Early history The Australian Golf Club was founded in
1882, which makes it the oldest golf club in Australia followed by
Royal Melbourne Golf Club (founded 1891). However, The Australian did not have a golf course between the years of 1888 and 1895, which has led to debate as to which golf club is the oldest. The club's first
golf course was situated in
Moore Park, a suburb of Sydney, but due to a new road the course had to be abandoned six years later in 1888. In 1895 a second, eleven-hole course was built in
Waverley, which was used until 1898, when the club's lease expired. The course then moved to
Botany, Sydney. It was this course that hosted the 1901 Australian Amateur Championship, and the first Australian Open in 1904.
Present day course The present day location of the course was inspected in 1903, while a year later plans were put forward for the new course by
Carnegie Clark,
Jock Hutchison and
Gilbert Martin. In 1926
Alister MacKenzie, designer of courses such as
Royal Melbourne Golf Club and
Augusta National Golf Club, was asked to update holes on the course. Due to the popularity of the course, members approved a new layout in 1949 which supplied the club with two starting holes. In 1967 the proposal of a new road threatened the land on which the course was laid out on. As a result, a redesign by Sloane Morpeth was needed, which was completed in 1973. Between 1977 and 1980
Jack Nicklaus made significant alterations to the course, which included adding length and
water hazards, which transformed the course into what it is today. Present works are under way to improve the course, including the re-routing of a number of holes. The changes will create a more contemporary feel. The club has again commissioned Jack Nicklaus to design the changes, and the course is set to re-open in autumn of 2013. ==Course scorecard==