By ANDREW MARMONT
SITUATED in the heart of ‘Cups’ territory on the Mornington Peninsula, Eagle Ridge doesn’t immediately stand out as a bucket-list golfing destination like its more famous neighbours. But Jason Glanz, the club’s General Manager, can still offer a unique proposition to golfers.
“I think we are probably seen as the value place to play golf,” he says.
“All of those (local) courses charge more than $100 for green fees, whereas we try to keep the price a little bit lower, we offer a more relaxed atmosphere compared to the others and you get more value for money when you come and play here.”
I can attest to the low-key vibe during my visit on a Friday morning. There are only a handful of golfers about, all in the 25-40 age bracket, taking their time and enjoying the facilities. Whereas many of these top-100 local courses have strict dress codes and other more traditional rules, Eagle Ridge openly wants to attract a different crowd.
“We are a fun place to come and play golf. We are trying to make it a place that is open to everybody. It is a challenging course, but we want to branch out to younger people and those starting the game.
“Golf has a stuffy feeling about it, but we’ve tried to open it up a little more. We are not as strict as some of the other courses with our dress code and the way we run things,” Glanz said.
THE COURSE
That’s not to say that Eagle Ridge has low standards with its golf course. When I played it, on a mild Friday morning, the course was still in pristine condition.
Compared with public golf courses closer to central Melbourne, I found it easily one of the top golfing experiences. The fairways were immaculately maintained, and the greens were fast and firm despite being in the middle of winter. There was plenty of bunkering, which makes accuracy off the tee a premium.
The course has gone through two sets of designs after Australian amateur golf champion Kevin Hartley’s original layout in 1989, and then a complete redesign by Phil Ryan of Pacific Coast Design. His vision was for Eagle Ridge to become the ‘Royal Melbourne’ of the Mornington Peninsula, adding a fairway conversion to Santa Ana couch and a new clubhouse.
How would you describe Eagle Ridge compared to the other golf courses in the region, we asked the club’s GM?
“I think the course layout is pretty good,” Jason says. ‘I guess we are a mix of links and parkland, with the back nine being more park-oriented. The front nine has the
dunes.
“All our par threes are quite magnificent in the way they are set up. The sixth hole in particular and the eighth hole are beautiful with lots of bunkering. The 11th runs across the water. They are probably the feature of the course.”
With a nod to its relaxed feel, the par-three sixth has a hole-in-one challenge, run by Ace Society. The prize is now $8,000 for anyone who can land an ace. While there was reportedly a slew of hole-in-ones in the weeks leading up to the new promotion, there have been none since.
A YOUNGER DEMOGRAPHIC
Eagle Ridge is mainly a public access golf course, with 300 members from the Carrington Park social golf club. Initially, most were mainly older golfers but a campaign to attract younger golfers has paid dividends. Now the split is more 50/50 with plenty of under-40 players and junior golfers under-16 continue to play for free. There’s also a group of speedgolfers who hit and run around the golf course on Friday mornings.
The club is open for membership and most tee times are available. There isn’t a waiting list, with the focus at Eagle Ridge on attracting the public who want to play golf.
“The demographic playing the course is a lot younger, the 25-40 player, compared to the local clubs where most of the players are in their 60s and 70s,” Jason says.
“With the Beer Garden opening a couple of years ago to the public, we get lots of people coming who are not golfers and enjoy the beer garden. It’s become more of an entertainment place than just a golf course.”
I played Eagle Ridge five years ago. My lasting memory was sitting outside in the open-air seating area, watching the action on the ninth and enjoying the view of the lake. It still brought about the same experience in 2025 with a special ‘19th’ hole – a 60m island green that you play while you enjoy your lunch outside.
Family functions, birthdays and bucks and hens parties often use the facilities as a first foray into golf, and to also enjoy the food and catering. At the restaurant, you can get Parma’s, pizzas and schnitzels (the latter was delicious), and there is a small children’s menu. Plenty of local beers are on tap too. But it’s the ambience that brings golfers and non-golfers back.
“Live music adds to the experience,” Jason says. “There are ample opportunities to sit down and relax after the game. In the old days, the golfers would come in and get a pie. But now they can come in and enjoy a meal while listening to live music. A lot of golfers go back to the beer garden. Lots of golfers bring their families too. It’s a wholesome experience.”
The club is an avid supporter of local food and wine. They recently hosted the Open Brewery Bash, featuring local beer suppliers with activations on the course. There’s also an upcoming Sprint Swing event, focusing on local spirits and wine producers, open to the public as an ambrose event.
There are other additions in the club rooms, including an electronic honour board which leads out to the adjoining Peninsula Beer Garden.
The owners, the Chen family, have continued to invest heavily in the golf course and club rooms since 2016.
“We’re trying to make it a little bit easier to play,” Jason says. “There are a lot of bunkers out there that don’t need to be there. They have spent a lot of money on developing some of the tees that weren’t great and changing a lot of the bunkering around the par 3s.”
Other improvements include upgrading path works and their fleet of 50 golf carts, which all have GPS screens, Bluetooth speakers and plush seats.
Eagle Ridge also has Play and Stay packages with the nearby Nepean Country Club.
With golf continuing to boom and the club attracting a diverse demographic, Eagle Ridge aims to remain a welcoming destination for both locals and golfers from further afield.
“I’d just like to keep making us more open to more people,” Jason says. “The Beer Garden side of the business has dramatically grown from nothing to what it is doing now. As long as that keeps ticking along at that same level, it will be pretty good.”
EAGLE RIDGE: FACT FILE
Address: 215 Browns Rd, Boneo VIC 3939.
Contact: Phone: (03) 5988 2500.
Website: www.eagleridge.com.au
Green fees: From $80 for 18 Holes and $55 for 9 Holes
Golf carts: $56 but often run Seasonal specials where carts are including with Green Fee pricing.
Hire equipment: Yes.
Practice facilities: Eagle Ridge has nets and a short game area that includes a putting green, chipping tees and a 60-metre pitching hole.
Toughest hole: The 397m Par 4 third hole. You need accuracy and distance over a hill for your tee shot to avoid extensive bunkering on the left.
Best chance for a birdie: the par-5 ninth.
Don’t leave home without it: a long iron and a sand wedge.
Don’t miss: The famous par-3 sixth.
Clubhouse facilities: A modern clubhouse including the recently re-opened Peninsula Beer Garden, open Thursday to Sunday for lunch.
Memberships: The club offers three membership options— five, six, and seven-day—with no joining fee or waiting period.
Pro shop offers: The pro shop has all the offerings a golfer needs, including snacks, merchandise and apparel.
Club professional: Jason Glanz doubles as the General Manager and head professional. He’s been with the club for 10 years and is available for private lessons and clinics
The post CLUB OF THE MONTH: Eagle Ridge – Golf for the new generation first appeared on Inside Golf. Australia’s Most-Read Golf Magazine as named by Australian Golfers - FREE.