Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort in the Hunter Valley is Australia’s Best Golf Hotel for 2017. The resort won the title at the 4th Annual World Golf Awards, which were held in Spain. For the New South Wales property, the win capped an already busy year.
The field was strong, since the resort was up against golf destinations from all over the country. Leading golf industry and tourism authorities voted on the award, while thousands of golfing consumers also had a say.
2017 was a milestone year for the resort. It turned 25, and it also put the final touches on a $20 million refurbishment. That work covered the rooms, the leisure areas, the meeting and wedding spaces and, of course, the 18-hole course.
General manager Niel Mason said the resort was very proud of the result. Speaking for Oaks Hotels & Resorts and his team, he said they were delighted to be seen as a leader among golf hotels in Australia. In his words, it was the perfect way to round out an exciting year.
Mason noted that the course is regularly ranked among the best resort courses in the country. Golfers get wide views over the hinterland, Brokenback Mountain and the vineyards. He added that the recent upgrades, together with the refurbished rooms and facilities, make the course more appealing than ever. As a result, he saw the award as proof that the new and improved product works.
The course opened in 1992. Steve Smyers of Florida designed it, and since then it has drawn golfers all year long. It plays as a par 72 over 6,467 meters. Native Australian wildlife lives on the grounds. The layout also features manicured greens, bold fairway shapes and more than 60 carefully placed bunkers, which means it is as hard to play as it is pretty to look at.
