courses built on coastal sand dunes, and all
are within a stone’s throw of each other. Add
in a number of wineries, great restaurants,
and the fact the region is only ninety
minutes’ drive from the city of Melbourne,
and the Mornington makes a strong case as
Australia’s best weekend golf destination.
Off course: Food, wine and fantastically
fresh local produce abounds here. There
are top quality restaurants including
hatted establishments (a ‘hat’ is the
Australian equivalent of the Michelin star),
La Petanque, Paringa, and Terminus. Natural
thermal waters flow into pools and
private baths and visitors should stop
by the Peninsula Hot Springs to soak in
the healing mineral waters.GOLFING PARADISE: MALAYSIA
Malaysia has a number of contrasting
tropical golf regions that will appeal to golf
travellers. There’s plenty of great golf around
the city in Kuala Lumpur — such as US PGA
Tour venue Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country
Club — as well as further up into the
mountains. Off the West Coast, Langkawi is
a fantastic island getaway with The Els Club
Datai perched on the edge of the impossibly
blue Andaman Sea. Langkawi is also home
to outstanding 5-star resorts like The Datai
and The Danna.Off course: Relax on one of Langkawi’s
many stunning beaches. Visit a private
island such as Rebak Island, explore lush
interior jungle, or take a speed boat tour for
a change of pace. From Kuala Lumpur, put
the clubs away for a day and visit the world’s
tallest twin towers, then head to
the Bukit Bintang area for a veritable feast
of steamy Malaysian dishes.Few golf destinations
mix quality and
quantity as well
as Victoria’s
Mornington
Peninsula. There are
seven remarkable
golf courses built on
ideal coastal sand
dunes, and all are
within a stone’s
throw of each other.LEISURE