Ocean Dunes in Tasmania is overcoming its understudy status

Many times, the sequel can’t live up to the original. For starters, expectations are likely too high and the plot often takes a different twist. 

A case in point is a pair of golf destinations on King Island in Tasmania, which is an island state of Australia. Opened one year after renowned Cape Wickham started booking tee times from across the globe, Ocean Dunes Golf Course’s 2016 launch stoked somewhat of a rivalry between the island courses separated by a 45-minute drive.

The oceanside golf venues on the remote land of less than 2,000 residents are each stunning onto themselves, but Cape Wickham’s deep marketing pockets soon attracted a bevy of media attention that has helped the course reach Golf Digest Top 15 in the world status, while making it more difficult over the years for Ocean Dunes to keep pace. 

But Ocean Dunes is quickly playing catch up as golf junkies who make the long and taxing trek to King Island have been more open to extending their stays and playing both courses, and for appreciating Ocean Dunes for its own distinct style and scenery. 

“The land along the entire west coast of the island is made for links golf — sand dunes and valleys much like what one sees in the United Kingdom,” golf course architect Graeme Grant says. 

“There are very few places like it in Australia, and given that much of it was cleared for farming, the environmental laws did not restrict my design. In fact, we able to build six holes along two kilometers of ocean frontage. I was able to convince the government officials that by taking cattle off the property a significant proportion of the indigenous flora would regenerate and at the same time we could instigate a planting program where the playing of golf permitted, using local stock of dwarf indigenous flora.”

The result was stunning colors against a massive Southern Ocean backdrop. 

Ocean Dunes fourth hole :: Photo: Ocean Dunes Golf Course

“Ocean Dunes is the best golf course I’ve built — it needed to be as the land forms and location were first class,” Grant says. 

The main town of Currie is located at the western entrance to the blue waters of the Bass Strait, and is just a five-minute drive from Ocean Dunes and 10 minutes from the airport. 

“A population of less than 700 does not require traffic lights anywhere which is heaven to city dwellers,” Grant says. 

An early setback for the course was a lack of accommodations during the busy golf times, which became problematic out of the gate and pushed more golfers to Cape Wickham. 

“I modelled the Ocean Dunes development on the play-and-stay of Barnbougle Dunes in northern Tasmania, but midway through construction we took our eyes off the ball and bought the hotel in Currie with its 13 rooms,” Grant says. “This proved to be a massive mistake.” 

However, in early 2022, a Melbourne-based consortium purchased Ocean Dunes and intends to develop a new clubhouse and accommodations on the course. 

“There are 30 rooms in the cards,” Grant says.

Grant’s career too is as interesting as the landscape of Ocean Dunes.  

“I had partners up until 2003, one of which was Jack Newton, who was runner-up to Tom Watson in the 1975 British Open Championship and runner-up to Seve Ballesteros in the 1980 Masters,” Grant says. “We built a course in Japan during the late 1980s, which is of quite a high standard.” 

Grant, a former golf superintendent, then established his own design firm in 2003. 

“But I found it difficult without a high-profile golfer to promote me,” he says. “So, in 2005 I began a search for coastal land in Victoria to build my own course and six years later came across the Ocean Dunes property on King Island in Tasmania. I’ll soon be searching for another great site for a third links on King Island.” 

High season started on Oct. 1 and international green fees are $250, with an all-day rate of $310. This is not a walker-friendly course, so golfers should be prepared to take a cart … and a camera. 

Golfers should also expect to eat well on King Island, which is famed for its lobster, most of which is flown out to the Southeast Asia market. The local community is a farming one with beef and dairy being the main industries. 

“Ocean Dunes is a pure golf experience,” Grant says, noting features of sand dunes, undulating fairways and greens, and coastal winds. “There is a burn running alongside the 16th hole and a large double green for the 12th & 15th holes.

“I tried to design a course that requires strategic thinking and provides rewards for those taking a risk. On some holes, if you are out of position off the tee a blind shot may be the result.” 

And the proximity to the coast is something special with 17 of the 18 holes sporting views of the water. The fourth and 10th holes are signature par-3s that are both over ocean inlets. 

“When you talk about golf holes, there are few better starts in golf than the first four holes,” says golfer Craig Berry. “In sheer scenery this course rates up with Pebble Beach and the other great golf courses of the world, and people will flock here for that reason.”

As Ocean Dunes approaches its 10th anniversary, it appears that shadow that Cape Wickham casts grows smaller by the day.