you've seen. Wind is the defense; on a calm day it plays like a gentle masterpiece, on a breezy one it'll humble a single-digit handicap.

Jack Nicklaus reworked the original 1882 layout in the late 1970s and Kelly Blake Moran refined it again — the result is a championship parkland that's hosted more Australian Opens than anyone can count. Wide fairways, brutal greens, and bunkering that rewards the player who thinks a shot ahead. You need a member intro or tour operator; plan months out.

The old-money club in Rose Bay, ten minutes from the CBD. Gil Hanse completed a major redesign in 2023 that opened up the sandy soil and brought back the heath-and-tea-tree character — it's now one of the most interesting urban courses in the country. Strict dress code, jacket for the clubhouse, and absolutely worth the ceremony.

Public, A$80, peninsula course on the Northern Beaches with the Pacific on three sides. The 5th green sits on a headland that would be a private club's signature hole anywhere else in the world. Bring a windbreaker — it gets exposed up there — and book online a few weeks out.

The neighbor next door to NSWGC on the same cliff, sharing the same Botany Bay views for a fraction of the access hassle. Less famous, less polished, but the back nine along the ocean is genuinely thrilling and the green fees won't make you flinch. A great companion round if you've already played NSWGC the day before.

Mike Clayton's 2009 redesign turned a tired layout into one of Sydney's best modern parkland tests, with water in play on more than half the holes. It hosted the Australian Open in 2010 and 2011 and still plays like a tournament course. Easier to access than NSWGC or The Australian, and a useful warmup for both.

Sandbelt-style course in the heart of Sydney's eastern suburbs sandbelt — the same soil that makes the Melbourne courses what they are. Recent restoration work by Ogilvy/Cocking/Mead has restored the bunkering and bouncy fairways that this land was built for. A worthy addition to the rotation if you've got a fifth round in you.

If you're flying 14 hours, sleep where the view does the work. The Park Hyatt sits at Circular Quay with rooms looking directly at the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. It's the most expensive hotel in the city and worth it for one or two nights — anchor the trip here, then move somewhere cheaper.

The reliable five-star play in The Rocks, a short walk from Circular Quay and the harbor. Higher floors get harbor views without the Park Hyatt price tag, and the bar downstairs is a legitimate post-round option. Solid choice for a group that wants polish without theatrics.

Design hotel in a converted heritage building on Market Street, close to the CBD courses and the action. Quirkier than the harbor luxury options, fairer on the wallet, and the breakfast room is genuinely good. The right pick if your group cares more about the city than the view.

Built into the historic Finger Wharf jutting into the harbor, with included minibar and breakfast that actually save you real money on a long trip. Walking distance to Potts Point and the Royal Botanic Garden. A great middle-tier option with more personality than the chain hotels.

The newest of the harbor luxury hotels, sitting in the Barangaroo tower with serious views and a casino downstairs if that's a feature for your group. Rooms are massive by Sydney standards. Worth knowing it's a 15-minute walk from the Opera House side of the harbor — closer to the CBD than to The Rocks.

For a group of four to eight, a beach-side house or apartment in Bondi or Tamarama puts you 15 minutes from NSWGC, St Michael's, and Royal Sydney, with a coastline that doesn't quit. Look for places along Notts Avenue or above Bronte for the views. Better total cost than putting six guys in two harbor hotel rooms.

Peter Gilmore's flagship at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, three hats, and the Opera House framed in the window. This is the big-night dinner — degustation only, book six weeks out, jacket recommended. If you're going to splurge once on the trip, do it here.

Inside the Opera House sails, also Peter Gilmore, slightly less formal than Quay but the setting is unbeatable — you're literally eating inside the building. Order the cured kingfish and the Moreton Bay bug. Pre-show or post-show, doesn't matter.

Josh Niland's whole-fish operation, now relocated into the Grand National Hotel in Paddington. He uses every part of the fish in ways that sound gimmicky and taste extraordinary. The fish butchery counter and the dining room together make this Sydney's most original restaurant.

Italian on the cliff above Bondi Beach, with the most photographed ocean pool in Australia directly below. Lunch beats dinner because of the view and the light. Order the spaghetti with bottarga and a bottle of something cold — this is the Sydney lunch.

Old-school French bistro in the Woollahra Hotel, beloved by locals for forty years and counting. The sirloin café de Paris is the move. It's the kind of unfussy dinner you want after a long day on the course — no theater, just food that works.

Sydney's oldest continuously licensed pub, in a sandstone building in The Rocks, brewing its own ales since 1986. Get a Three Sheets pale ale and the steak sandwich. Post-round, pre-dinner, jet-lag o'clock — works at any hour.

The Melbourne import that landed in Surry Hills and has been packed ever since. Loud, fun, modern Thai meant to be shared — get the kingfish sashimi, the son-in-law eggs, and as many curries as your table can handle. Good group dinner when you don't want a tasting menu.

Sydney's best bakery, multiple locations, the Surry Hills original is still the one. Pork and fennel sausage roll, ham and Gruyère croissant, a flat white, and you've got breakfast for under twenty bucks. Pre-round fuel before driving south to NSWGC.

Sydney's coffee scene is one of the best in the world and Single O is one of the originators. The Surry Hills roastery has self-pour batch brew and a good breakfast menu. If your group has a coffee snob, this is where they want to start the day.

Underground French in the CBD that feels like 1930s Paris — dim lighting, leather banquettes, live jazz some nights. Steak frites, a martini, late dinner energy. Best on a night when you're not playing in the morning.