Sanctuary Golf Resort

Overview: Sanctuary Golf Resort is a public 18-hole, par-72 course at Pelican Point near Bunbury in Western Australia’s South West. Michael Coate designed the course in 1994, and the current hole card adds to about 5,956 metres, or roughly 6,511 yards. The layout combines native parkland, wetlands and broad fairways with a resort atmosphere, creating a round that is scenic without being reserved for members. Its location makes it an easy addition to a Bunbury, Margaret River or South West golf itinerary.

History: The Pelican Point development was conceived as a golf resort and native-landscape project, with an 18-hole course set among landscaped parkland and wildlife refuges. The current course opened into that vision in the 1990s and has continued as a public golf facility with accommodation and events. The environmental setting is part of the original concept rather than a later marketing layer added to an ordinary club.

Did You Know? The official course card shows water and wetlands through the property without reducing the course to a collection of forced carries. Michael Coate’s design uses a mixture of par threes, four par fives and strategic landing areas, so the round asks for both placement and an understanding of where the natural hazards actually influence play.