Hunter Valley Golf Tours 2026 | The Vintage, Cypress Lakes, Wine Country

Why Hunter Valley

Where Championship Golf Meets Australia's Oldest Wine Country

The Hunter Valley sits two hours north of Sydney — Australia's oldest wine region, established commercially in the 1820s, and home to a golf-and-wine pairing that no other part of the country can match. Greg Norman designed The Vintage at Rothbury. Cypress Lakes Resort sits in the heart of Pokolbin. Heritage Maitland Golf Club has been on its current site since 1903. The fairways are draped through the same rolling country that produces the wine.

For golfers travelling with non-golfing partners, this is the most balanced destination in Australia. Three to four rounds across five days leaves comfortable space for cellar door visits at Tyrrell's, Brokenwood, McGuigan, Margan, and Audrey Wilkinson — and for long lunches at Margan Restaurant, Bistro Molines, or Roberts at Pepper Tree. The accommodation is vineyard-estate boutique, not corporate hotel.

Critically, the Hunter pairs naturally with Sydney — fly into Kingsford Smith, play three days of the city's prestige member clubs, then transfer two hours north for the contrast: relaxed wine country pace, public-access golf, and the wine experiences that have made the region internationally known. 7–8 days is the sweet spot.

What Makes the Hunter Valley Distinct

Greg Norman Signature design at The Vintage
Australia's oldest commercial wine region (1820s)
Heritage cellar doors at Tyrrell's, Brokenwood, Margan
Vineyard-estate boutique accommodation
Natural pairing with Sydney member-club golf
Most balanced destination for non-golfing partners

Hunter Valley vineyard adjacent to championship golf course

⛳ The Vintage Golf Club · Rothbury

"A Greg Norman design, threaded between vineyards and sandstone."

Featured Courses

Hunter Valley's Wine Country Layouts

Four Hunter Valley courses spanning Pokolbin, Rothbury, Branxton, and heritage Maitland — anchored by Greg Norman's Vintage and supported by three of the region's most welcoming public clubs.

The Vintage Golf Club Rothbury Greg Norman Signature design

Hero · Greg Norman

From $345

Vintage Drive, Rothbury NSW

The Vintage Golf Club

18 Holes Par 71 Greg Norman Signature Public Access

The Hunter's marquee — Greg Norman Signature design routed through rolling country between vineyards and sandstone outcrops. Generous fairways, strategic bunkering, dramatic green complexes, and conditioning that consistently rates among the country's best resort layouts. Pairs with adjacent vineyard estate accommodation; many travellers stay on-site.

Greg Norman Signature championship design
Routed between Hunter vineyards and sandstone
Top-rated resort layout in Australia
On-site vineyard estate accommodation
5 minutes from Tyrrell's and Brokenwood

Mates' Round

Ladies on Tour

Family Golf

Corporate

Enquire — The Vintage

Cypress Lakes Resort Pokolbin par 72 championship layout

Resort Championship

From $295

McDonalds Road, Pokolbin NSW

Cypress Lakes Resort

18 Holes Par 72 Resort Course Public Access

The heart of Pokolbin's wine country — Cypress Lakes is an established 18-hole par 72 layout with mature water features, undulating fairways, and a clubhouse that has hosted thirty years of Hunter Valley golf weekends. Operated by Oaks Hotels & Resorts; on-site accommodation makes this one of the easiest "wake up, walk to the first tee" experiences in NSW.

Established Pokolbin par 72 resort layout
Mature water features and undulating terrain
On-site Oaks accommodation — walk to tee
Heart of Pokolbin cellar door cluster

Mates' Round

Ladies on Tour

Family Golf

Corporate

Enquire — Cypress Lakes

Country Club

From $245

Sweetwater, Branxton NSW

Hunter Valley Golf & Country Club

18 Holes Par 72 Country Club Public Access

The friendliest of the four — Hunter Valley G&CC at Branxton offers genuine country-club character without the formality. An 18-hole par 72 layout, generous fairways, mature trees, and the kind of clubhouse welcome that turns first-time visitors into return groups. About 10 minutes from Pokolbin's main cellar door cluster.

Welcoming country-club par 72 layout
Generous fairways suiting all handicaps
Heritage clubhouse and dining
10 min from Pokolbin cellar doors

Mates' Round

Ladies on Tour

Family Golf

Corporate

Enquire — HV Country Club

Heritage 1903

From $195

Telarah, Maitland NSW

Maitland Golf Club

18 Holes Par 70 Heritage 1903 Public Access

One of NSW regional golf's heritage clubs — Maitland has been on its current site since 1903, an 18-hole par 70 layout with mature parkland character and the kind of history that goes hand-in-hand with old Australian regional clubs. A natural pairing for a fourth-day round when the wine country pace calls for something more traditional. Excellent value.

