Yarra Yarra at Yarra Yarra Golf Club

Yarra Yarra Golf Club occupies a relatively flat site in Bentleigh East, a southeastern suburb of Melbourne. Alister MacKenzie designed the course in 1929 during his visit to Australia, the same journey that produced his celebrated work at Royal Melbourne. The layout represents one of MacKenzie's few completed designs in the country and demonstrates his strategic principles adapted to less dramatic terrain than the sandbelt courses nearby. The property lacks the pronounced elevation changes and native scrubland of its more famous neighbors, but MacKenzie's routing and green complexes create interest through subtle ground movement and strategic bunkering.

The course measures around 6,400 meters from the championship tees and features MacKenzie's characteristic wide fairways that encourage varied angles of approach. His green sites incorporate modest but effective contours, with bunkers positioned to reward precise shot-making rather than simply penalize wayward strikes. Several holes require thoughtful club selection and course management rather than overwhelming length. The layout has undergone modifications over the decades, though efforts have been made to preserve MacKenzie's design intent where the original features remain identifiable.

Yarra Yarra operates as a private members club with a reputation for maintaining traditional golf values and a welcoming atmosphere. The club has hosted various state-level amateur competitions over the years. While it exists somewhat in the shadow of Melbourne's more prominent sandbelt venues, the course offers a genuine MacKenzie design experience in a parkland setting, appealing to members who value strategic golf and club community.