Exceptional golf facilities in friendly surroundings
By Andrew Marmont
WELCOME to Rosebud Country Club, which straddles a delicate mix of exceptional golf while catering to both private members and public golfers alike.
Rosebud doesn’t do pretentious; it prefers substance in the form of excellent facilities and two golf courses that regularly rate in Victoria’s most-loved lists.
A little over an hour from Melbourne, Rosebud attracts both a mix of local regulars and keen golfers across Melbourne to enjoy the lush fairways, a warm community feel and impressive practice facilities you’d be more accustomed to finding at a top private club.
Matt Bolton, the Golf Manager, describes the club as warm and friendly for both members and visitors.
“It’s a fantastic golf club; it’s very inviting,” Bolton says.
“We’ve got some amazing members here. It’s a great community.
“We’re a unique sort of operation here in that we’ve always been a hybrid model. We haven’t quite been a private members club, but obviously our members are certainly our focus.
“We’ve got a really strong member base and we’re really focusing on trying to make sure that the experience that they have is excellent,” Bolton explained.
An attractive place to play golf
I can certainly vouch for its attractiveness as a golfing destination. I played the North course on a quiet Monday morning and despite the regular rain showers, I was impressed by how immaculate the fairways were.
Playability is often a word that comes up among amateur golfers when they venture to new courses, and the South course was very forgiving, with wide fairways and big greens to pitch on. It had a parkland feel, but I still felt like I was playing at a private golf club.
I got through nine holes in 90 minutes and enjoyed the ample practice facilities. There is a driving range bay (up to 220 metres) as well as a huge putting green, two chipping areas and a practice bunker. One public golfer remarked that Rosebud, “is the kind of golf club you would join if you lived in Melbourne.” And I had to nod in agreement.
“I’ve been very fortunate to see it evolve over the years,” Bolton says of how the club and courses have changed.
“Ian and his team have done a fantastic job in providing a different perspective on the course through maximizing the natural contours of the property.
“You can now see different holes and undulations on the property that you couldn’t see beforehand, which has certainly improved the experience.”
“The South is a little bit narrower and not quite as long. It is slight more user friendly, but still, a very, very good golf course.
“The North Course is being reimagined under the guidance of OCM. The North Course ranks number 67 in Australia and is the first course outside of Europe to host the DP World Tour qualifying. The Webex Player series has been hosted at the club for six years.
“We’re about five, six years into the master plan with the North, and we have completed seven holes. We also have a master plan for the South, which was also developed by OCM,” Bolton added.
A diverse membership base
Rosebud has just under 1,400 playing members with incentives for younger golfers to join the club.
“We’ve definitely seen that younger demographic grow over the last few years, particularly around COVID,” Bolton says.
“A lot of the younger guys from the footy clubs and cricket clubs that couldn’t play those sports during those times have come on board. So our intermediate A and B categories, which are essentially 18- to 36-year-olds, are very strong. That’s been a really, really important area of growth for us.”
This includes some excellent up-and-coming players, such as Isaac White, who won the recent Victorian Junior Open, and Jude Farrelly, who won the Victorian under 16’s championship.
Members can donate to the 100 Club – a $100 donation – which all goes to junior golf and helps them receive free coaching at the club.
To encourage greater female participation, the team also has a strong Learn to Golf program that started in 2012.
“We teach them everything from technique, rules, etiquette, how to score for different formats so that they can integrate straight into the club at the conclusion of the program.”
“Our women’s committee have done a fantastic job in developing a mentor program to assist with their integration into the Club. In the last 12 years, we have had over 120 members join off the back of the program.
“In 2024/2025 year, the club had 93,000 rounds played, and member rounds have increased significantly since COVID to 78,000 per year. That’s a testament to more people getting into golf as well as the club’s ability to keep pace with demand.”
A solid experience for members and visitors
Nick Hockaday, Assistant General Manager, says there has been an increased focus on the hospitality side of the business. The bar and bistro is open 364 days a year for breakfast and lunch and Thursday to Saturday for dinner. Functions can be held at any time of the week. They also host live bands throughout the year on Friday or Saturday nights.
“It has proven to be very successful. The venue also features a couple of bars. Our function rooms seat 240 people and has a dedicated kitchen for events and celebrations. The venue is one of the largest on the Mornington Peninsula in terms of function space.”
“We also recently launched a new website and mobile app that has been modernized and is far more user-friendly. This can be used by members to book tee times, events and dinner.”
Moving with the times
Rosebud is now in its 63rd year in operation and has seen plenty of change.
Bolton started with the club as a junior and is proud of how far it has come.
“We’re certainly a lot more professional in terms of the operation that we’ve got now,” he says.
“The club has evolved so much over the years. In my time we were relying on volunteers to conduct day-to-day activities at the club.
“The captain would do the syllabus in conjunction with a professional. We had a volunteer handicapper. The women’s committee did all their results whereas now they’re all conducted by the golf ops team.”
With so much to offer both on and off the course for golfers of all abilities, Rosebud Country Club is a destination you can’t miss.
Rosebud Country Club Fact File
Contact: 207 Boneo Rd, Rosebud VIC 3939.
Phone: (03) 5950 0800.
Green fees: $115 for 18 holes at the North Course and $95 for the South.
Golf carts: $55.
Hire equipment: Yes.
Practice facilities: A 220-metre driving range, a large putting green, two chipping greens and a practice bunker.
Toughest hole and why: The 17th on the North Course. A 398-metre par four dog-leg to the left that needs a long, accurate drive.
Best chance for a birdie: The 298-metre par-4 9th on the South Course.
Don’t miss: The extensive practice facilities.
Facilities: The clubhouse offers a modern, welcoming space for casual dining, social gatherings and functions. There is also a dedicated coaching and club-fitting studio, a Golf Academy, and a bowls club.
Memberships: The club offers five, six and seven-day, junior, and young adult memberships. Non-playing and clubhouse memberships are also available.
Pro shop offerings: The pro shop has everything a golfer needs, including hire equipment, snacks, drinks, merchandise and apparel.
Club professionals: The PGA Professionals are Matt Bolton and Brodie Burden with Brodie available for private lessons, group coaching and clinics.
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