LIKE many golf clubs across the state, the unique, picturesque facility at Nambucca Heads has faced a near perfect storm of financial challenges.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A plethora of alternate sports, and the lingering effects of smoking bans and changing attitudes by society in general to driving after consuming alcohol has impacted on clubland – and ‘The Golfy’ is not immune.
But the board is confident it has all the levers at its disposal to drive the club to financial surety.
Club president Kerry McCoy and treasurer Andy Johnston met with the Guardian to detail a suite of initiatives being rolled out at Australia’s only true island golf course (at least where the course occupies basically the entirety of an island).
One of the key planks of reform is seeing the club working with Nambucca Shire Council on ways to curb their water consumption costs, one of the facility’s most expensive inputs.
“Council have been very understanding and supportive and we are looking at how we might be able to use recycled water,” Kerry said.
Council are also backing a couple of major amateur tournaments which The Island will host this month, after winning the blessing of Golf NSW.
The NSW Senior Men’s tourney will run from March 19 to 22, and is open to players aged 55 and older. There are already 146 registrations for this event, with many coming from outside of the Valley, so this will be a significant economic driver for the Nambucca.
Almost immediately after, the course will host the NSW Senior Women’s event from March 26-29.
The regular, and lucrative Vets Week of Golf in the first week of July will complete the trinity.
“The numbers of people using our course are actually quite high,” Kerry said.
Andy said another part of the plan to build financial stability is the release of longer term membership packages.
“You can take five years, 10 years, even up to 20 years, though none of the members are backing themselves in for that one,” Andy quipped.
One asset of the club’s which both Kerry and Andy want to see endure is the commitment of the membership to clubhouse and course.
“Our volunteers do some work at the bar and on the course, when we have major works,” Kerry said, in addition to the regular paid staff.
And the club is looking to the future: “We’re embarking on a junior program and Paul Habgood, the professional, is about to run a junior clinic,” Kerry said.
“We are getting the planning in place now to stand on our two feet, because we believe this course is an asset for the community and for the entire Nambucca Valley.”
