Tee off the working week with a Short Break escape to Albury and Corowa and pack a nine iron instead of a travelling iron to experience five world standard golf courses, all within a 50 kilometre driving range.

The New South Wales towns of Albury and Corowa along the southern border of the State are in pitching range of the meandering Murray River and offer golf enthusiasts the best courses and facilities this side of a golf club.

Thurgoona, Albury, Hume, Howlong and Corowa golf courses, set amongst towering gums and regional natural beauty, are well designed and cater to novice and handicap holders alike.

Thurgoona Country Club is certainly not for the faint hearted. The Peter Thomson and Mike Wolveridge-designed par 72 layout is every bit as demanding as the Australian Course Rating of 74 its been branded. Albury Golf Club is a short but undulating course with fairways that have hosted many golfing greats. Jack Nicklaus set a course record in 1971 with a four under par 67. Equally great golfing legends such as Greg Norman and Brett Ogle have yet to match the record here.

Half way between Albury and Corowa is Howlong Country Golf Club, a demanding but beautiful course with two water traps and the truest putting surfaces in the area. Then there�s Corowa Golf Club, with 27 holes, oversized greens, well-sculpted mounding and a dogleg par 5 within chipping distance of the Murray River. Hume Golf Club, an 18 hole public course, offers a healthy mix of long and short holes. Just beware of the killer first tee.

Located approximately 600 kilometres southwest of Sydney, Albury and Corowa are rich heritage towns overflowing with history. Albury, once a meeting place for local Aboriginal groups and the hub for paddlesteamers to transport wool down the Murray River, is a major agricultural and regional centre today.

Dubbed �the birthplace of Federation�, Corowa was the site of the 1893 Federation Conference where a constitution was drawn up for a new nation. Today, it�s a prosperous riverside area famous for winemaking, water sports, gliding and parachuting.

Once considered merely a convenient stopover for motorists driving along the Hume Highway from Sydney to Melbourne, Albury and Corowa are worthy of far longer stays. So put on your Plus Fours and take a Short Break to Albury and Corowa, where the only paperwork you�ll need is a scorecard.

For information on Short Break escapes and accommodation, tap into www.visitnsw.com.au.

For media information and images only, contact Gretta Lie on 02 9931 1498 or gretta.lie@tourism.nsw.gov.au