Championship golf – a premuim resort experience
SO many superb golf facilities often lack soul.
Not so, when talking about Moonah Links Resort on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, with two highly acclaimed championship golf courses, a pristine clubhouse with multiple dining options clubhouse and quiet, comfortable resort accommodation, all just over an hour from the city of Melbourne.
Moonah Links has a real community buzz about it and there’s a fair bit to do without playing golf, with Moonah Links known for making a genuine attempt to encourage people – golfers and non-golfers alike – to come and enjoy the facilities.
“Whether you’re planning a golf trip with friends, a couples’ escape or a long weekend away, Moonah Links offers one of Australia’s most complete golf destination experiences,” says Moonah’s Assistant GM, Bronwyn Robbins.
“Stay onsite at Peppers Moonah Links Resort, play two championship golf courses, dine overlooking the Open Course and explore the very best of the Mornington Peninsula.
“We are just over an hour from Melbourne and surrounded by award-winning wineries including Point Leo Estate, Montalto, Ten Minutes by Tractor and Jackalope, as well as Peninsula Hot Springs and Alba Thermal Springs.
“Moonah Links is the ideal base to experience everything the region has to offer,” Robbins added.
Two things sand out in illustrating the quality of the golf courses, and the sense of community spirit at the Moonah Links Resort.
The first is the hosting since 2021 of the Victorian PGA championship, won by Marc Leishman in 2025, an event which continually draws strong gallery support.
The second is the recent Mothers’ Day Walk where a sea of families, dressed in pink, walked the course to raise money for breast and ovarian cancer.
“This is the fourth year of the Mother’s Day Walk and it was a great to see the sea of pink again out on the course. So many people never set foot on the Open Course other than at this event and it was a great experience for them, as it is for us for us to have them here,” says Robbins.
“With the PGA, which has gone from strength to strength, it is about doing our part giving back to the game, investing in the future and developing young players.”
It goes without saying, Moonah wants more people to stay, play golf and enjoy all that the resort, and the Mornington Peninsula, offers.
Another attractive option now being offered by Moonah are five- and 14-hole playing options on the Open Course, as well as a full 18-hole round.
Five holes in a cart for $50 is a great way to get a taste of the Peter Thomson designed leviathan, originally built to be the permanent home of the Australian Open.
Robbins says the five-hole option gives, “new golfers wanting to give the Open Course a go an opportunity to experience it.
“It gives you a taste of the Open Course without being overwhelmed by it.”
As part of the alternative playing options, Moonah returned the Open Course to the order of play Thomson originally planned it.
Admittedly there was a commercial bent to the decision, too.
But Robbins also says the reverting to the original layout of the Open Course, is about “honouring Thomson’s legacy.”
“This allows the layout to be played as a true links course,” she adds.
The Moonah Open Course
The Open Course at Moonah Links is the only 18 holes built in Australia and prepared specifically to be the regular home of the Australian Open.
When completed, it was one of the longest courses in Australia and measured 6783 metres.
Thomson always regarded the – Moonah Open Course as his magnum opus among the 100 plus course built around the world by him and his business partners, Mike Wolveridge and Ross Perrett.
When it opened, Thomson said: “It offers more than a casual stroll in the outdoors. It is a mighty and ferocious test of golfing ability, the likes of which even the top pros only occasionally experience. In terms of difficulty. I estimate a club-handicapped player would merit an extra eight strokes assistance to return a net par score, yet the course has great flexibility. It can be played at many different lengths depending on tees selected,” Thomson said.
“Indeed, it is expected that the total length will only seldom be used for the real championship occasion.
“In addition to its conducive natural contours, the site is blessed with ever-present wind of some direction and strength, and this enhances its attributes. Planning has been arranged that no particular direction
is especially helpful, it is always a factor,” Thomson said.
“The Leviathan of a course is a new experience for Australian golf…a whiff of what top championship play is really like.”
It is enough to scare even the best players yet it has not stopped Moonah possibly becoming perhaps the best golf destination on the Mornington Peninsula. Both courses – the OPEN and the Ross Perrett designed LEGENDS – are tough off the ‘tiger’ tees, especially when the wind howls off Bass
Strait. But options abound off the forward markers.
The golf courses feature panoramic views from raised tees, shared greens and a host of other unique features which make both of them ‘must play’ for all golfers.
And under 90 Minutes from Melbourne
Moonah offers plenty to entertain the whole family away from the course, boasting accommodation, wine and food offerings that are exceptional, in living up to its self-promotion that it is “a unique leisure resort.”
Visitors can stay and play at Peppers Moonah Links Resort, in accommodation overlooking the championship golf courses, boasting the convenience of having golf, accommodation, dining and resort facilities all in one location.
And there is an ability for both golfers and non-golfers to enjoy the destination together, with golf, wellness, wineries, beaches and local attractions all within minutes of the resort.
Onsite a la carte restaurant, Pebbles, highlights the very best of Mornington Peninsula produce, with an exquisite menu designed to share, while the resort features an a la carte restaurant and bar, both with panoramic views over the Open Course.
Wit Peppers Moonah Links Resort conveniently located amid many popular attractions and destinations, you don’t need to venture far to experience the award winning Peninsula Hot Springs, the very popular St Andrews Beach Brewery and the Cups Estate Winery.
Further down the road is Gunnamatta Surf Beach, Gunnamatta Trail Rides, Boneo Maze and The Arthurs Seat Eagle. The Mornington Peninsula is a renowned grape growing region, with many of the region’s best wineries just a short drive from the Resort.
The resort’s Events and Marketing Manager, Giorgia Drake, proudly points out each of the Peppers Resorts spacious 70 deluxe rooms and suites, feature private balconies or terraces overlooking the stunning golf courses.
“Peppers Moonah Links Resort is one of the most unique resorts of its kind in Australia, integrating premium accommodation with two 18-hole championship golf courses,” Drake says
Off the golf course you can enjoy the outdoor heated swimming pool or a mountain bike ride to explore the local area. Or get the family together for a light-hearted game of badminton, volleyball or kick a soccer ball around the lush recreation lawn. Other facilities include on-site gymnasium, practice putting green and driving range.
Weddings and Conferences
Peppers Moonah Links Resort is a great setting for a weddings, catering for small and intimate celebrations through to lavish receptions.
It has an abundance of picturesque ceremony and reception venues set among rolling sand dunes and the local Moonah trees. It also has Executive Lodges which feature a stylish contemporary atmosphere with a large sun deck offering a romantic backdrop. The Executive Lodges are suitable for weddings of up to 60 guests seated or 100 guests cocktail or banquet style,
The resort can also arrange accommodation packages comprising 70 stylish guest rooms and suites, each with stunning course-side positions looking out to natural undulating landscape views.
But it is not only wedding that are the resort’s specialty. It can accommodate all types of functions, with conferences high on its priority list. Peppers Moonah Links Resort prides itself on being the gateway to exploring all that the Mornington Peninsula has to offer.
– Story prepared by Inside Golf for Peppers Moonah Links Resort
