Craig Bonney will join Barwon Heads Golf Club in February 2023 after a 24-year stint at the Warrnambool and Port Fairy clubs.

Bonney, 53, said it was a "bittersweet" decision to leave Port Fairy but he was excited to join one of Australia's premier clubs while being closer to family, including son William who lives in Melbourne.

"Barwon Heads Golf Club is just a great place - I'm very lucky," he said. "It is a teaching professional/golf professional (role) there; it's not the head professional job.

"It is a great set-up down there. It's beautiful and is ranked 23 in Australia's best courses and it's got awesome teaching facilities."

Bonney will work at Port Fairy until January 19, eager to help the club during the busy Christmas-New Year period.

"I've enjoyed my time at Port Fairy - it's been unreal and people have been so good to me," he said.

Bonney, who was born in Tasmania, said the south-west had "become like a second home". "This is the place where we've spent the most time in our lives," he said.

The Bonneys will settle in Geelong.

"We'll be only an hour from William, Debbie's sister is an hour away, mum's an hour away and Deb can still do her work a bit remotely," he said.

"She's a book-keeper and she'll still come down once a week to do a few bits and pieces down here."

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