Heritage NSW regional club, founded 1903
Mature parkland par 70 layout
Excellent value — best price in the Hunter
30 min from Pokolbin; on the way to Newcastle

Mates' Round

Ladies on Tour

Family Golf

Corporate

Enquire — Maitland GC

Beyond the Course

Hunter Valley Beyond the Fairway

Cooee Hunter Valley tours pair golf with the experiences that have made the region internationally known — heritage cellar doors, wine country dining, and the small heritage villages that bookend Pokolbin.

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Heritage Cellar Doors

Tyrrell's (1858), Brokenwood, McGuigan, Margan, Audrey Wilkinson, Lake's Folly, De Iuliis. We pre-arrange private tastings at the estates that fit your group — Semillon for the purists, single-vineyard Shiraz for the collectors.

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Wine Country Dining

Margan Restaurant (winery dining at its best), Bistro Molines (long-running French country), Roberts Restaurant at Pepper Tree, Circa 1876 at the Convent, and the Hunter's farm-to-table newer arrivals. Lunch reservations are part of the package.

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Heritage Villages

Wollombi (heritage 1830s village), Greta, Branxton, and old-town Pokolbin itself. For a day off the golf and wine, a hinterland drive through the Brokenback Range and the Wollombi Valley is the alternative most travellers don't expect to enjoy as much as they do.

A Hunter Valley Day

Sample Day — The Vintage

Times are indicative. Itineraries are tailored to your accommodation, tee time, and group size.

07:30 — Breakfast at your vineyard estate accommodation (Spicers Vineyards, The Vintage Estate, or Tower Estate)
08:30 — Short transfer to The Vintage Golf Club; range warm-up and clubhouse welcome
09:00 — Tee off (18 holes, approximately 4–4.5 hours including halfway-house stop)
13:30 — Lunch at Margan Restaurant in Broke (winery dining, native Australian ingredients) — about 25 minutes from The Vintage
15:30 — Private cellar door visit at Tyrrell's (Australia's oldest family-owned winery, founded 1858) — Semillon and Shiraz tasting flight
16:45 — Second cellar door at Brokenwood (single vineyard tasting) — 5 minutes from Tyrrell's
18:30 — Return to your accommodation; pre-dinner drinks at the estate
19:30 — Dinner at Bistro Molines (French country, in the hills above Mount View) or Roberts at Pepper Tree

Hunter Valley Pricing Guide

Indicative starting prices per person, twin share. Hunter Valley pricing reflects the wine country experience — vineyard estate accommodation, private cellar door access, and farm-to-table dining are part of what's included.

Package	From (per person)
Single round, Sydney transfers	AUD $295
Two-day Mates' Round (2 courses + 1 cellar door day)	AUD $895
Three-day Hunter Valley Wine & Golf	AUD $1,495
Four-day Hunter Valley Premium (Vintage Estate)	AUD $1,995
Five-day Sydney + Hunter Valley combo	AUD $2,995
Premium 7-day NSW Wine & Lifestyle	AUD $4,295
Corporate / private group (up to 16 golfers)	POA

Call +61 (0) 409 661 342 Get a Tailored Quote

What You Get

Inclusions & Exclusions

Included

Sydney Kingsford Smith airport transfers (or accommodation pickup)
Sydney–Hunter Valley return transfers (M1 freeway, ~2 hours each way)
Air-conditioned vehicles with secure golf-bag storage
Green fees at your nominated course(s)
Motorised cart hire
Pre-arranged private cellar door visits (Tyrrell's, Brokenwood, Margan, etc.)
Lunch reservations at Margan, Bistro Molines, or Roberts
Vineyard estate boutique accommodation
Daily breakfast at your accommodation

Not Included

Flights to Sydney Kingsford Smith (we can arrange on request)
Club hire (available at each course, $50–$95)
Wine purchases at cellar doors (own expense — but tastings included)
Dinner reservations outside the package's nominated meals
Travel insurance
Personal expenses and pro shop purchases
Optional helicopter transfers from Sydney

Practical Notes

Good to Know

Getting there: Sydney Kingsford Smith is the main gateway — 2 to 2.5 hour drive north on the M1. Newcastle Airport (45 min from Pokolbin) handles limited flights from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. We coordinate transfers around your group's preference.
Course access: All four featured courses welcome visiting golfers — The Vintage and Cypress Lakes are resort-attached, Hunter Valley G&CC and Maitland GC are member clubs without sponsorship requirements.
Dress code: Collared shirts (tucked in), tailored shorts to the knee or full-length trousers, golf shoes with soft spikes. More relaxed than Sydney member clubs but still expected — particularly in clubhouse dining.
Best time of year: March–May (autumn) is ideal — vintage harvest season, vineyards at their most active. September–November (spring) is similarly excellent. Winter (June–August) is cooler but very playable, with red wine releases at the cellar doors.
Vintage harvest: Mid-February through mid-April is the actual crush — vibrant, busy, and the cellar doors are at their most engaging. Book 8–12 weeks ahead for harvest weeks.
Combining with Sydney: Sydney + Hunter Valley is our most popular NSW combination — fly into Kingsford Smith, play 3 days in Sydney (NSW Golf Club, Royal Sydney, The Australian), transfer 2 hours north for 3–4 days in the Hunter (The Vintage, Cypress Lakes + cellar doors and dining). 7–8 days total.
Group sizes: 2 to 16 golfers. Vineyard estate accommodation suits boutique groups (4–8) particularly well; larger groups benefit from Cypress Lakes Resort which has more rooms in one place.

