Australian Golf Museum

Australian Golf Museum

The Australian Golf Museum is located in a small village called Bothwell in Tasmania, Australia. It is said that the golf course in this area is the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere, founded in 1996 by Peter Toogood, a champion of the Australian Golf Championship. The museum is housed in an old historic sandstone building, a modest house that was previously used as a local primary school classroom.

Stepping into the Australian Golf Museum, visitors can explore the evolution of golf—from its humble beginnings as a rough game in a coastal village in southeastern England to becoming a refined international sport and one of the most popular pastimes in Australia. Exhibits explain why the historic Bothwell region became Australia’s earliest golfing district, how the nearby Ratho Golf Course is recognized as the country’s oldest, and how the town of Bothwell is home to five different golf courses.

The museum also traces the development of golf through the evolution of the golf ball—from featheries used from the 15th to 19th centuries, to gutta-percha balls from the 1850s to the 20th century, then to Haskell balls from the 20th century until World War II, and finally to modern golf balls.

Australasian Golf Museum

Must-visit reason: The oldest golf museum in the Southern Hemisphere

Continent where the attraction is located: Oceania

Country/region where the attraction is located: Australia

Province/state where the attraction is located: Tasmania