Leading architect joins mayor for golf club opening

One of the world’s leading golf course architects and former professional golfer Graham Marsh will join Mayor Mark Jamieson today to officially open his latest golf course at the Maroochy River Golf Club.

General Manager Charlie McGill said while the clubhouse and course commenced operating last year, the board and members were keen to invite Graham Marsh back to celebrate its completion.

“Graham is a renowned figure internationally, he’s designed some of the best courses in the world and we are delighted with what he and his team have achieved," Mr McGill said.

Mayor Jamieson praised the club’s board and members for their hard work and passion over a number of years to help deliver an outstanding asset for the region.

“There’s no doubt what the club, and everyone connected with the project, has created is a fantastic addition to the Coast’s sporting facilities and a new hub for the Bli Bli community,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“Today is about recognising how far this club has come and how strong its future now is.

“Their move is a real case study about how positive and very successful change can be.

“When the move away from Horton Park was initially proposed there was a lot of negativity and disappointment but that dissipated and now the club has a very bright future on a wonderful new course.

“Considerable progress is also being made on the blank canvas we have at the old club site at Horton Park and we will soon see the official first turning of the sod for SunCentral as we create a new CBD unlike any other in this country.”

Mr McGill said the response from the club's members and guests who have played the course had been very positive and was reinforced through strong membership figures as well as out on the course nearly 40,000 rounds of golf have been played in the first six months of operation.

“That’s a figure you’d usually get from a full year at most golf courses so it’s wonderful that so many people have been able to get out and play the course,” he said.

Mr McGill said the club’s playing memberships were at record levels and 3000 new social members have also signed up since the relocation from Horton Park.

“There’s a number of factors that can be attributed to this success, the high quality design of the course is certainly having a positive impact on membership and participation rates as is our location in a growing suburb like Bli Bli.

“Bli Bli has a number of new residential estates such as Parklakes 2 and the Halcyon retirement villages which has attracted new people to the area and our accessibility to major centres such as Maroochydore, Nambour, Peregian and Coolum as well as the airport has certainly helped to broaden our membership base,” he said.

Maroochy River Golf Club - Snapshot

Holes: 18

Staff: 20 full time 25 part time

Length of course: Black 6452 – Blue 5995 – White – 5656 – Red 5026

Playing Members: 1146

Social members: 3428

Average rounds per week: 1500

Busiest day of the week: Saturday

Youngest member: (age) 7

Oldest member: (Age) 95

Longest member 51 years

Club Professional: Sean Seymore