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Scott Warren

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UPDATED December 2016. Updates marked in red.

Australia is a world class destination for golf – no one could disagree – but nearly all of that is centred on the Victorian capital and remote northern Tasmania.

Sydney has traditionally been a poor cousin for golf, but there’s one area where no other Australian city can match The Harbour City: off-course tourism. Coupled with an improving golf scene, Sydney is as much of a must-see for the golfing tourist as Melbourne and Bridport.

You don’t come to Sydney just for the golf, which is just as well because you have plenty of other things to see: Sydney Harbour and its iconic namesake bridge, Sydney Opera House, the beaches (notably Bondi and Manly), Taronga Zoo, the Blue Mountains and more.

But there’s a reason you packed your clubs, so first things first – where to play golf:

New South Wales GC: The most revered course in the state it’s named after, and truly unique in the world of golf. The seaside holes rightly get the headlines, but the likes of 7,8, 11, 12 and 15 add to the fun and the experience. It has rolling land, a billion-dollar setting, quirk and extensive (some might say too much) interplay with the native vegetation.


The Lakes: Revived about five years ago thanks to a Mike Clayton re-design, this now competes with NSWGC in some eyes as the best course in town, which is a hell of an achievement when you compare NSWGC’s seaside location with The Lakes’ property flanked by Sydney Airport and bisected by a motorway. The contrasts continue to the courses, too, The Lakes is wide and highly strategic with bold greens, heroic water carries and ample width. It also boasts, with Riviera in Los Angeles, some of the best kikuyu playing surfaces in the world. You won’t play anything else quite like this, so you should take the opportunity.


Bonnie Doon: Always a great club with a central location, but until Ogilvy Clayton Cocking and Mead (the new firm’s first job) blew up the front nine and rebuilt it in 2011 this was not somewhere for an interstate visitor, let alone an international one, to put on the itinerary. Even now, it’s a work-in-progress, but pencil in time for nine holes (maybe after a round at The Lakes, which is pretty much next door) to see the new stuff or make time for 18 if you want to one day play the all-new course and be able to say “man, you should have seen what this used to be!”.

UPDATE -- By May 2017 there will be 15 OCCM holes in play and only three remaining to be done. The new holes are superb across the board, particularly the three short par fours (8, 12, 16).


Royal Sydney: Highly rated, with tournament pedigree (whatever that means or counts for) and some of the best club facilities in the world. Too bad the course doesn’t measure up, with a promising start petering away to a claustrophobic, up-and-back second nine. For me, you travel to see courses of a style and environment that you can’t get at home, and this isn’t that. Your travel time is limited, and this isn’t worth half a day of it.

UPDATE -- Gil Hanse will completely rebuild this course in the coming years and you can expect it to become more worth playing then.


The Australian: See above, though where Royal Sydney’s front nine holds all the (relative) aces, the best holes at The Aussie are midway through each nine. But you could play a course like this anywhere, so why play it in Sydney? (picture is pre-recent reno)


Avondale: Other courses get more talk, but for a visitor I find it hard to go past the north shore’s under-the-radar gem. Carved through unmistakably Aussie bushland and laid out over great land, there’s a couple of head-shaker moments but plenty of quality shots. That said, you’re only making time for this if you’re in town for a good while and are looking for places to play after feeling you’ve seen enough of NSWGC and The Lakes, however many rounds that takes.

UPDATE -- Concord didn't used to be worth playing for the golfer visiting Sydney but with Tom Doak and his crew doing a thorough reworking over much of 2017/2018, the result may be one to include on your itinerary. Course is 20-30 minutes west of the city centre.

A cheap course by the seaside?
Sydney is famous for its coastline, so it’s understandable to want to play golf where you can hear the waves crashing on the rocks. The Coast and Long Reef offer what you’re wanting without costing too much.

Heading out of Sydney for golf?
Newcastle GC is two hours north and well-worth seeking out. I like it as much as NSWGC or The Lakes. Ellerston is the private estate of Australia’s richest family (the Packers) and unless you know them or drop a LOT of coin at their casinos, you won’t be playing there – but if you get lucky, it’s easily paired with Newcastle (pictured below).


Heading south, Narooma is a good stop if you’re driving to Melbourne and if Canberra – the nation’s capital – is on the agenda (2.5hrs south of Sydney), take a look at playing either Royal Canberra or Federal.

