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Words: Kate Allman
Adelaide is one of the hottest destinations for golfing holidays thanks to the LIV Golf Tour hitting the city every April. While shoeys on
the “watering hole” are not everyone’s scene, golf in this city has plenty more sophistication to offer women teeing up their next getaway.
In fact, South Australia has more than 40 golf clubs. Pristine fairways lie adjacent to stunning vineyards, distilleries, restaurants and
rolling hills surrounding Adelaide. If you like your game with a side of the nation’s best food and wine in a stunning setting, you’ve come
to the right place.
The host venue for LIV Golf is situated just 15 minutes’ drive from Adelaide airport. You can fly in, play a round, and fly out on the same day if you choose to. The club combines two internationally rated 18-hole golf courses next to each other. While some championship courses can be intimidating, the Grange is surprisingly friendly for amateur golfers with its wide playing corridors. Smooth fairways allow your ball to run if you top it off the tee. The “rough” is barely so, and there are no water features. The toughest features are deep and steep bunkers, plus large tree sections and dog legs to navigate.
Kooyonga has played host to multiple Australian Opens, and many consider it the second-best course in the city. With narrower playing corridors set across a rolling dunescape, you’re more likely to lose a couple of balls in the rough edges. There are also water features and some tricky bunkers to navigate, all surrounded by thick gum trees. But land on the centre of the fairway and you’ll be blessed by some of the finest manicured grass in Adelaide.
Rated among the top 10 courses in the country, Royal Adelaide has stood in its current location since 1905. Very playable and women-friendly, it offers a “Women’s Pathway Program” designed to introduce new and budding golfers to the game. Beautifully trim fairways roll over sand dunes covered in fir trees, less than two kilometres from the beach, mark this iconic course.
Just 15 minutes from Adelaide CBD, Mt Osmond boasts some of the most stunning views in South Australia. It overlooks the city from the leafy heights of Adelaide Hills, peering toward the Mount Lofty Ranges. On a clear day you can see all the way to the coast. Playing this course is a lovely experience, quiet most of the time with incredible views in bushy surroundings.
Multi-award-winning luxury lodge Sequoia can turn a simple weekend golf getaway into an extraordinary memory. Nestled inthe Adelaide Hills on the edge of a national park, it’s a 14-suite, adults-only property just 30 minutes’ drive from most CBD courses (15 minutes from Mt Osmond) yet feels worlds away from the urban jungle. Suites include a sunken lounge and fireplace, with private balcony plus floor to ceiling views over Piccadilly Valley. Expect all the bells and whistles, including automated lighting at different times of day, a “wellness shower” with multiple different spray options, plus all-inclusive minibar treats.
Soak your tired golf limbs in Sequoia’s ancient artesian thermal springs after a big day walking the course. Dip into the infinity pool or cosy up by the roaring fireplace with the kitchen’s incredibly moreish homemade chocolate chip cookies. E-bikes are free for guests to borrow. Staying in is a pleasure but venturing out leads you to South Australia’s highest-altitude vineyards right nearby.
For those looking to stay in town, Hotel Indigo is a modern and inexpensive option conveniently located at the heart of Adelaide’s Market Precinct. It’s just a short walk from historic Adelaide Central Market and Victoria Square. Colourful wall art, vibrant copper fixtures and innovative use of space make Hotel Indigo stand out from the rest. There’s a rooftop pool and modern gym, plus Nespresso machine in every room.
Every year in May, Adelaide comes alive with this bustling festival centred around events in Victoria Square, under the lights of Adelaide CBD. Grab dinner from one of the smoky grills operated by South Australia’s best food vendors before the after-work crowds descend on the dance floor under a canvas canopy.
For foodies looking to treat themselves, this is a three-chef-hatted gem in the scenic realm of Mount Lofty Estate. As you can expect from a restaurant of its class, the plates look like something out of Masterchef. However, the experience is refreshingly accessible while being delicious and satisfying, cleverly heroing outstanding produce while executing each element to perfection.
An iconic 150-year-old pub in the quaint village of Uraidla in the Adelaide Hills. Deliberately quirky décor includes a mix of antique pieces and vintage lamps, plus open beer kegs for urinals (yes, I peeked) and crawling vines. The kitchen notoriously turns out some of the best pub meals you can order in South Australia, with Uraidla Brewery beers on tap to wash them down.
If you like spice, you can’t miss this colourful East End restaurant with a big open-plan kitchen and wood-fire oven at the centre. The menu is African-inspired and features grilled and smoked meats, peri peri, hummus and pickles. Dipping, rolling and sopping up all the punchy sauces with Africola’s moreish flatbread is highly encouraged; it’s all far too good to leave on the plate.
Wine tasting
Adelaide is known by some as the wine capital of Australia, surrounded by some of the best producing regions in the country including the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and McLaren Vale. However, the Adelaide Hills are the closest and an overlooked gem for wine tasting just 30 minutes from the CBD. Wander through the breathtaking green hills and sip on cool climate grapes on the same day you hit 18 holes. The Lane Vineyard is stunning, with an acclaimed tasting room, it sells pre-packed picnics you can take with you to meander through the vines and enjoy. Shaw and Smith have one of the most memorable pinot noirs in the country, while Bird In Hand is a popular family-owned label.
Local produce
Not a fan of wine? No problem – duck under the gum trees of Adelaide Hills into Ambleside Distillers to try one of Australia’s most awarded gins. The distillers utilise home-grown botanicals from their own garden, and their tasting experience offers a wealth of information on how to pair certain types of gin with additions like jalapenos or coffee beans for the best gin and tonic. For cheese fans, Udder Delights is the place to sample world-famous local cheeses, fresh bread and moreish quince paste. At Beerenberg Farm, home to the acclaimed jam, you can pick sweet strawberries straight off the vines and fill a box to take home. Visit Jurlique Farm to see exactly where the premium beauty products are made from organic earth-grown materials.
E-biking
Electric bikes offer the wellness benefits of cycling outdoors with a little extra “go” to cover longer distances. Bikeabout rents e-bikes around Adelaide for you to explore the city on a non-golf day. Alternatively, try a tour of the surrounding Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale. Bikeabout’s gourmet food and wine tour through Hahndorf and the Adelaide Hills takes you through many local gems mentioned above, via glorious farmland with stunning views at every stop.
IMAGE CREDITS: SOUTH AUSTRALIA TOURISM