The best Australian courses 2012

There is a new number 1 golf club.

For the first time since Australian Golf Digest started publishing a Top 100 ranking of golf courses in the 1980s, the West Course at Royal Melbourne has topped the biennial list.

Until 2010 every previous ranking compiled by this magazine had featured the Composite Course at Royal Melbourne in top spot.

Last time it was the sublime Kingston Heath that instead took first place. While the accolade was fully deserved, it was an honour that even the most passionate Kingston Heath member must have accepted was only temporary.

1 - The Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West Course) - Victoria

2 - Kingston Heath Golf Club - Victoria

3 - Ellerston Golf Course - New South Wales

4 - Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links - Tasmania

5 - New South Wales Golf Club - New South Wales

6 - Barnbougle Lost Farm - Tasmania

7 - The National Golf Club (Moonah Course) - Victoria

8 - The Royal Melbourne Golf Club (East Course) - Victoria

9 - Victoria Golf Club - Victoria

10 - The Metropolitan Golf Club - Victoria

11 - Lake Karrinyup Country Club - Western Australia

12 - The National Golf Club (Old Course) - Victoria

13 - Royal Adelaide Golf Club - South Australia

14 - The Lakes Golf Club - New South Wales

15 - Moonah Links (Legends Course) - Victoria

16 - The Dunes Golf Links - Victoria

17 - The Australian Golf Club - New South Wales

18 - Joondalup Resort - Western Australia

19 - Woodlands Golf Club - Victoria

20 - Newcastle Golf Club - New South Wales

21 - Royal Sydney Golf Club - New South Wales

22 - Barwon Heads Golf Club - Victoria

23 - The Links Kennedy Bay - Western Australia

24 - Thirteenth Beach Golf Links (Beach Course) - Victoria

25 - Brookwater Golf & Country Club - Queensland

26 - Kooyonga Golf Club - South Australia

27 - Magenta Shores - New South Wales

28 - St Andrews Beach (Gunnamatta Course) - Victoria

29 - Royal Queensland Golf Club - Queensland

30 - Peninsula Country Golf Club (North Course) - Victoria

31 - Commonwealth Golf Club - Victoria

32 - The Cut Golf Club - Western Australia

33 - Moonah Links (Open Course) - Victoria

34 - The Yarra Yarra Golf Club - Victoria

35 - Links Hope Island - Queensland

36 - The National Golf Club (Ocean Course) - Victoria

37 - Royal Canberra Golf Club - Australian Capital Territory

38 - Huntingdale Golf Club - Victoria

39 - Hamilton Island Golf Club - Queensland

40 - Glenelg Golf Club - South Australia

41 - Peninsula Country Golf Club (South Course) - Victoria

42 - Elanora Country Club - New South Wales

43 - The Grand Golf Club - Queensland

44 - Portsea Golf Club - Victoria

45 - Hyatt Regency Coolum - Queensland

46 - Terrey Hills Golf & Country Club - New South Wales

47 - Grange Golf Club (West) - South Australia

48 - Bonville Golf Resort - New South Wales

49 - Glades Golf Club - Queensland

50 - The Vintage - New South Wales

51 - Concord Golf Club - New South Wales

52 - Western Australian Golf Club - Western Australia

53 - Pelican Waters Golf Club - Queensland

54 - Capricorn Resort - Championship Course - Queensland

55 - Spring Valley Golf Club - Victoria

56 - Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club - Queensland

57 - The Heritage Golf and Country Club (St.John Course) - Victoria

58 - Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club - The Pines - Queensland

