A pilot is seriously injured after his light plane crashed at a Melbourne golf course.

The plane crashed at Capital Golf Course in Heatherton, to the city's southeast, on Tuesday.

Victoria Police said the plane crashed into trees shortly after take-off from Moorabbin airport just after midday.

The golf course is directly adjacent to the suburban airport.

The pilot, a man who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, has been taken to the Alfred Hospital with serious injuries.

Aerial footage of the scene shows the aircraft upside-down and missing one of its wings.

The exact cause of the crash has not been determined, with police and emergency services remaining on site.