Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
Golf Course Reef
Ulladulla, New South Wales · near Mollymook
| Depth | 18–25 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Giant stride from anchored boat |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 8–15 m m |
| Water | summer 19–22 °C °C, winter 13–16 °C °C |
| Suit | 7 mm wetsuit with hood most of the year (5 mm adequate Feb–Apr); semi-dry or drysuit and gloves Jul–Oct |
| Best season | Year round |
| Bottom time | 35 min |
| Position | -35.34700, 150.48200 (approximate) |
| Permit | None required – not in a NSW marine park |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Golf Course Reef
Also known as Mollymook Reef, Colliers Beach Reef
Quiet, sparse kelp reef off Mollymook with colourful sea squirts and hydroids.
Near Mollymook · Ulladulla, New South Wales
- Depth
- 18–25 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~5 min
- Water
- 19–22 °C
- Visibility
- 8–15 m
Golf Course Reef18–25 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 18–25 m
- Typical depth
- 22 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 0.8 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~5 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 8–15 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 19–22 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 13–16 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 35 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
7 mm wetsuit with hood most of the year (5 mm adequate Feb–Apr); semi-dry or drysuit and gloves Jul–Oct
Location
Mollymook – Narrawallee · Ulladulla – Mollymook & Bawley Point
-35.34700, 150.48200
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: marinelife.org.auMarine park & permits
None required – not in a NSW marine park
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Golf Course Reef →
A day-by-day plan for Ulladulla with this site locked in.
This guide is a planning aid. Conditions change daily — confirm with a local dive centre and dive within your training. Data & safety notes.
Dive profile
How this site rates
Scores are computed from the recorded data, not opinions. How?
At a glance
Golf Course Reef is a reef boat dive in Ulladulla, NSW, 18–25 m, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, about 5 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m, surge on the entry or in the shallows, boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Why dive here
- Quiet, sparse kelp reef off Mollymook with colourful sea squirts and hydroids.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Afternoon north-easterlies
About Golf Course Reef
Golf Course Reef takes its name from the Mollymook golf course on the headland above Colliers Beach, between Ulladulla and Mollymook Beach. The Marine Life Network gives a depth of 25 m and describes a sparse, kelp-covered reef with colourful sea squirts, hydroids and sponges. That makes it a quieter, less dramatic reef than Burrill Rocks or the Warden Head walls, but it is close to the harbour and seldom dived.
The reef is low rock with a scattering of kelp, patches of sand and some boulders. The invertebrate life is what divers come for: sea squirts in a range of colours, hydroid colonies, bryozoans and sponges, which in turn support nudibranchs and small crustaceans. Fish are the usual Ulladulla mix of red morwong, blue groper, leatherjackets, silver sweep and yellowtail, with eastern blue devilfish and wobbegongs under ledges. Rays and Port Jackson sharks are often seen on the sand in winter.
The depth makes it best for Advanced divers. It suits photographers who enjoy searching for small subjects and divers who want a change from the regular charter sites. Detailed published information is thin, so use this as a starting point and confirm the position locally. The MLN list also mentions a shallow shore dive at a Mollymook beach with patchy reef, boulders and a lost Admiralty-pattern anchor, which may be nearby. Divers who know the reef well should be able to add a proper description; until then, treat the depth and position here as approximate and plan a conservative dive from the anchor line.
Getting there & entry
Kelp-covered reef off Colliers Beach and the Mollymook golf course, between Ulladulla and Mollymook; about 25 m.
Boat access only. Charters and private boats launch from the public ramp inside Ulladulla Harbour, reached off the Princes Highway in the centre of Ulladulla (about three hours' drive south of Sydney); there is trailer parking around the harbour and the dive shop is a short walk away. The reef lies off Colliers Beach at the southern end of Mollymook, below the Mollymook golf course, only a few minutes north of the harbour mouth.
Anchor on the reef in 20–25 m. It is too far out and too deep for a practical shore entry from Colliers Beach.
Entry: Giant stride from anchored boat
Facilities: Ulladulla Harbour boat ramp.
Weather, swell & tides
Mollymook faces east and the reef takes easterly and north-easterly swell; it gets some shelter from southerly swell behind Warden Head. Best in westerly or light southerly weather with swell under about 1.5 m. Heavy rain reduces visibility, and a big swell stirs up the sand around the reef.
Best season: Year round
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Golf Course Reef doesn't.
- Ulladulla Harbour · 1 km · Max 8 m
- Narrawallee Beach and Inlet · 4 km · Max 8 m
- Dolphin Point · 7 km · Max 12 m
- Bawley Point · 21 km · Max 13 m
How the dive is usually run
Descend onto the reef, follow its edge along the sand at 22–25 m for about 15 minutes, then turn and return over the top through the kelp at 18–20 m, looking closely at the rock for sea squirts, hydroids and sponges, and ascend on the anchor line.
Marine life
- Sea squirts
- hydroids
- sponges
- bryozoans
- nudibranchs →
- red morwong
- blue groper →
- leatherjackets
- silver sweep
- yellowtail
- eastern blue devilfish →
- wobbegongs →
- rays
- Port Jackson sharks →
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Beyond 18 m an Advanced certification (which includes a deep dive to 30 m) is the accepted minimum. Anything past 25 m is a deep dive in practice.
Courses that help here
- Drysuit Diver – Cold water; locals dive dry for much of the year.
Depth tiers: 0–10 m easy · to 18 m Open Water · 18–30 m Advanced (25 m+ is a deep dive) · 30–40 m Deep specialty · 40 m+ technical. All courses
Hazards & warnings
Depth to 25 m. Boat traffic near the harbour. Possible surge in easterly swell.
Dive centres that go here
Listed by the Marine Life Network; no current operator publishes it, but Dive Adventures Ulladulla can run it on request. Mainly private boats from Ulladulla Harbour.
Operators recorded for Golf Course Reef
Other dive centres in Ulladulla
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


Golf Course Reef: frequently asked questions
How deep is Golf Course Reef?
Golf Course Reef reaches a maximum depth of 25 m, with the shallowest part at about 18 m; most of the dive is spent around 22 m.
What certification do I need to dive Golf Course Reef?
Advanced Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m, surge on the entry or in the shallows, boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Can I shore dive Golf Course Reef?
No, it is reached by boat (about 5 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Golf Course Reef?
Year round.
What marine life will I see at Golf Course Reef?
Regularly recorded: Sea squirts, hydroids, sponges, bryozoans, nudibranchs, red morwong, blue groper, leatherjackets, silver sweep, yellowtail, eastern blue devilfish, wobbegongs and more.
What wetsuit do I need at Golf Course Reef?
7 mm wetsuit with hood most of the year (5 mm adequate Feb–Apr); semi-dry or drysuit and gloves Jul–Oct.
How cold is the water at Golf Course Reef?
Typically 19–22 °C in summer and 13–16 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Golf Course Reef?
Depth to 25 m. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Golf Course Reef?
Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Ulladulla
Ulladulla is the quiet middle of the south coast, with the Lighthouse Reef and the Bommie off Warden Head, the Burrill Rocks, and a series of gutters and caves that hold grey nurse sharks and eastern blue devils. It is dived mainly by locals and Canberra clubs.
Getting there: Three hours south of Sydney. A local dive shop runs charters from the harbour; the Ulladulla harbour breakwall is a sheltered shore dive.
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Coordinates estimated from Colliers Beach; confirm reef position.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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