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Spring Insider · October 2026 Spring 2026

Peninsula Insider

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Golf Course Rye 4.5 h

The Dunes Golf Links

  1. A golfer plays a fairway shot at The Dunes Golf Links as a partner stands by the bags, long shadows under a bright cloudy sky
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  2. Two golfers carrying bags walk toward a rolling fairway at The Dunes Golf Links, with low buildings on the ridge and sun through cloud
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  3. Late light on a cluster of sand bunkers before a green at The Dunes Golf Links, backed by a row of dark cypress trees
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  4. Two golfers walk through golden dune grass beside a large sandy waste area at The Dunes Golf Links under a streaked evening sky
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  5. A golfer takes a swing on the fairway at The Dunes Golf Links while a second player stands beside two golf bags in warm light
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  6. Golfers putting on a green at The Dunes Golf Links, a red flag against grassy dunes and a deep bunker in the foreground
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  7. A golfer tees off at sunset at The Dunes Golf Links as a partner watches beside a golf bag, dunes glowing in the low sun
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  8. Aerial view of the clubhouse, accommodation and car park at The Dunes Golf Links, with fairways and greens stretching behind
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  9. Aerial view of a green ringed by round sand bunkers at The Dunes Golf Links, two golfers putting below modern buildings on the rise
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  10. Aerial view of a links golf green ringed by bunkers, with low modern accommodation and a homestead beneath a fiery sunset sky.
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  11. Aerial view of The Dunes Golf Links at Rye, with fairways and greens winding between sandy dunes and tall dry grass.
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria
  12. Aerial view of two golfers on a contoured green beside a sand bunker at The Dunes Golf Links in Rye, with golden dune grass in low sun.
    Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria

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A golfer plays a fairway shot at The Dunes Golf Links as a partner stands by the bags, long shadows under a bright cloudy sky
A golfer plays a fairway shot at The Dunes Golf Links as a partner stands by the bags, long shadows under a bright cloudy skyThe Dunes Golf Links, Rye, Mornington Peninsula.Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria

The Dunes is the Peninsula's other world-class public-access course - Tony Cashmore's links design carved through genuine dunes near Rye. Where St Andrews Beach feels restrained and strategic, The Dunes feels more dramatic: bigger elevation changes, more visible wind cues, more heroic lines off the tee. Both belong on any serious shortlist. Public bookings are straightforward through the course website. Weekends fill 3-4 weeks ahead in peak season. The course drains well and plays through most conditions the Peninsula offers, which makes it one of the better winter rounds in Australia. The Cups Course is the main 18; the Cottage Course is a 9-hole par-3 layout that works surprisingly well as a warm-up or a mixed-group option. Pair The Dunes with St Andrews Beach for a 36-hole weekend that shows off the full range of Peninsula public golf. Accommodation in Rye is 5 minutes away; Sorrento is 10 minutes for better dining options. Pro shop is well-stocked. Practice facilities are solid.

Photo · Gary Lisbon, courtesy of Visit Victoria

Pair it with a booking

Where to eat, drink, or stay nearby

The best explore pages should lead somewhere next.

See Rye →
Cottage Rye

Blue Moon Cottages

12 Blakiston Grove, Rye VIC 3941

Pet-welcoming self-catering cottages near Rye bay beach. Sandpiper has a log fire and a fully fenced courtyard.

beachfireplace
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Illustrative, not Mornington Peninsula Retro Caravans. Photo: Nicolas Görmer · Vintage orange and brown caravan parked outdoors · cropped and converted to WebP SourceLicence

Glamping Rye

Mornington Peninsula Retro Caravans

1-9 Sinclair Ave, Rye VIC 3941

Vintage and retro caravans near Rye bay beach, with shared bathrooms and heating and cooling in every van.

beachslow
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Keep going

More ways to use this side of the Peninsula

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Dromana Beach
Beach
Dromana 2 h

Dromana Beach

Dromana Beach is a long, gentle arc of sand near the midpoint of the Peninsula - a forgiving bay beach with shallow, calm water and enough stretch to absorb a weekend crowd without losing its charm. The foreshore is backed by lawn and shade trees; the pier runs out into the bay and is a quiet spot for fishing at dawn or dusk. This is the bayside beach to use when you want a straightforward family day without the parking battles of Sorrento or Rye. The town strip behind the beach has enough for an impromptu lunch or a coffee run, and the position puts you in the right place to drive up to the hinterland for an afternoon cellar-door session. Good for swimmers at any standard, especially good for children, and reliably uncrowded outside the peak school-holiday weeks.

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Rosebud Country Club
Golf Course
Rosebud 4.5 h

Rosebud Country Club

Rosebud Country Club runs three nine-hole courses (North, South, and East) that mix-and-match into 18-hole rounds. Not a prestige destination, but one of the most played Peninsula courses for a reason - public access, good value, reasonable conditioning, and a central location that sits between Mornington and the southern tip. For the casual Peninsula golfer, or a mixed-skill group, it is probably the most forgiving way to get a round in without driving to Cape Schanck. The parkland/light-dune mix means holes play differently to the coastal links courses. Less spectacular, less punishing, and generally more enjoyable for mid-handicappers. Facilities are adequate rather than polished. Pricing is genuinely competitive - one of the few Peninsula courses where green fees sit at the affordable end of the local range on most days. Good for walking (carts available) and good for beginners. Book online or walk up on quiet weekdays.

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Rye Ocean Beach - Peninsula Insider
Beach
Rye 1 h

Rye Ocean Beach

Rye Ocean Beach is the back-beach counterpart to Rye's calmer bay side - a wide, exposed ocean beach with a dune backing, a long clean stretch of sand, and the kind of reliable Bass Strait ambience that makes a ten-minute visit feel restorative. It is close enough to Peninsula Hot Springs to be combined into a single afternoon with a bath either side of the walk. In April the beach is nearly empty, which is exactly the reason to go. Walk for thirty minutes in either direction and you will see maybe three other people. Bring wind-proof layers; the ocean-side beaches here are more exposed than most visitors expect. Best for walking and deep breathing. Not a swimming beach in the conventional sense.

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Further reading

Journal pieces that deepen this stop

Journal →
Weekend Picker 3 min

Peninsula This Weekend - 27 to 28 June

22 June 2026

The solstice crowd has gone home. This is the quiet winter weekend of truffle hunts, local markets, and the final Sunday Sessions at the springs.

The Insider Note

The Peninsula worth knowing. An occasional email. What's on, where we'd go and what's worth knowing next.

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