Federal Golf Club

Overview: Federal Golf Club is a public-access 18-hole course on Red Hill in Canberra. The setting gives the round a distinctly inland character, with elevated ground, native vegetation and changing lies rather than a flat resort landscape. The official club describes Federal as a leading public course in the capital, and the layout rewards golfers who manage slopes and choose conservative lines into greens instead of treating every hole as a driving contest.

History: Federal's story is tied to the development of Canberra itself. The club's first course occupied land that was later submerged by Lake Burley Griffin. After the move to Red Hill, the present course officially reopened in 1949. James Herd Scott advised on the original nine-hole layout, while Prosper Ellis was involved in important later work, including changes recorded by the club in the 1960s.

Did You Know? The course is a reminder that Canberra's golf history is partly hidden below its lakes and public infrastructure. The move to Red Hill did not erase the earlier course. It created the setting in which Federal could continue its history above the lake, with the capital's changing landscape forming the backdrop to the modern routing.