Golf club may beat

By Melissa Grant
BEACONHILLS Country Golf Club may merge with another club if its dire financial situation doesn’t improve.
Amalgamation is on the cards as the Upper Beaconsfield course’s revenue from membership and green fees continue to drop.
The club resolved to appoint a sub-committee to begin discussions with other golf clubs with “a view to merging” at its annual general meeting on 2 December.
But Beaconhills Country Golf Club management is hopeful that sale of part of the course on Stoney Creek Road will solve its financial troubles.
The club’s overall income was $857,665 for the year ending 31 August, down $247,708 on the previous year’s figures.
Revenue from membership subscriptions dropped by $65,696, 13 per cent less than 2007, while green fees were down $77,061 or 26 per cent.
The club’s general manager Danie McNeil said the land sale was “vital” in securing the future of the club.
She said although the sub-committee to investigate the possibility of amalgamation hadn’t been formed yet, it was important for the club to keep its options open.
“Obviously we don’t want to have our eggs in one basket – we want to look at all options available to us,” Ms McNeil told the Gazette.
“In the meantime we’re looking at other options available to us on and off site.”
The club has put its redevelopment of the third and fourth holes on the Lakes course on hold until a land subdivision is approved by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Beaconhills Country Golf Club is contesting conditions of two subdivision permits. The combined applications, issued by Cardinia Shire Council, allow for the subdivision to provide seven rural residential lots.
In his president’s 2007/08 annual report, Doug Eastick said the club was optimistic that it could generate sufficient income on an ongoing basis following the sale.
“Once the land is ready we will place it on the market and when it is sold we will have paid off our debt and be able to make some much needed improvements to our course and facilities,” the report read.
“To do this we need to reverse the trend of recent years and lift membership and green fee income while still being prudent when it comes to expenditure.”
Ms McNeil said Beaconhills Country Golf Club was a vital part of the community and hoped it would be sustainable in the future.
“It’s a tough time in the golf industry in general and we’re looking at ways to secure our future in the industry.”