Manly Golf Club

Private golf club right in the city? Yep, it comes at a price: hefty joining fee, all sorts of membership application criteria, dress codes, rules and regulations that you have to follow, but hey, this is golf. Membership is worth it if you’re looking long term, keen to play regularly, and happy to deal with the ‘clubby’ stuff — lots of which has been around for a hundred years (like this club).
Nine fancy new holes make up the back nine — flat but with the added challenge of plenty of water hazards and glass-​fast greens. Nine renovated holes make up the front nine, due to re-​open in Autumn 2012. While the course is partly closed, membership numbers are restricted and it’s not always easy to get peak time tee-​slots, but things look a lot easier once the full eighteen holes are back in play. Very professional golf shop staff — also available for lessons though not clinics while the facilities are depleted.
And the clubhouse … built originally in 1924 it’s grand and elegant, posing handsomely above the practice greens. Although members bemoan the decline in the social side of the club, which in its heyday saw functions and get-​togethers every weekend, it’s now a popular function venue, and the odd site of a bride strolling over the fairway for photos is not uncommon. Golf is open to non-​members — though it’s more expensive than public clubs — and functions can be arranged by both members and the public.