A small golf club in the Barossa Valley, which is experiencing unprecedented growth in youth membership, has been named one of South Australia’s best clubs.
Sandy Creek Golf Club, an 18-hole, par-72 course based in the eastern Barossa, was named Club of the Year – Small Regional at the Clubs SA Awards for Excellence earlier this month for the second year in a row.
In a night of celebration for the Club, long standing Sandy Creek Golf Club volunteer Gail Sweet was also named Volunteer of the Year at the awards.
Sandy Creek Golf Club, which was named by Golf Australia Magazine as one of Australia’s best courses with a green free under $50, has grown its membership by more than three per cent since 2015 with a concerted focus on attracting and retaining young members.
The club’s general manager, David Rice, said a notable membership increase in the 18 to 26-year-old category was particularly pronounced and boded well for the club’s future.
“Our aim is 10 per cent membership growth this financial year. Golf Australia has put in place some fantastic initiatives at a national level to grow membership and we are working locally to seize on the interest from younger participants in the sport,” he said.
“The Sandy Creek Golf Club community has turned around its fortunes by proactively marketing to the wider Barossa and northern suburbs regions, and by seeking out opportunities to bring in more income and cut costs.
“For example, 2016/17 saw us increase our function income by almost 600 per cent, while also decreasing total kitchen operating expenses by more than 53 per cent.
“Winning the award once, in 2016, was a fantastic boost for members and our committee after a period of hard work, diversification and change,” Mr Rice said.
“To win small club of the year for the second time, coupled with milestones that include membership growth, a steady increase in Saturday competition fields, improvements to the Clubhouse and an increase in sponsorship income, all show Sandy Creek Golf Club is one of the strongest, most sociable and most playable courses in SA.”
For more information on Sandy Creek Golf Club please visit sandycreekgolf.com.au.