Best Golf Courses for Kids on Sydney's North Shore

The North Shore's famous clubs are almost all private - here are five real, public-access courses from Turramurra to Chatswood where kids can actually play, plus junior rates and coaching programs.

The North Shore has one of the highest concentrations of golf courses anywhere in Sydney - but most of them, from Killara to Pymble to Roseville, are private members' clubs with no public access at all. The good news is there's still a genuine spread of public-access courses across the Upper and Lower North Shore, several run directly by local councils at prices built for families rather than members. Here's what's actually open to the public.

North Turramurra Golf Course - North Turramurra

North Turramurra Golf Course is a Ku-ring-gai Council-owned, remodelled 18-hole course bordering Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. No membership is required - just book ahead, 7 days a week.

It's one of the best-value junior options on the North Shore: school students under 18 pay $16 a round against a $45-60 adult rate, and structured junior lessons run through Elite Golf NSW with the course's resident PGA professional.

Gordon Golf Course - Gordon

Gordon Golf Course is Ku-ring-gai Council's other public course - a relaxed 10/18-hole layout with a clubhouse and equipment hire, open to social play 7 days a week with no membership needed.

The primary-school rate of $15 for any round (10 or 18 holes) is about as cheap as a proper round of golf gets on the North Shore, making it a low-pressure pick for a family's first game together.

Lane Cove Golf Club - Lane Cove

Lane Cove Golf Club is a compact 9-hole, par-60 course tucked into bushland along Gore Creek, 8km from the CBD, open to members, guests and the public from sunrise to sunset every day.

This is the strongest dedicated junior program on the Lower North Shore: more than 130 juniors are enrolled in group clinics and lessons through a PGA professional who has coached there since 2007. Note the course is currently on a temporary layout during a site redevelopment - check current status before you visit.

Northbridge Golf Club - Northbridge

Northbridge Golf Club sits on heritage-listed parkland overlooking Middle Harbour and, despite the "club" name, welcomes visitors 7 days a week - non-members simply book a tee time and pay green fees directly.

It's billed as the closest 18-hole course to the CBD on the North Shore, and runs a genuine junior pathway: Cadet membership up to age 12, Junior membership for 13-17 year-olds, free clinics through a named Junior Co-ordinator, and junior-specific competitions.

Newgreens Chatswood - Chatswood

Newgreens Chatswood reopened as Australia's first purpose-built 12-hole golf course, designed for a quicker round (around 3 hours) with tee times bookable online.

There's a discounted $25 youth rate for ages 16 and under, though a structured junior coaching program wasn't confirmed at the time of writing - this is a better fit for a family wanting a shorter, casual round than for a child's first formal lessons.

For pure practice: Thornleigh Golf Centre

Thornleigh Golf Centre isn't a full golf course - it's a large public driving range and mini-golf facility just north of the core North Shore in Thornleigh - but with close to 100 kids enrolled in its junior clinics and PGA-qualified coaches, it's worth knowing about as a practice-focused alternative to a full round.

Are Killara, Pymble and Roseville really off-limits?

Yes - all three are confirmed private members' clubs with visitor access only as a member's guest, not open to public bookings. If you've heard of a course called "Middle Harbour Golf Club" or "Wahroonga Golf Club," we couldn't find evidence either currently exists - Northbridge Golf Club (which does overlook Middle Harbour) is the real public option in that part of the North Shore.

Which North Shore course is cheapest for a family round?

Gordon Golf Course's $15 primary-school rate and North Turramurra's $16 school-student rate are the two lowest junior prices we found on the North Shore, both council-run and requiring no membership.

At a glance

The 5 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.

Course length matters more than parents expect for a first outing. 2 of the 5 venues here are a shorter format - a par-3, short course, pitch and putt, practice facility or 9-hole layout - which usually means a faster round, less walking and less pressure from groups behind. For a child who has never played a full round, that is normally the better starting point than a championship-length course.

Before you book

5 of these 5 venues have a junior program, clinic or junior membership pathway recorded in our directory: North Turramurra Golf Course, Gordon Golf Course, Lane Cove Golf Club, Northbridge Golf Club, Newgreens Chatswood. 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.