By David Luis Riversdale Golf Club is a private Alex Russell course in Mount Waverley, and outside visitor play is tightly restricted. It scores 4.5 out of 5 in our Riversdale Golf Club review for a short, clever 1930 design. The club publishes its 2026 subscriptions and entrance fees, plus a fee for interstate and overseas guests.
The club sits at the corner of Huntingdale Road and High Street Road, behind a residential edge you could drive past without noticing.
GCR Score: 4.5 / 5
Verdict: Recommended if you can get in, which most people cannot.
Best For: Members, invited guests, architecture buffs
Think Twice If: You want a public tee time
Last Reviewed: 11 October 2026.
At a Glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | 200-280 Huntingdale Road (corner High Street Road), Mount Waverley VIC 3149 |
| Course Type | Private parkland, Alex Russell design (1930) |
| Holes | 18, par 72 (back tees) |
| Course Length | About 5,895m from the back tees (third-party listing) |
| Slope | 129 from blue/white tees (Golf Australia review) |
| Green Fees | A$180 per person for unaccompanied interstate and overseas guests, with a letter of introduction (club site, subject to availability) |
| Visitor Access | Restricted; interstate and overseas guests book through the club office with a letter of introduction from their home club |
| Membership | 2026 subscriptions A$837 to A$4,468 a year; entrance fees A$1,650 to A$11,000 (non-refundable); waitlist deposit applies |
| Dress Code | Published: tailored trousers or shorts, collared or mock-collar shirts, soft spikes only, no denim |
| Founded | 1892 (club history page; Wikipedia and directories agree on 1892 but vary on detail) |
| Phone | +61 3 9807 1411 |
| Official Website | Riversdale Golf Club |
All prices are Australian dollars and come from the club’s own website unless stated. Check the club before you travel, because fees are reviewed each subscription year.
History and Course Overview
The club’s own history page dates it to 8 October 1892, when about a dozen players laid out a course near Mont Albert station as the Surrey Hills Golf Club. It moved to East Camberwell in 1907 and was renamed Riversdale, then bought the Burwood estate in 1924. The Wikipedia entry tells a similar story. Directory listings vary on detail.
Russell’s course opened in 1930 with a match involving Walter Hagen and Joe Kirkwood, according to Golf Australia’s course review. Peter Thomson converted the bunkers to pot style in 1994, and Neil Crafter and Paul Mogford have worked on the course since.
The venue has hosted the Australian PGA Championship, the Victorian Open and the Victorian Amateur, plus the Riversdale Cup. It is not a Sandbelt club, but it plays with some of the same brainy design.
Standout Holes
The fifth is the one members fear. It is a 380m par 4 with a narrow bottleneck fairway, and it is ranked the toughest on the card.
The short par 4s are where the course earns its reputation. The 12th is described as arguably the most enjoyable of them, and the eighth and ninth both ask you to choose between safe and brave.
Scoring chances come on the par 5s at the sixth, seventh, 13th and 15th. I like that the course gives you the chance, then makes you earn the putt on those fast greens.
Green Fees and Visitor Access
Riversdale is a private club and outside visitor play is restricted. Interstate and overseas guests can book in advance through the club office at admin@riversdalegolf.com.au or +61 3 9807 1411.
The club’s green fees page lists A$180 per person for unaccompanied interstate and overseas guests, subject to course availability, and requires a letter of introduction from each guest’s home club. An older Golf Australia article from 2018 quoted A$130, so that figure is out of date.
For local golfers the realistic routes are a member invitation, an organised event or the Riversdale Cup. I found no published visitor rate for Melbourne-based non-members. Call 03 9807 1411 and ask the office.
Membership
Riversdale offers Ordinary, Intermediate and Mid-Week memberships split into age brackets, plus Country, Junior, Young Adult and House options. Ordinary members can play any day, Intermediate members play weekdays and Sundays, and Mid-Week members play Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday afternoons and Friday. Country members live more than 100km away and get up to 24 rounds in 12 months. Wikipedia notes new members must be nominated and the minimum age is 12.
The club’s 2026 schedule runs from A$837 a year for a junior (12 to 17) to A$4,468 for an Ordinary member aged 40 or over. The matching non-refundable entrance fees run from A$1,650 to A$11,000. Mid-Week members aged 40 or over pay A$2,760 a year plus A$9,350 to join, and Young Adults (18 to 24) pay A$1,153 plus A$3,300. Family members and spouses of members get entrance fee discounts of 25 to 75 percent, and instalments are available. A A$1,000 deposit after a successful application holds your place on the waitlist and counts toward the entrance fee, so a waitlist exists. I could not find the current length of it.
