Q Golf - Official online magazine for Golf Queensland Spring / Summer 2011 | Page 27

TRAVEL FEATURE

and new blood. The International team
captained by Greg Norman will most
likely feature players such as 2011
Masters champion Charl Schwartzel,
Jason Day, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen
and the U.S Team captained by Fred
Couples will have players like Phil
Mickleson, Jim Furyk and big hitters
Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson. We
will have to wait and see what drama
unfolds in November, as the two teams
battle it out on the baking hot fairways
and greens of Royal Melbourne.
It’s worth mentioning that, although
many of the top courses in Melbourne’s
sandbelt such as Royal Melbourne and
Kingston Heath are private clubs, they all
welcome international golfers, with very
few restrictions besides an occasional
handicap or home club requirement.
Melbourne also has a fine assortment of
more affordable public courses where 18
holes will only cost around $20- $40 AUD.
For instance, within chipping distance of
the city centre and beach is Albert Park
and a bit further afield in the suburbs
are courses such as Yarra Bend, Ivanhoe,
Malvern Valley, Brighton, Sandringham
and Growling Frog. Don’t forget your
shorts, hat and suncream.

Streets of Melbourne
Attracting millions of tourists annually,
Melbourne has plenty to offer the golfer
whether traveling alone or with a partner
and family. As you take in the sights
and sounds of Melbourne, you’ll soon
discover the boundless allure, colour
and atmosphere of its character-filled
streets and neighbourhoods. From the
bohemian chic of Brunswick Street in
Fitzroy to the exotic sights and smells of
Victoria Street in Richmond, each has it’s
own character and identity.

Victoria Street epitomises the cultural
diversity synonymous with Melbourne.
The city’s growing Vietnamese
community has transformed what was
once a nondescript traffic route in to
what could pass for a back street of
Hanoi. The smell of steamed Peking
duck and incense lies heavily in the air,
alongside a bewildering jumble of Asian
supermarkets, family-run grocery shops,
fishmongers, fruit stalls and Chinese
herbalist shops. If you like Vietnamese
food, then restaurants like the Tran Tran
and Victoria make this one of the best
value eating streets in the city.
In contrast, Chapel Street in the suburb
of South Yarra is like flicking through
the latest issue of Vogue or GQ - it’s
all about image. The beautiful people
have to shop somewhere, and with a
greater concentration of salons and
fashion boutiques per square metre
than anywhere in Melbourne, this is
their strip. Women strut their stuff as
they peruse designer clothes shops like
Collette Dinnigan, Scanlan & Theodore
and Kookai. Men cruise by in opentopped sports cars hiding behind Gucci
sunglasses and drink lattes at the
sidewalk cafes. This is the street to see
and be seen.
In Fitzroy’s Brunswick Street, formerly a
blue-collar capital in the city’s northern
shadow, the vibe is - anything goes.
Melbourne’s alternative street is awash
with people from all walks of life;
hippies, animal activists, tourists and
blue-haired ferals sporting amazing feats
of body piercing. Take a stroll among
this microcosm of society and immerse
yourself in the street’s bohemian cafes,
alternative bookstores and grunge chic.
Lygon Street in the inner city suburb
of Carlton is Melbourne’s ‘little Italy’
crammed with alfresco dining, pizzerias
and gelaterias (ice cream shops). Toto’s,
the first pizza restaurant in Australia

www.golfqueensland.org.au

opened in 1966 and more followed
over the years, like firm favourites,
Cafe Corrento, Papa Gino and Gamberi
introducing Italian food and coffee to
Melbournians.
Don’t miss the coastal suburb of St
Kilda. This is cafe society by the sea
and its contradictory classy trash glam
feel attracts people of all walks of life.
Melbourne’s quintessential Sunday
experience, St Kilda’s Acland Street and
the Esplanade are sentimental favourites
among both locals and visitors alike.
A typical day may go something like this
- a hangover brunch of bacon & eggs, a
strong latte, and the Sunday Age at the
Galleon Cafe, an institution among St
Kilda locals. Then, stroll past the palmlined Esplanade to Luna Park, one of
Melbourne’s most enduring and colourful
icons. This much-loved old fairground is
modelled on New York’s Coney Island and
the entrance is through a garish laughing
clown’s mouth.
Nearby, is the Sunday St Kilda Arts and
Craft Market where you can shop for
custom-made jewellery, ceramic art or
hand-made candles. Finish it all off with
a pastry indulgence at one of Acland
Street’s famous cake shops or perhaps an
ice cold beer at the legendary Esplanade
Hotel with great views over the bay.

Golf among the grapes
For an excellent day or overnight trip
from Melbourne, hire a car to explore
the Mornington Peninsula - a vineyard
haven for golfers. Make sure to include
Red Hill Estate - a multi award-winning
combination of winery, vineyard
restaurant and accommodation. From
the elevated restaurant patio, abstract

Q Golf Online Spring / Summer 2011 27