Discover Barwon Heads: Golf, River and Nature

Options also differ in their conditions—for example, selected days for green-fee play or a current that needs to be suitable for stand-up paddleboarding. This makes it easier to decide which experiences will take priority on your trip.

Golf in Barwon Heads

13th Beach Golf Links has two championship golf courses. The same offering also includes the Short Course, a nine-hole course. If you plan to include golf in your trip, you can weigh up these clearly different formats: two championship courses on one hand, and a course explicitly designated as a Short Course, with nine holes, on the other. This makes the number of holes a tangible point of comparison when fitting rounds into your daily itinerary. Course details may change; check them before your trip. Another specific connection is the Men’s and Women’s Vic Open, which 13th Beach has hosted since 2013.

Barwon Heads Golf Club is Australia’s first true links course. Visitors can book tee times for rounds there on selected days, paying a green fee. If you plan to include this club in your itinerary, check playing days and booking conditions before your trip; playing opportunities and booking conditions may change. It is also important for planning to distinguish between the two offerings: the nine-hole Short Course is part of 13th Beach Golf Links; the selected green-fee days apply to Barwon Heads Golf Club.

River and Estuary Activities

Water activities can also be distinguished by location and conditions. Visitors can kayak on the river at Barwon Heads; swimming is possible in the Barwon Heads river estuary. Stand-up paddleboarding is possible in the Barwon River estuary when the current is suitable. For this activity in particular, the current is therefore an essential part of planning: whether it is suitable determines if SUP is an option at the time you choose. This lets you consider water sports and swimming as separate travel interests, while taking a suitable current into account as an additional condition for SUP.

Barwon Bluff and Marine Sanctuary

The Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary is accessible from the town of Barwon Heads. Near the destination, the sanctuary protects reefs and marine life across 17 hectares. Visitors can explore rock platforms and beaches on an organised or self-guided tour. The walking track around Barwon Bluff has a mix of steps, gravel and sand. The type of tour and the condition of the track are two separate planning considerations: you can choose an organised or self-guided tour to explore the rock platforms and beaches; the walking track is characterised by its changing surface. Check access conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Gladysdale, Tourello, Miners Rest, Nagambie, Rushworth, Navarre, Pennyroyal, Nathalia

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.