By Ewen McRae
When too much golf is never enough, Lonsdale Links is the place to be this summer.
The course is at the tail end of a $25 million redevelopment of the 18-hole course, which will also include a new clubhouse and other facilities.
It will be a welcome boost for the club and it’s golfers, who have been on a reduced nine hole course for the past two years.
Marketing manager Allie Cosgrove said with most other sports cancelled this year, there had been a number of new participants out on the course and eager to give the sport a try.
“We’ve seen a real surge in golf, just by being one of the few sports people could play during the restrictions,” Ms Cosgrove said.
“We’re used to being a bit quieter in winter, but it was a real boom time for us, which was great to see.
“It’s disappointing that we haven’t been able to welcome our Melbourne-based members to enjoy the facilities, but we’re looking forward to welcoming them back in time for the full re-opening of the course in December.”
The club has continued to operate their hospitality options in a take-away capacity throughout the pandemic, and has started welcoming diners to the outdoor space at the course over the past few weeks.
Ms Cosgrove said she hoped some of the new players to the course had caught the golfing bug and would make Lonsdale Links a regular part of their recreation.
“We hope that in the time that people have been getting into golf, and it is quite an addictive sport, that they might want to stay on and we can make a lifelong golfer out of them,” she said.
“We’ve still got quite high demand at the moment, but with more holes opening up in mid to late-December we will be able to have even more people down to play at this wonderful course.”
