Christmas in Australia:
shorts, sunscreen and the first tee

Christmas falls at the start of the Australian summer, so expect warm weather, long evenings and a festive season built around beaches, barbecues and seafood rather than snow.

The two halves of this trip feel very different. In Melbourne, October to April is the warmest and most settled time of year, and the Sandbelt's sandy soil plays firm and fast. December is right in that window, although Melbourne's weather can swing from cool to hot within a few days. On the Gold Coast, December to March is hot and humid, with afternoon storms. Book first-light tee times, finish by lunch, and spend the afternoon at the beach or by the pool.

• Lakelands Golf Club — Jack Nicklaus's first signature course in Australia (1997), known for quick Tifdwarf greens and open to public play with a tee time.
• The Glades Golf Club — a Greg Norman and Bob Harrison design in a valley near Robina, with almost 100 bunkers and protected wetlands, open to the public seven days a week.
• Links Golf & Wellbeing (Hope Island) — a Peter Thomson and Michael Wolveridge links-style layout with 128 bunkers that hosted the 1997 Johnnie Walker Classic, won by Ernie Els. It's open to visitors every day.
• RACV Royal Pines Resort — 27 holes that hosted the Australian PGA Championship every year from 2013 to 2019, open to resort guests and visitors through RACV.

At Sanctuary Cove, Arnold Palmer's The Pines (with an island green at the 13th) is members-only. Visitors can play it only through the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove "Stay and Play" package. The club's second course, The Palms, takes guest bookings.

The Sandbelt clubs are private members' clubs, and access for visitors is limited and by arrangement:

• Royal Melbourne (West Course ranked No. 1 in Australia; Presidents Cup host in 1998, 2011 and 2019) — international and interstate visitors who belong to a golf club may enquire about limited visitor tee times, with membership verified by their home club.
• Kingston Heath — accepts international visitors by arrangement; expect to provide a home-club letter of introduction and a handicap.
• The Metropolitan — visitors must belong to a club and hold a registered handicap; bookings open up to 12 months ahead online.
• Victoria Golf Club — visitor tee times through the club's online visitor system.
• Peninsula Kingswood — two Sandbelt courses in Frankston; visitors may enquire, and the dress code is strictly enforced.

Start early. Ask your home club for a letter of introduction, have your handicap details ready, and confirm availability directly with each club. Tournaments and holiday periods can reduce visitor times.

• Days 1–3, Gold Coast. Early rounds at Lakelands, The Glades or Hope Island, then afternoons on the sand. Walk the Burleigh Head headland at sunset, and take a day off for the Springbrook rainforest or Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Christmas on the coast or in the city. Many Australians spend Christmas Day with family, and clubs and restaurants often run reduced or special holiday hours. Check what's open before you plan a round or a lunch.
• Days 4–7, Melbourne. Fly south for your confirmed Sandbelt tee times. Between rounds, visit the Brighton Bathing Boxes, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the St Kilda pier. Peninsula Kingswood pairs well with a soak at Peninsula Hot Springs.

Melbourne's Boxing Day cricket Test at the MCG is a long-standing summer tradition and keeps the city busy around 26 December. Book hotels early.

On the Gold Coast, Rick Shores is an AGFG chef-hatted restaurant right on the sand at Burleigh, known for its Moreton Bay bug roll. Restaurant Labart in Burleigh Heads appears among Queensland's best in Gourmet Traveller's 2026 guide. In Broadbeach, Kiyomi serves chef Chase Kojima's Japanese cooking, and Mamasan has a pan-Asian sharing menu; both are chef-hatted.

In Melbourne, Flower Drum was named Restaurant of the Year in the 2026 Good Food Guide as it marked 50 years of Cantonese fine dining. Attica, Ben Shewry's tasting-menu restaurant in Ripponlea, has been on the World's 50 Best list every year since 2010 and is about 20 minutes from the Sandbelt. Donovans serves seafood in a former bathing pavilion on St Kilda beach. Holiday-week hours vary, so reserve early and confirm.

• Sun protection is essential. The Australian summer sun is strong, so bring a hat, high-SPF sunscreen and plenty of water.
• Bring your handicap and home-club details for the Sandbelt, plus a letter of introduction where requested.
• Dress codes are traditional, especially at private clubs: collared shirts, tailored shorts or trousers, and golf shoes. Confirm each club's rules.
• Watch the Gold Coast storms. Summer afternoons can bring thunderstorms, so play in the morning.
• Book everything early. The Christmas and New Year holidays are peak travel time within Australia.