Clubhouse Development Update – 12th February 2024

The Board of Directors are pleased to provide members with an update on the status of the Clubhouse Development.

Members were advised on 24^th October 2023 that development approval (DA) was issued for approximately 1.6 hectares of non-core land on the western edge of the property. This is a key milestone in the progression of this project as it recognises the development potential of the site and clears the way for the long-term objectives of the Club to be realised.

This project aims to secure the future of Oatlands Golf Club for the benefit of its members and has been structured to provide the least amount of impact to members; before, during and after construction. Part of this commitment is that the golf course will remain as a par 70 layout, with no temporary tees and no temporary greens, before, during and after construction. Further detail on how this will be achieved will be outlined in this communication under Auxiliary Club Works and Projected Next Steps.

At the time of writing, Mirvac is working through their various planning requirements in line with the Project Delivery Agreement (PDA), which governs the relationship between OGC and Mirvac.

Benefits to Oatlands Golf Club

The objectives of this project are:

• To provide a modern state of the art clubhouse with amazing facilities
• Additional assets to provide an income stream that will help to assure the Club’s financial position long into the future
• To ultimately be regarded as the premier members golf course in Northwest Sydney
• The ability to provide increased food and beverage services
• Advanced coaching and practice simulator studios

These objectives and benefits will be delivered to members through the following inclusions as part of the agreement: 

• A new Clubhouse across two levels including Pro Shop, Gym and Café
• Underground parking for over 200 vehicles (current carpark capacity is 148)
• The Café / Clubhouse operation will be supported by contributions from the residential strata and will be open for breakfast and lunch 7-days a week, and dinner service Thursday – Sunday inclusive.
• OGC to retain 7 apartments (2 x three bedroom and 5 x two bedroom), providing an additional and ongoing rental revenue stream to help fund future capital works and improvements to the golf course

In addition:

•  Simulator Studios: With the Pro Shop operation moving into the new Clubhouse, the existing Pro Shop will be converted into simulator studios for use by members and coaching staff, along with a lounge / recreation area. These simulators will utilize the latest Trackman Launch monitor technology.

Auxiliary Club Works.

In order to deliver this project with minimal disruption to Club activities, a number of auxiliary works need to be undertaken by the Club prior to the commencement of construction. The table below provides a summary of these works:

Projected Next Steps

Below indicates the next steps in the process now that the DA has been granted, we note that timelines may vary and below are indicative estimates only:

While a project of this scale naturally takes a significant period of time to complete as shown above, the commitment of an 18-hole par 70 golf course with no temporary tees or greens, along with a temporary clubhouse, will mean that the disruption will be minimal, particularly in light of the outcomes produced and the future long-term sustainability and strength of the Club.

Summary and Vision of the Future

Realisation of this project will see Oatlands transformed from a Club with an ageing clubhouse facility and a good golf course that is heavily reliant on subscription and competition revenue to be sustainable, to one that has significant revenue generating assets, (4 Niblick townhouses and 7 clubhouse development apartments), the ability to significantly improve the golf course with a membership offering that includes a gym, simulator studios and vastly extended hospitality offering.  

As members may appreciate, there is a lot of work to achieve this, however the images below that are part of the approved DA, start to give a great visual representation of the future new Oatlands Golf Club.

We thank all members for their continued patience and support and look forward to progressing this important project for the benefit of the Club.