Plan Your Hunter Valley Trip

Tell us your dates, group size, and which courses interest you most. We'll come back within 24 hours with a tailored itinerary, course bookings, cellar door arrangements, and pricing — including a Sydney pairing if it suits.

Call +61 (0) 409 661 342 Email an Enquiry

From Our Guests

What Golfers Say

★★★★★

"Sydney for three days, then up to the Hunter for four — best Australian holiday we've ever taken. The Vintage is genuinely the equal of any resort layout I've played; the Tyrrell's tasting was the trip's quiet highlight. Cooee handled the transitions so smoothly we barely noticed them."

Robert & Helen

London, UK

★★★★★

"My wife is the wine person; I'm the golfer. The Hunter is the only place we've ever genuinely met in the middle. Three rounds at The Vintage, Cypress Lakes, and HV Country Club for me; cellar doors at Brokenwood, Margan, and Audrey Wilkinson for her; long lunches at Bistro Molines together. Cooee built the schedule around us."

Steve & Annette

Melbourne, VIC

★★★★★

"Twelve clients for three days — golf at The Vintage, dinner at Margan Restaurant, cellar door experiences spaced across the days. The Cooee team brought a level of organisation and local knowledge that made it feel curated rather than packaged. Best corporate weekend we've run."

Catherine M. (Managing Partner)

Sydney, NSW

Common Questions

Hunter Valley Golf FAQs

Which Hunter Valley golf courses can I play with Cooee Tours? +

Our featured Hunter Valley courses are The Vintage Golf Club at Rothbury (Greg Norman Signature design, par 71, the region's marquee), Cypress Lakes Resort at Pokolbin (par 72 resort championship layout), Hunter Valley Golf & Country Club at Branxton (par 72 country club), and Maitland Golf Club (heritage 1903, par 70). All four welcome visiting golfers.

How does the golf-and-wine pairing actually work? +

A typical Hunter Valley day combines a morning round (tee off 8:00–8:30 to be off the course by 12:30) with an afternoon split between cellar door visits and a long lunch. We pre-arrange private tastings at heritage estates — Tyrrell's, Brokenwood, McGuigan, Margan, Audrey Wilkinson — and book your dining at Margan Restaurant, Bistro Molines, or Roberts at Pepper Tree. Three to four golf rounds across five days leaves comfortable space for the wine experiences.

How do I get to the Hunter Valley? +

From Sydney, the Hunter Valley is a 2 to 2.5 hour drive north via the M1 — most travellers fly into Sydney Kingsford Smith and we collect you. Newcastle Airport is closer (45 minutes from Pokolbin) with limited domestic flights from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Cessnock Airport handles small charter flights. Driving from Brisbane is around 7 hours; combined Sydney + Hunter tours typically fly Sydney.

What's the best time of year for Hunter Valley golf and wine? +

March to May (autumn) is ideal — vintage harvest season when the vineyards are at their most active and the courses are in peak condition. September to November (spring) is similarly excellent with mild temperatures and new growth. February harvest (the actual crush) is busy but vibrant. Winter (June to August) is cooler but very playable, with red wine releases at the cellar doors.

Can I combine Hunter Valley with Sydney golf? +

Yes — this is one of our most popular packages. A typical 7–8 day Sydney + Hunter Valley combo plays NSW Golf Club, Royal Sydney, and The Australian in Sydney before transferring north for The Vintage and Cypress Lakes paired with three days of cellar doors and dining. The contrast between Sydney's prestige member-club register and the Hunter's relaxed wine-country pace is the appeal.

Are these member-only clubs or public courses? +

All four featured Hunter Valley courses welcome visiting golfers — The Vintage and Cypress Lakes are resort-attached, Hunter Valley G&CC and Maitland GC are public-access member clubs without sponsorship requirements. This is in contrast to Sydney's strict private member-club system. Cooee handles tee-time bookings, dress code briefings, and accommodation coordination at vineyard estates.

How do I book? +

Call +61 (0) 409 661 342 or email info@cooeetours.com.au. A 25% deposit secures your booking; balance is due 14 days before your first tee time. For vintage harvest season (mid-February to mid-April) we recommend 8–12 weeks lead time given accommodation and cellar door demand.

Cooee Golf Network

Other Cooee Golf Destinations

Hunter Valley pairs naturally with Sydney's prestige member clubs, the Central Coast's coastal layouts, and the Northern Rivers' sub-tropical character. Gold Coast remains the strongest cross-state partner.

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New South Wales · Sydney