Best Golf Courses for Kids on the Gold Coast

Four real public courses around Benowa, Carrara and Merrimac, each with structured junior coaching - plus Southport Golf Club, already in our directory.

Beyond Southport Golf Club, the Gold Coast has a real cluster of resort-style public courses around Benowa, Carrara and Merrimac with structured junior coaching behind them.

RACV Royal Pines Resort - Benowa

RACV Royal Pines Resort offers three combinable 9-hole layouts forming a full 18-hole par-72 round, open to the public daily.

Discounted junior green fees are available ($69 for 18 holes, $42 for 9), and the on-site coaching centre runs private lessons and school holiday programs.

Palm Meadows Golf Course - Carrara

Palm Meadows Golf Course is a Graham Marsh-designed public championship course paired with one of the Gold Coast's few remaining all-grass driving ranges.

The on-site Golf School runs dedicated junior clinics plus school-term and school-holiday junior programs.

Emerald Lakes Golf Club - Carrara

Emerald Lakes Golf Club pairs a public par-72 course with the largest golf coaching facility on the Gold Coast, plus an 18-hole putt-putt course for younger kids.

Runs a structured, staged junior development program from complete-beginner clinics through to club-standard play - the most developed junior pathway of the four.

Lakelands Golf Club - Merrimac

Lakelands Golf Club is Jack Nicklaus' first Australian signature design, a fully public, daily-fee course rated among the country's best-conditioned public-access layouts.

Offers junior memberships by application, though green fees here (from $140) are a premium option rather than a budget family choice.

Which has the strongest junior pathway?

Emerald Lakes' staged junior program - from complete beginner clinics through to club-standard play - is the most structured of the group, backed by the largest coaching facility on the Gold Coast.

At a glance

The 4 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

4 of these 4 venues have a junior program, clinic or junior membership pathway recorded in our directory: RACV Royal Pines Resort, Palm Meadows Golf Course, Emerald Lakes Golf Club, Lakelands 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.