59 - Avondale Golf Club - New South Wales

60 - Pacific Dunes - New South Wales

61 - St Michaels Golf Club - New South Wales

62 - Port Fairy Golf Club - Victoria

63 - Twin Creeks - New South Wales

64 - Links Lady Bay Golf Club - South Australia

65 - Meadow Springs Golf & Country Club - Western Australia

66 - Paradise Palms Resort and Country Club - Queensland

67 - Mount Lawley Golf Club - Western Australia

68 - Settlers Run Golf & Country Club - Victoria

69 - The Vines Golf and Country Club Ellenbrook - Western Australia

70 - Cottesloe Golf Club - Western Australia

71 - The Heritage Golf and Country Club (Henley Course) - Victoria

72 - Amstel (Ranfurlie) - Victoria

73 - Kalgoorlie Golf Course - Western Australia

74 - Sanctuary Lakes Club - Victoria

75 - Narooma Golf Club - New South Wales

76 - Lakelands Golf Club - Queensland

77 - Sanctuary Cove - The Palms - Queensland

78 - Secret Harbour Golf Club - Western Australia

79 - Tasmania Golf Club - Tasmania

80 - Riversdale Golf Club - Victoria

81 - Long Island Country Club - Victoria

82 - Castle Hill Country Club - New South Wales

83 - Eynesbury Golf - Victoria

84 - Kooindah Waters - New South Wales

85 - Sorrento Golf Club - Victoria

86 - Murray Downs Golf Club - Victoria

87 - The Sands, Torquay - Victoria

88 - Alice Springs Golf Club - Northern Territory

89 - Sandhurst Club (Champions Course) - Victoria

90 - Horsham Golf Club - Victoria

91 - Sea Temple Golf and Country Club - Queensland

92 - Robina Woods - Queensland

93 - Araluen Country Club - Western Australia

94 - Monash Country Club - New South Wales

95 - Thirteenth Beach Golf Links (Creek Course) - Victoria

96 - Federal Golf Club - Australian Capital Territory

97 - Tallwoods Country Club - New South Wales

98 - Arundel Hills Country Club - Queensland

99 - Macquarie Links International Golf Club - New South Wales

100 - Royal Hobart Golf Club - Tasmania

NR - The Vines Golf and Country Club - The Lakes - Western Australia

NR - Laguna Whitsundays - Queensland

NR - Grange Golf Club (East) - South Australia

NR - Bunbury Golf Club - Western Australia

NR - Twin Waters Resort - Queensland

NR - Croydon Golf Club at Yering Meadows - Victoria

NR - Albany Golf Club - Western Australia

NR - North Lakes - Queensland

NR - Noosa Springs - Queensland

NR - Southern Golf Club - Victoria

NR - Indooroopilly Golf Club (East Course) - Queensland

NR - Bribie Island Golf Club - Queensland

NR - Killara Golf Club - New South Wales

NR - Liverpool Golf Club - New South Wales

NR - Mt Broughton Golf and Country Club - New South Wales

NR - Pymble Golf Club - New South Wales

NR - Ulverstone Golf Club - Tasmania

NR - Cypress Lakes Resort - New South Wales

NR - Bonnie Doon Golf Club - New South Wales

NR - Camden Lakeside Golf and Country Club - New South Wales

NR - Keysborough Golf Club - Victoria

NR - Kingswood Golf Club - Victoria

NR - Lakes Entrance Golf Club - Victoria

NR - RACV Cape Schanck Resort - Victoria

NR - Cobram Barooga Golf Club - Victoria

NR - Cranbourne Golf Club - Victoria

NR - Palm Meadows Golf Course - Queensland

NR - Royal Pines Resort - Queensland

NR - Yowani Country Club - Australian Capital Territory

NR - Mollymook (Hilltop) - New South Wales

NR - Millicent Golf Club - South Australia

NR - Ocean Shores - New South Wales

NR - Belmont Golf Club - New South Wales

NR - Great Lakes Tuncurry - New South Wales

NR - Sun City Country Club - Western Australia

NR - Horizons Golf Resort - New South Wales

NR - Kooralbyn Valley - Queensland

NR - Capital Golf Club - Victoria

NR - Warrnambool Golf Club - Victoria

NR - Yarrawonga and Border Golf Club - New South Wales