A NEW board at Rossdale Golf Club seems to have driven plans to sell off the club’s Aspendale golf course for residential development into the bunker.
Three new Rossdale Golf Club board members – Nick Linford, Geoff Charnley and Tony Mitchem – were elected to the club’s nine-person board late last month.
Club general manager Tim Hanton wrote to members last week, on behalf of the board, to advise Rossdale Golf Club has “secured some short term funding via a members loan” and is in negotiations with several banks to secure long term funding “by the end of September”.
Mr Hanton’s letter follows a previous email from the general manager stating the club was contemplating a move to Bangholme as a way to ease financial pressures (‘Golf course fears to the fore’, The News 1/7/15).
The latest letter confirmed a proposal to sell an 80 metre by 30 metre parcel of land at the 43-hectare Sixth Avenue golf course, previously approved by club members at the 2013 annual general meeting, has been submitted to Kingston Council for approval.
As a result, the board will no longer seek members’ approval for any further changes and a planned Special General Meeting later this month will no longer take place.
Mayor Cr Geoff Gledhill said council cannot pre-empt any decision on the planning application but had encouraged the club to submit it.
“We will continue to work with them. It’s an important club for the members and the people who live down that way.”
In the mayor’s opinion, large-scale residential development would not be suitable for the area.
“It’s a place that it’s difficult at the best of times to get in and out of,” Cr Gledhill said.
The mayor said council is speaking to Golf Victoria and recognises that some golf clubs will have to change their business model.
Rossdale Golf Club will consider a redesign of its course to cater for golfers who may not have the time to play all 18 holes in a round.
Mr Hanton told The News new members would go a long way to securing the club’s long-term future.
“Anyone who wants to join is more than welcome to give me a call. We’re happy to take any new membership enquiries and get people into the club.”
The new board will answer questions about the club’s future strategy at an annual general meeting on Monday 24 August.
Call Rossdale Golf Club on 9580 1008 or email rgc.manager@rossdalegolf.com.au for membership enquiries.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 8 July 2015
