Locals are fighting to reopen a Melbourne golf course, but it’s not a cheap fix

3 months ago 23

The future of an empty golf course in Melbourne’s south-east remains up in the air as a group of residents pushes to see their local club reopened.

The 18-hole Pakenham Golf Course and its recently upgraded cafe and restaurant were closed by the Cardinia Shire Council in April after an external management company didn’t renew its lease on the complex.

Gary Clymo, Nick Hill, Cheryl Billing-Smith, Rich Paton, Ginny Carter and Bev Clymo at the Pakenham Golf Course.

The club has faced infrastructure failures and financial difficulties. It fell into voluntary administration in early 2023 before being reopened under a new name and new management later that year.

Pakenham local Rich Paton said the course represents all the best things about his neighbourhood. He co-founded a Facebook group calling for a reopening of the club, which now boasts more than 600 members.

“It’s about working together. And it’s about building community,” Paton said. “Our core reason is supporting the community. Golf is part of this solution … and that’s why I want golf to return to Pakenham.”

But reopening a golf course is not straightforward. Councils are governed by state government guidelines, put in place to protect local green space and biodiversity.

An independent study commissioned by Cardinia Shire released in August found that playing golf at the site is still feasible. But it said issues such as poor irrigation and a weed infestation would cost about $1.9 million to fix.

Some facilities at Pakenham Golf Course were already upgraded in 2019 as part of a wider $12 million Deep Creek Reserve project, within which the course is located. The state government contributed $2.825 million to those works from their Growing Suburbs Fund and the rest was funded by the Cardinia council.

The modern playground, wetland and recreational area at Deep Creek remain open to the community despite the course’s closure. But the club cafe, bistro and function rooms – also included in recent upgrades – are currently closed.

Despite the costs associated with reopening the course, Paton celebrated the feasibility report as a sign of hope for local golfers.

“It was very heartening to know that we’re not fighting a losing battle here. This is a good cause to stand up for,” he said.

The report also proposed two more potential options for the land, which is the largest open space within Pakenham. Residents will now have the opportunity to vote on whether they want to see a golf course reopened, or whether the site should be transformed into either a passive or active space.

Providing adequate sporting spaces is another issue facing the area. The council’s Active Cardinia Strategy estimates that sports like football, soccer and baseball will all struggle for facilities across the next decade.

Salv Mileto, president of the Pakenham Football Club, said the local football community would benefit from more oval space.

The Pakenham Golf Course after it closed this year.

“For us, it would be fantastic,” he said. “It would be an advantage if they did utilise even part [of the golf course].

“If you’ve got more space … you can get everyone there. There’s more opportunity for all of the teams to train,” he said. “It would really help the community, especially the footballers and other sporting clubs.”

But this option is the most expensive. The council feasibility report estimates costs of up to $20 million to build a new sports precinct.

Cardinia Mayor Jack Kowarzik said that it is now up to the community to decide what will happen to the site. But he said the council has no intention of rezoning and selling the land.

The club’s modern facilities have also been closed since April.

“Council now needs to understand community preferences for the future of the site and their thoughts around the options that were identified in the feasibility report,” Kowarzik said.

This step in the process is estimated to be completed later this year. And while residents understand that there is procedure to follow, they are eager for the space to be reopened to the community as soon as possible.

Rob Nobelius, who was president of the golf club for 14 years until it went into administration in 2023, called it a “crying shame” that the facilities are currently sitting empty.

“I’d love to see it up and running again as a community hub, with golf being there in some aspect … With all the development around Pakenham, there’s a big market out there now,” he said.

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