Best Golf Courses for Kids in Brisbane's Bayside & Eastern Suburbs

Three real, public golf courses with genuine junior programs across Brisbane's east — Cannon Hill, Carindale and Nudgee compared, including one of Australia's longest-running junior tournaments.

Brisbane's eastern and bayside suburbs have a genuine cluster of public golf courses with real junior programs behind them — no private-club workarounds needed. Here's what's actually running in Cannon Hill, Carindale and Nudgee.

Minnippi Golf & Range — Cannon Hill

Minnippi Golf & Range is Brisbane's only public golf course on the southside, run by Brisbane City Council across 125 hectares of parkland, with a full 18-hole course and a driving range.

It's also used as a U.S. Kids Golf tournament venue, giving it a genuine junior-golf pedigree alongside its everyday public access.

Pacific Golf Club — Carindale

Pacific Golf Club runs one of Queensland's most established junior programs, with weekly clinics and a four-tier junior squad system — Development, Aspiring, Advanced and Elite — led by PGA Professionals.

The club has hosted the Gary Player Junior Classic for over four decades, one of Australia's longest-running junior tournaments, with past champions including Greg Norman, Adam Scott and Jason Day. Beginner and intermediate clinics run from around $195 per 8-week term, with junior squad programs from around $179-$205 per term.

Nudgee Golf Club — Nudgee

Nudgee Golf Club is a registered Golf Australia MyGolf Centre in Brisbane's north, running regular junior clinics covering long and short game fundamentals alongside etiquette and the rules of golf.

Committed junior players have a pathway to advanced coaching and the chance to represent the club in Brisbane pennants competition — contact the Golf Shop for current clinic pricing.

Which of these has the strongest competitive pathway?

Pacific Golf Club's four-tier junior squad system is the most structured competitive pathway of the three, and its decades of hosting the Gary Player Junior Classic make it the strongest pick for a family thinking beyond casual play.

At a glance

The 3 venues covered in this guide, side by side. "Junior program on file" means our directory holds specific evidence of a junior program, clinic or membership pathway at that club - not simply that children are permitted to play.

How to read this

Public access is the column most worth checking first. "Public" means anyone can book a tee time. "Limited / conditional" means visitor access exists but comes with conditions - a member introduction, restricted days, or a booking window. "Private members' club" means casual visitor play generally is not available, and a junior would usually need a member connection or a place in a club program.

Every venue in this guide is a full-length course. For a child who has never played a full round, consider starting on the practice facilities or asking the club whether juniors can play a shortened loop, since a full 18 is a long walk for a beginner.

Before you book

3 of these 3 venues have a junior program, clinic or junior membership pathway recorded in our directory: Minnippi Golf & Range, Pacific Golf Club, Nudgee Golf Club. Those are the ones most likely to have coaching, junior competition or a structured pathway rather than only green-fee access.

All the venues listed here are recorded as public access, so a parent can normally book without a member connection. Tee-time availability still varies, especially on weekend mornings.

Two questions are worth asking on the phone that club websites rarely answer clearly: whether juniors pay a discounted green fee when playing with a paying adult, and whether the club hires out junior clubs. Both make a first visit considerably cheaper, and both are common even at clubs that don't advertise them.