Royal Melbourne’s West Course is the kind of course that changes how you think about golf architecture. Alister Mackenzie designed it — the same man who built Augusta National — and you can feel it on every hole. The bunkering is dramatic. The greens tilt and run. The fairways are firm enough that a well-struck drive runs an extra 20 yards, and a poorly struck one doesn’t run at all.
On E6 Connect, the licensed laser-scanned version captures all of it.
For the full list of what’s available on E6, see our best courses on E6 Connect guide. For a comparison with the other premier sim software, read GSPro vs E6 Connect.
The Course: Mackenzie’s Sandbelt Genius
Royal Melbourne’s West Course is the highest-ranked course in the Southern Hemisphere for good reason. It plays firm and fast — the fairways are designed to run toward the greens, not stop at them. The bunkers are sculpted like art, positioned to catch shots that are slightly off line and make you pay. The greens are huge and undulating, with the kind of contour that makes a 15-foot putt feel like 40 feet if you’re on the wrong tier.
The routing is what sets it apart. Mackenzie routed the course through natural sandbelt terrain, using the land’s contours instead of trying to flatten them. The result is a course where no two holes play the same direction, the wind is always a factor, and every approach shot requires a decision between running the ball up or flying it to the pin.
For similar architecture from Mackenzie’s other masterpiece, see our Augusta on GSPro guide. For another sandbelt-style course, try Barnbougle Dunes on GSPro.
How Royal Melbourne Plays on E6
The laser scan is the star here. E6’s licensed version of Royal Melbourne uses professional-grade LIDAR data that captures every bunker face, every green contour, every fairway roll. The firm fairways are accurate — your ball will release and run, just like it does at the real course. If you’re used to playing simulator courses where every fairway stops the ball dead, Royal Melbourne on E6 will surprise you.
The bunker penalty is also accurate. Royal Melbourne’s bunkers are deep and punishing, and the E6 version replicates the lost-shot penalty of finding one. Hit it in the bunker on the par-3 5th, and you’re looking at bogey unless you have a short game that Augusta members would envy.
The greens are the real test. They’re fast, contoured, and the break often runs the opposite of what your eye tells you. Three-putts happen here. Don’t get frustrated — it’s the course, not the sim.
Who Should Add Royal Melbourne to Their E6 Rotation
Architecture nerds — If you care about course design, Royal Melbourne on E6 is essential. It’s one of the few courses where the sim version lets you study the routing, the bunkering philosophy, and the green complexes in a way that a single round in person never allows.
Expanded tier subscribers looking for variety — American courses dominate E6’s library. Royal Melbourne brings sandbelt golf — firm fairways, running approaches, and greens that test your putting from every angle. It’s a different kind of challenge than Pinehurst No. 2 or Pebble Beach.
Anyone who’s played the real thing — If you’ve made the pilgrimage to Melbourne’s sandbelt, the E6 version is accurate enough to bring back memories. The bunkers are where they should be. The greens break the way you remember.
The Verdict
Royal Melbourne on E6 Connect is one of the best licensed courses in the Expanded tier. It’s faithful to the real course, challenging in the right ways, and a welcome break from the usual American major-venue rotation. If you already have the Expanded subscription, there’s zero reason not to play it. If you’re on Basic, it’s worth considering whether the upgrade is worth it for this course alone.
For more course recommendations across all platforms, see our best courses on E6 Connect guide, the full E6 Connect software review, and our guide to the best replica courses on each platform.