Dear Members,
We’re pleased to advise that all required documentation has now been secured for the long-awaited project on the 1st and 18th holes. Works are scheduled to commence in the week starting Monday, 18th August, and are expected to take up to 6 months to complete, depending on weather and any other factors that may disrupt the work. During this time, the 1st and 18th holes will be closed.
The works are being overseen by the Club’s Superintendent, Simon Blagg, with support from his Greenkeeping team and input from course architect Craig Parry.
For members unfamiliar with the scope of the project, you can view the plan via the link below. In summary:
- The 18th green will be repositioned approximately 20 metres to the left (west) of its current location
- The 1st tee will be relocated to the area currently occupied by the practice nets
- Two new fairway bunkers and a new greenside bunker will be constructed on the 18th hole
- A new cart path from the Pro Shop to the new first tee will be built.
- Practice Nets will be relocated.
Why are we doing this?
To help prevent serious injury to members of the public by reducing the likelihood of golf balls leaving the course.
How will this impact your round of golf?
To ensure members and guests can continue to enjoy 18 holes during construction:
- Hole 2B will serve as the temporary 1st hole
- Hole 10B (Par 3 next to 10th Hole Green) will be in play
- The current 17th hole will serve as the finishing hole
Please note that the practice nets will not be available during construction. These will be relocated to the garden area beside the current 1st tee, but this will not occur until the new cart path to the future 1st tee is completed. We are exploring the possibility of temporary nets, though a decision is yet to be made.
COURSE SAFETY PROJECT: HOLES 1 & 18 PLAN
What does the club need from you during this time?
This will be a significant period of disruption, and we kindly ask for your cooperation to help ensure golf operations run as smoothly as possible.
- The walk from the pro shop to hole 2B is considerable. We encourage all members to arrive at least 15 minutes earlier than usual to allow time to reach the tee.
- Tee time intervals will be extended to help minimise delays, particularly on the opening hole. This will result in competition tee times extending past 11:00am on weekdays and past 12:00pm on weekends
- We ask members to be especially mindful of not blocking tee times and to manage bookings early to allow fair access to preferred times for all members
It is important to note that a portion of the southern end of the car park will be closed at times, resulting in reduced parking availability, especially in the mid to late morning. We suggest allowing extra time in case you need to park on Isaac Smith Street.
Practice Area Access During Construction
During the construction period, the only practice area available will be hole 9B, located directly in front of the halfway house. Please note this area is expected to be busy, particularly during peak times.
Coaching clinics will have priority use of this space. We will be updating our online timesheets to show when clinics or lessons are scheduled, so members can check availability in advance. I will provide a further update once these timesheet changes are finalised.
We ask all members to use the area respectfully—be mindful of others, behave courteously, and prioritise the safety of everyone in the vicinity.
We appreciate that these changes will present some challenges, but with your support and patience, we are confident we can continue to deliver enjoyable rounds of golf throughout the project period. The Board and I are excited to see this important safety project come to life and look forward to unveiling the finished result in a few months’ time.
I’ll be providing regular updates to keep all members informed on the progress of the project.
If you have any questions about this project or about Golf operations during this period, please feel free to contact me on manager@eastlakegolfclub.com.au
Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
Andres Michelsen
General Manager