UPDATE -- Royal Canberra has had an OCCM facelift and is a much more attractive proposition now.

Accommodation - where to base yourself
You want to be near the CBD (Central Business District – what Americans might call “Downtown”), but you don't need to be right in the CBD - you'll find you can pay less and stay somewhere with more character while still being right alongside it.

Have a look at Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Paddington, especially if you love to enjoy the city by night. Even Woolloomooloo is worth a look. These are great neighbourhoods with fantastic restaurants and bars and a bit more atmosphere than the city, while still being super close to what you want to see - both for sightseeing and for golf. They are also chock-full of great pubs and breakfast spots.

UPDATE -- Mark Pearce recently stayed in an AirBnB at 93 Stanley St in Darlinghurst and raved about the location and set-up, so that's worth looking into.

If you want to be in the CBD, the area near Circular Quay is a good place to base yourself, while others seem to like Darling Harbour (I don’t see the attraction myself).

If the beach is a lure, look at Bondi and Coogee, or Manly if you don’t mind the city and its sights being a ferry ride away.

If you were open to staying in a hostel, Wake Up! and the Railway Square YHA are both popular and near Central Station.



Sightseeing in Sydney


For me, the Sydney sightseeing must-sees are:

1. Sydney Harbour, including Harbour Bridge, Opera House and then there's a great harbourside walk from the Opera House to Woolloomooloo via the Domain and Mrs Macquarie's Chair.

2. Catch a ferry from Circular Quay to either Manly or Watsons Bay for some fish and chips, with Manly preferable if you wanted to go to the beach for a swim.

3. Bondi is great for the beach and people-watching, and the Bondi to Bronte beachside walk is fantastic. If you're really keen you can walk all the way to Coogee with fantastic clifftop views over the water and beachside suburbs the whole way.

4. The Rocks (near Circular Quay) is the birthplace of Australia and fun for a walk around, but "history" is limited given the country is only 225 years old!

5. Bridgeclimb offers panoramic views of the city and harbour and a unique perspective of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.

6. Taronga Zoo, which you can catch the ferry to from Circular Quay, is a world-class zoo with some great Australian animals as well as some great lion, tiger and African animal displays. It is also right on the harbour and overlooks the city. It’s a lovely place to spend an afternoon. It’s in the suburb of Mosman, which is one of the poshest in Sydney.



Where to eat and drink

Quay ($$$).
Sydney’s ultimate combination of haute cuisine and remarkable setting. The menu is adventurous, the Snow Egg desert is legendary.

Tetsuyas ($$$).
Japanese degustation. Not my thing, but relentlessly popular.

Doyles ($$).
Iconic seafood with locations at Circular Quay and Watsons Bay. Both have remarkable views, with Watsons Bay also featuring a laid-back harbour-side atmosphere.

Café Sydney ($$).
Modern Australian with an outlook over the harbour, Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Apollo ($$).
Greek food in Potts Point with a cool atmosphere in a great neighbourhood. Walking distance to Kings Cross if its delights appeal to you.

China Doll ($$).
On Woolloomooloo Wharf, lovely city skyline view and a broadly Asian menu that combines dumplings with curries, Chinese classics and a great cocktail list.

Ventuno ($).
Pizza on the harbour at Walsh Bay. Lovely food and handy to The Rocks.

Opera Bar ($).
Just outside the Opera House and looks out over Circular Quay and the Harbour Bridge toward Luna Park. A lovely place to sit with a schooner (Google it, foreigners) of Coopers or a James Squire, look around and think "holy shit - I'm in Australia!"

El Loco ($).
Mexican street food in a Surry Hills pub. Cheap and cheerful. Avoid the “special taco”, it’s pig testicle.



The Blue Mountains

Every visitor to Sydney should spend a day (or more) exploring the Mountains.

Up there you want to focus your efforts on Wentworth Falls, Leura, Katoomba and Blackheath. For my money, Leura and Blackheath are the two best villages, Govetts Leap Lookout at Blackheath is outstanding and my favourite bushwalk is the Valley of the Waters at Wentworth Falls.

The Three Sisters in Katoomba is rightly famous and has fun folklore attached. Also in Katoomba, visit ScenicWorld. It has a scenic railway that runs down into the valley floor where you can walk around and there's also a gondola that goes out over the national park with fantastic views. A great way to see a lot in a limited time, combined with a visit to Leura village and you can feel as though you have "seen" the Blue Mountains.