These are the club’s published figures, not a quote. If you are serious, ask the club about nomination, waitlist length and which categories are open. Our guide to How Long Joining a Private Golf Club Takes covers the process, and what 83 Australian Golf Clubs Actually Charge shows how these figures compare with other clubs.
Course Conditions
Golf Australia praised the greens as smooth and quick. The fairways are Santa Ana couch with poa and bent greens, and the club has resisted modernising for the long hitters.
That is a feature rather than a flaw. At under 6,000m it will not trouble a big hitter with a driver, but the greens will.
GA Handicap and Competitions
Riversdale members play under a GA Handicap, and the Riversdale Cup is the headline event. It is described as the longest-running amateur event staged annually by a private club. Check Golf Australia for current club information.
Facilities
- Refurbished clubhouse (2010) with function rooms
- Pro shop
- Bowling green on site, per an older listing
- Functions for 40 or more guests, open to non-members
Best Time to Visit
If you are lucky enough to have an invite, pick autumn or spring. Melbourne in March to May is mild and settled, and September to November brings the best turf.
Winter is cold and damp, and summer afternoons can sit above 35 degrees. Fast greens are still fast.
How to Get There
The club is in Mount Waverley, in Melbourne’s south-east suburbs. Huntingdale Road is the main route in, and the club is at the High Street Road corner. Confirm parking arrangements when you are invited.
Dress Code
The club publishes a detailed code. On the course, men wear tailored trousers or knee-length shorts with a belt and visible socks, shirts tucked in, and women wear golf shirts with full-length or three-quarter pants, skirts, skorts or tailored shorts no shorter than mid-thigh. Collared, skivvy and mock-collar shirts are accepted. Denim, T-shirts, singlets, tracksuit and gym wear, and metal spikes are not allowed. Clubhouse dress is smart casual, and members must brief their guests in advance.
Who Is Riversdale For?
This club is a good fit if you prefer subtle strategy to length. The course rewards position over power, and the greens will keep you honest.
Skip it if you want a public round on short notice. Without a member or a letter, there is not much of a pathway.
Nearby Alternatives
- Box Hill for a published membership menu in Melbourne’s inner east.
- The Eastern for a bigger private option.
- Kingston Heath Sandbelt benchmark for the Sandbelt benchmark.
Browse more reviews of other Melbourne clubs for context.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the public play Riversdale Golf Club?
No standard public play exists. Riversdale is private and restricts outside visitors. Interstate and overseas golfers can book through the club office for A$180 per person with a letter of introduction from their home club, subject to availability. Local golfers usually need a member to host them.
Who designed Riversdale Golf Club?
Alex Russell designed the current course, which opened in 1930. Peter Thomson converted the bunkers to pot style in 1994, and Neil Crafter and Paul Mogford have worked on the course since. The club itself dates to 1892, according to Wikipedia.
How long is Riversdale Golf Club?
The back tees measure about 5,895m for a par 72, according to a third-party listing. Golf Australia described the course as under 6,000m, with slope ratings around 129. Confirm the figures against the club scorecard, because directories disagree.
What is the Riversdale Cup?
It is the club’s marquee amateur event. Golf Australia describes it as the longest-running amateur event staged annually by a private club, and Alex Russell won it in 1929 and 1931.
How do I join Riversdale Golf Club?
New members must be nominated. The club lists Ordinary, Intermediate, Mid-Week, Country, Junior and Young Adult categories, with 2026 subscriptions from A$837 to A$4,468 and entrance fees from A$1,650 to A$11,000. A waitlist deposit of A$1,000 applies, so contact the club on 03 9807 1411 for current availability.
Pros and Cons
What We Liked
- Alex Russell design from 1930 that still holds up.
- Greens praised as smooth and quick.
- Hosts the long-running Riversdale Cup.
- Strategic short par 4s and four par 5s.
- Mid-week and young adult categories.
What Could Be Better
- Outside visitor play is restricted.
- Entrance fees up to A$11,000, non-refundable, plus a waitlist deposit.
- New members must be nominated.
- Under 6,000m, so it will not test long hitters.
- Directory listings vary on club history details.
Final Verdict
Riversdale Golf Club earns 4.5 out of 5 on design and conditions. It is a thoughtful course that has resisted the length race. Our review methodology shows how we weigh design against access.
Restricted access and a waitlist cost it half a point. If you cannot get an invite, look elsewhere. If you can, say yes.
See how it stacks up against Australia’s best in our Best Golf Clubs in Australia roundup.
Author Note
I credit classic-era designs on their merits, then deduct points when a club makes it hard to find out who can play or what it costs. Riversdale publishes its fees, so the deduction here is for restricted access.
Last reviewed: 11 October 2026. Rates and access can change; confirm directly before travelling.
