Cape Wickham on the North-West tip officially opened late last year, with Ocean Dunes – five minutes from Currie and due to be completed by the end of February – opening up its front nine to give golfers a taste of what to expect when the full product is ready.

And for the small community of about 2000 that calls the island home, the boost in tourism could be the catalyst to reinvigorate a region which has made its name on beef, dairy, cheese and kelp.

The hype surrounding both Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes has been extraordinary, with the rugged links-style courses setting the tongues of golf writers from around the world wagging.

Their unveiling will further enhance Tasmania as a golfing mecca, the state already armed with two of the top ranked courses in the world in Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm.

Cape Wickham has just debuted at No.24 in Golf Digest’s biennial world rankings, and together with the soon to open Ocean Dunes, is attracting the attention of the international golfing community.

With jaw-dropping views, stunning backdrops and challenging layouts, both courses will see golfing enthusiasts flock to the island to sample the latest offerings.

Cape Wickham general manager Debbie Fisher, who has worked alongside course developer Duncan Andrews for 20 years at the Dunes on the Mornington Peninsula, says it was a no-brainer to get involved in King Island’s newest jewel.

And with more than 3000 bookings before a ball had been hit, a busy opening summer is expected.

“It is going to be one of the most gorgeous golf courses, I think, in Australia for a long time,” Fisher tells TasWeekend.

“When we opened the Dunes, that was exciting. But this is much bigger than that. It is too exciting not to be here. It is a picturesque golf course – it will be a slow round because I believe everyone will be out taking photos as well. It is a beautiful place to be. They [the locals] are very excited, I don’t think they believe it just yet, until it actually arrives and everyone starts to fly in.”

Every hole at Cape Wickham has views of the ocean – with eight running directly adjacent to it – while views of a 48m lighthouse, the tallest in the southern hemisphere, dominate the landscape on the 14th and 15th holes.

Then there is the incredible finishing hole, which wraps around Victoria Cove and sees the beach in play for those brave enough to try to make the 395m journey from the back tee as short as possible. A 30-minute trip south gets you to the site of Ocean Dunes, which, when completed, will be the perfect companion to Cape Wickham.

Course director and architect Graeme Grant first came across the land four-and-a-half years ago and instantly knew he could turn it into a world-class facility. Having worked at some of Australia’s flagship golf courses such as Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath, Grant firmly believes the two King Island masterpieces have features unparalleled in world golf, making Tasmania comparable to the famed Monterey Peninsula in California, where Cypress Point and Pebble Beach are ranked the world’s second and 15th-best courses, respectively, by Golf Digest.

While Ocean Dunes will only have nine holes available until early next year, golfers will not be disappointed – they’ll still come across what will arguably become one of the most photographed holes in Australian golf. The par-three fourth is surrounded by coastal rocks and water, with players hitting directly over a small ocean inlet to a shallow but wide green.

“It’s been two-and-a-half years to get to this point and we are all looking forward to completing it,” Grant says.

“We see that on the front nine and it gives us the impetus to keep going on the back nine when you are faced with some of the rugged weather we have to deal with.

“Anybody who is involved in golf would be surprised at the extent of the Coastal Dunes that are made for golf. It is 64km from the top of the island to the bottom and it is all links land you would see in Scotland or Ireland. It is essentially farm land which has already been opened up down to the coast. It ends up enhancing the land rather than degrading it.

“Golf development has had a bad name for many years because of the damage to the environment, but if it is managed properly … developers have found if you leave a lot more of the natural environment rather than try to make it too pristine, it is a good thing.”

Three years ago, the small Bass Strait community was rocked when its main employer, JBS, shut down its beef abattoir. The

state-of-the-art meatworks, which processed close to 1000 young cattle a week to be sold as prime King Island Beef, had as many as 80 full-time employees and left dozens of beef farmers concerned about once-a-week transport of their cattle.

Land values dipped up to 20 per cent while costs continued to rise and the strain on residents grew. It’s why the introduction of the two stunning courses, with a third involving Greg Norman also in planning, could be the start of the second coming for King Island, with the flow-on effects enormous.

Sharp Airlines, the only commercial airline servicing King Island from mainland Tasmania, has added a service to and from Hobart, while local businesses look set to cash in from the injection of up to a predicted 8000 yearly tourists.

“One of the things I have talked about often is King Island has an issue with keeping its population, keeping kids on the island because of lack of opportunities,” says Ian Waller, regional tourism manager of the Cradle Coastal Authority.

“What this does is provide opportunity for families to maybe have a more long-term sustainable future on the island, other than those who are heavily committed to the beef and dairy.

“I think it opens up other opportunities. Certainly it will have a big impact on the hospitality and accommodation industries. But

I think all the industries will benefit – more people, more demand and hopefully that results in more jobs and opportunities for people to remain as long-term King Island residents.

“I find the people on King Island to be some of the most resilient people you are ever going to meet. Many are there because they want to be, because of lifestyle.

“What I think King Island now has to look at is … those people who enjoy a game of golf but want to do something else – how do we maximise the dairy, the cheese produce, the seafood, the calcified forests, the scenery, the surfing? All of that is part of the King Island experience.

“Golf is going to be an incredibly powerful attraction but hopefully we can deliver on all those other experiences. It is hard to find a negative with all of this.”

KING ISLAND

For Cape Wickham bookings, visit capewickham.com.au. It costs $150 for 18 holes and $195 for all-day golf. Cart hire is $45 and club hire is $50.

For bookings at Ocean Dunes, visit oceandunes.com.au. It costs $130 for 18 holes, $65 for nine and $150 for all-day golf. Cart hire is $45 (for 18 holes)

Flights with Sharp Airlines start at $428 return from Wynyard and $564 return from Launceston. Visit sharpairlines.com.au for flights to Hobart.

Nightly rates at the Island Breeze Motel start at $140 for double or twin-share and Cape Wickham on-course accommodation opens in January, from $190 a night.

Originally published as Australia’s new paradise for golfers