Why do they look blue from a distance? The eucalyptus oil gives off a haze that creates that appearance.



Other sport to enjoy

Cricket:
September to February/March will see cricket games at Sydney Cricket Ground (historic stadium near the city) and ANZ Stadium (out in Homebush, built for the 2000 Olympics, feels like a modern stadium). The SCG hosts a test match between Australia and a visiting nation every year from January 3-7 and Big Bash League games at nighttime from late December to late January.

Rugby league and rugby union:
Same-same, but different. Seasons run roughly March to September, most big games played at Allianz Stadium (aka Sydney Football Stadium) next to SCG near the city and at ANZ Stadium.

Aussie rules:
The Sydney Swans are one of the best teams and play out of the Sydney Cricket Ground (usually) from March-September. ANZ Stadium hosts some of the Swans’ bigger games. The less said about the Greater Western Sydney Giants the better.

Running:
Just as people travel to play golf, apparently they also travel to run. I don’t know why, either. But in any case, the City to Surf is held each August between Hyde Park and Bondi and there’s a marathon in September that takes in many of the best harbourside sights mentioned up higher.

There’s surely things I’ve forgotten to include, so ask questions and offer suggestions if you have any of either.
« Last Edit: December 05, 2016, 02:52:31 AM by Scott Warren »

scott_wood

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2014, 06:36:18 AM »
Scott:
Top Shelf!!!
 Well Done!!!! 
"If it were Michelin, it's 3 stars...."
But , for gca'ers, it's a 10....

Most informative travel post I've read...clipped and saved for  '15 or '16......
THANKS for taking the time and effort!

Bart Bradley

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2014, 09:15:20 AM »
Thanks for reposting

B

RJ_Daley

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2014, 11:44:19 AM »
Whoo hoo, I'l be there Friday!!!!  :o ;D 8)

98-100degrees F change - without the windchill factor.  I am so ready for this.

Many decisions, so little time.... 5 nights, SYD.  One round of golf with the lads at NSW, thanks to "Pup", w/Andy and holding out hope for Scott.  Haven't swung a club since Nov 10.  I hope it won't be too embarrassing.  :-[

The water ferries and Manly, and those coastal-beach hikes for my wife sounds great.   I don't think we'll get the old girl on a surf or boogie board, however.  And oh yes, as our Yank GCA friends will attest, I can eat with a scratch handicap in that activity.   ;D

I am getting the sense that Scott as an editor will carry on the long suffering and never ending mission to correct my pathetic grammar in much the same manner as our editor GCA friend here in the States, Dan Kelly, in whose company I have also had some enjoyable rounds of golf.  8)

As someone said on the original Sydney travelogue thread before the crash of 2014, we ought to have a separate button for contributions like this one of Scott's, for our intrepid world golfer seekers. 
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Tom_Doak

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2014, 12:13:21 PM »
Scott:

Congrats on reconstructing your post.  It's a great service to a great city, which is often quickly bypassed by golfing visitors.  I hate to think what people must have to do to afford to live there!

Mike Policano

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2014, 01:55:35 PM »
Scott ,

Great job! You left out dinner with the Warrens overlooking the Opera House!  I have filed this away for the next visit.

Cheers, Mike

Mark Bourgeois

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2014, 02:37:09 PM »
Congrats on getting it back, Scott.

I don't know that my opinion should count for much, being that I've never lived in Sydney, just visited (and on expense account at that). FWIW, I like Quay a lot, more than Aria but not as much as Cafe Sydney. And none of those as much as Rockpool, but I haven't visited since their relocation. Tetsuya's looks must-try for me. Oh, on the sushi front the resto at the top of Hotel ANA has great sushi and an incredible view. Nobody ever seemed to know about that place; taking them was like revealing a secret. Also, sushi-e in The Establishment is fun. Ground floor bar is a nice place to watch NBA games.

Anyway, I'm not sure anyone should be going to Sydney (or Australia) for sushi. Bugs!

RJ, what you will struggle with most this time of year (at least up through early Feb) is the white-hot sky. The sun gets appallingly high in the sky. I recommend you buy good quality, grey lens sunglasses that fit your face (no glass-to-cheek gaps).

Scott, no mention of the Australian Museum? The permanent exhibits are a nice, quick intro to Oz and I've usually had good luck with the temporary exhibits, too.

