AusGolf’s list of the top 100 golf courses in Australia has seen Horsham once again named in the top 50.

Once a lovely, tree-lined track, the course has transformed to resemble an exposed links layout, but it has embraced its new existence, and made a splendid new name for itself.

Club captain David Dickinson said once again being named in the top 50 was a testament to the course, its design and the members.

“It’s massive, considering,” he said.

“For us to hold our own and stay in the top 50 is a huge recognition of how good the golf course is.

“We’re very happy.”

The course rankings take into consideration course conditioning, design and aesthetics. 

Horsham’s course ranked inside the top 50 in both conditioning and design, but was outside the top 50 when aesthetics were taken into account.

“It’s a terrific, challenging course to play. It’s got its traps and dangers but it also rewards you,” Dickinson said.

“It’s constantly throwing challenges at you.

“It’s really a testament that it can change so much and yet still hold its own in the best courses in the country.

“It’s gone from huge, towering pines creating amphitheatres everywhere to basically a links course and that’s great proof of the design.”

The thing that makes Horsham’s ranking so impressive is not so much the number itself, but the calibre of courses it has finished ahead of in the list of Australia’s best.

Dickinson believes that is where the true achievement lies.

“It’s where it stands in regards to so many great courses in the country,” he said.

“It makes you really proud to be a part of.

“A lot of those courses are in big suburban areas and are rich, resort courses.

“You look down the list and see the clubs Horsham is ahead of – it’s great,” he said.

Build on a magnificent sandbelt – not unlike that in the south-east suburbs of Melbourne – Horsham’s bunkering is something to behold.

“The bunkering is a feature, although us hackers who end up in them woudn’t call them that,” Dickinson said.