Touring Kingston Heath, host of the 2028 Presidents Cup

MELBOURNE, Australia - Out of the shadows and into the limelight.

Winning the bid to host the 2028 Presidents Cup has brought Kingston Heath the recognition the storied Australian Sandbelt club deserves. There was already a groundswell of golfers who believe this Dr. Alister MacKenzie classic is every bit as dynamic and spectacular as Royal Melbourne's championship Composite course. Kingston Heath's tournament pedigree is nothing to dismiss - seven Australian Opens, two Australian Masters, the 2008 Women’s Australian Open and the 2016 World Cup of Golf - but this international stage will take things up a notch. It will be the Presidents Cup's fourth visit to the Sandbelt, following 1998, 2011 and 2019 competitions at Royal Melbourne.

“Kingston Heath is subtle, but demanding, and the format of the Presidents Cup promises to deliver many memorable moments", said Kingston Heath Captain Stephen Montfort.

Playing Kingston Heath, as I did in February, reveals all sorts of surprises: small ridges and sharp doglegs that create blind shots, greens big and small and complex bunkering that feels more penal than just a single stroke. It's all great fun.

This golf season has been particularly memorable at the club, which dates to 1909 with the magic MacKenzie touch added by 1926. It recently debuted The Furrows, a nine-hole short course by the OCM Golf firm of Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead that mimics the playful greens and dangerous bunkering of the big course.

Like other private Sandbelt courses, overseas visitors must submit a formal playing request online, including a letter of introduction from your home club. Outside play is available Monday, Tuesday and Friday any time and Thursday afternoons (no weekends). It's a must-play for any American golf traveler looking to experience the best of the best "Down Under".