For CBD lodging, here is where I have had the most success:
The Regent (Four Seasons) -- smallish rooms but excellent service (surprise). One time was seated next to Keith Richards and his daughter for tea.
Sheraton -- functional.
Westin -- my personal favorite among the CBD chains. The basement has several restaurants, including one that serves my favorite veggie burgers anywhere. You will take pictures of your bathroom, I guarantee it. And the plaza next to the hotel was the location of several "Matrix" scenes. I was there when they filmed one -- funny to see how it turned out on the big screen.

For cheap course by the seaside, I guess I am a muni golfer at heart but I've had many a fun go at the 9-hole Bondi Golf & Diggers Club. Yeah, I know it's private but it doesn't feel that way. Heck, one year I think they even signed me up for membership, the cost of which I recouped in about 4 hours.
Charlotte. Daniel. Olivia. Josephine. Ana. Dylan. Madeleine. Catherine. Chase. Jesse. James. Grace. Emilie. Jack. Noah. Caroline. Jessica. Benjamin. Avielle. Allison.

Andy Gray

Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2014, 03:58:17 PM »
Scott:

Congrats on reconstructing your post.  It's a great service to a great city, which is often quickly bypassed by golfing visitors.  I hate to think what people must have to do to afford to live there!

Don't ask, Tom, you don't want to know!  ;)

In all seriousness, it is totally worth it to live here. My girlfriend has lived in 6 or so different cities in the States, NZ, Australia and Cambodia, and Sydney is definitely her favourite, hence why we're still here!

Anyone visiting Sydney with family should check out this website, buying the tickets to these attractions together saves you A LOT of money. http://www.wildlifesydney.com.au/tickets/attractions-passes/#attractions-passes-5-for-3

And the best way to see the harbour is on the Manly ferry. And being my hometown, I think Manly is the best beach suburb in Sydney.
http://www.manlyaustralia.com.au/

Perhaps the zoo with the best view in the world? You can also catch a ferry across the harbour to Taronga Zoo.
http://taronga.org.au/taronga-zoo

If you do visit Sydney, I'm happy to help with hosting (at Bonnie Doon) or with advice, so ask away!

Cheers,

Andy



Scott Warren

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2014, 09:35:53 PM »
Thanks all for the feedback. Nothing better than welcoming GCAers to town and sharing some of their visit - whether on the golf course or over dinner and/or a few beers.

Mike P - that was a great night, and Kerry and I are both looking forward to when you and Mrs P come back (but next time I'm buying!).

The most recent visitor was Mark Saltzman (pictured below tackling the driveable 12th at Bonnie Doon. He made an arsey birdie).



Before that, Jonathan Becker and I got rained off at Bonnie Doon, but he was happy enough to settle in at a pub and sample some Aussie beer. The Merion logo was lost on the local girls though...



Oh, on the sushi front the resto at the top of Hotel ANA has great sushi and an incredible view. Nobody ever seemed to know about that place; taking them was like revealing a secret.

You're dead right that it's reasonably unknown, and a great spot. My folks used to take us to the bar at the top of the ANA when we were kids and they'd have cocktails and we'd have mocktails and feel all grown-up. Cool bar with an amazing view.

The key with anything in Sydney is elevation - if you get high enough up, you can't help but have a breathtaking view.

Quote
Scott, no mention of the Australian Museum? The permanent exhibits are a nice, quick intro to Oz and I've usually had good luck with the temporary exhibits, too.

True, and the good thing is that the Australian Museum (on College St, next to Hyde Park) is an easy walk to the Art Gallery of NSW, walking past St Mary's Cathedral, which is lovely, though not impressive like the churches Europe is full of (again, we're only 225 years old...). It's a nice way to spend a couple of hours.

Scott:

Congrats on reconstructing your post.  It's a great service to a great city, which is often quickly bypassed by golfing visitors.  I hate to think what people must have to do to afford to live there!

Unspeakable things. Andy Gray engineers more efficient ways for mining companies to rape the earth of its natual resources, and there's a point-of-view that what I do isn't much better! ;D And Pup is a greenkeeper...

--

Just because, here's another pic of a nice way to spend a couple of hours in town - the coastal walk looking north from South Coogee to Clovelly. A great night in town can be as easy as buying a pizza and a six-pack, as Mrs Warren and I did with Saltzman last week, and hanging here while the sun sets and the stars light up the sky.

« Last Edit: February 09, 2014, 09:37:30 PM by Scott Warren »

Mark Saltzman

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2014, 09:38:42 PM »
The only problem with Scott's original post is that Newcastle is mentioned only as "well-worth seeking out."  I would go further to say that any golfer visiting Sydney must make the effort to play Newcastle.  Heck, it was even Golf's Most Beloved's home course.


Bill Brightly

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know
« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2014, 11:34:24 PM »
Great job, Scott! Thanks for re-posting it, because I missed the first time. My wife and I did most of the things on your list in the 5 days we spent in Sydney, including a trip to the spectacular Blue Mountains. (Then I ditched her for a few days in Melbourne to go play BD/Lost Farm in the Boomerang! :) ) Sydney is indeed a world class city, perhaps only rivaled by San Fran among US cities, and we loved it from the first moment.

Scott Warren

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know (updated Dec '16)
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2016, 07:31:56 PM »
Updated with a few new and changed bits of info.

The good news is that the number of golf courses worth seeking out continues to grow -- once the work gets done -- thanks to recent commissions for Tom Doak (Concord) and Gil Hanse (Royal Sydney).

Steve Lang

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know (updated Dec '16)
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2016, 07:41:11 PM »
 8)  and any advice on how to learn the local slang in Aussie Land?
Inverness (Toledo, OH) cathedral clock inscription: "God measures men by what they are. Not what they in wealth possess.  That vibrant message chimes afar.
The voice of Inverness"

Scott Warren

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know (updated Dec '16)
« Reply #13 on: December 04, 2016, 07:59:00 PM »
8)  and any advice on how to learn the local slang in Aussie Land?

Three tips:

1. Just fucking swear a lot.
2. Say the opposite of what you think and then laugh.
3. Multi-syllabic words get truncated to their first half-syllable, with "o" or "y" added at the end (eg. the "arvo" is the time between midday and 6pm and a "barby" is something you cook on).

There's really not much else to it and you can't go wrong watching a shitload of Crocodile Dundee pre-visit.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2016, 08:01:52 PM by Scott Warren »

Pat Burke

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know (updated Dec '16)
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2016, 02:36:44 AM »
The Blue Mountains is a nice getaway.


We stayed in a little inn, and I have to concur, the trails around Wentworth Falls are staggering!

Mark Kiely

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know (updated Dec '16)
« Reply #15 on: December 05, 2016, 02:44:54 AM »
Cool thread. Hope I have a use for it one day. But just for accuracy's sake, either I fell asleep for a year or there's a typo in the first line. It says it was updated in December 2017.  :)
My golf course photo albums on Flickr: https://goo.gl/dWPF9z

Mark Chaplin

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know (updated Dec '16)
« Reply #16 on: February 20, 2017, 04:18:32 PM »
Highly recommend YHA The Rocks we paid A$170 a night for an ensuite double with harbour and Opera House views, it's more upmarket motel than hostel. The stunning roof terrace has bridge, harbour and opera house views. Only 3-4 mins walk to Circular Quay.
Cave Nil Vino

Derek Holland

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Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know (updated Dec '16)
« Reply #17 on: September 24, 2018, 07:45:25 PM »
Heading to Sydney (and Melbourne/Tasmania :) ) for the first time in February and this thread has been extremely helpful. A few questions if anyone has insight:


1. From the below it seems like NSW, The Lakes and Boonie Doon are the must hits. Any update on Concord after the renovation?
2. What is the best way to get around in Sydney? Is renting a car advised or can one leverage public transport?


If any GCAers would like to meet up for around shoot me a message.

Mark_F

Re: Coming to Sydney? Here's what you need to know (updated Dec '16)
« Reply #18 on: September 24, 2018, 08:45:02 PM »
2. What is the best way to get around in Sydney? Is renting a car advised or can one leverage public transport?


Your best bet is to avoid Sydney altogether. It's a humid, thoroughly unpleasant dump filled with unlikeable people and golf courses that wouldn't rank in the top ten in Kazakhstan if they weren't located in a golfing oasis. It's also a frightfully expensive place to visit.


Go to Adelaide instead.  Better golf courses, all conveniently located fairly close to each other, a far more pleasant city to visit and the locals are intelligent and courtly.








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