One extreme possibility and I can’t see it happening in Oz in the current evoironment is going absolute top shelf world renowned private club blah blah blah as follows:

50 Foundation members x $100k = $5 million. That should get you a pretty good course layed out (Ignore who owns the land at this stage).

Any decent course ignoring other revenue through corporate days, weddings and the like (no one investing $100k+ would want any of this) is going to cost you $1.5 million p.a to ensure its managed and maintained top shelf.

$1.5 million divide by 50 Foundation members is $30k p.a with the intention of rolling out new memberships in year 2 and beyond.

Look on paper its straight forward and looks doable but a lot of people have been burned before and I just don’t think its realistic.

We don’t have the golf population, geographically its not that well located for weekly use and our labour market compared to say the US where you have staff for staff for staff is just way to expensive.

And will they refund the $55k to the poor punters who dropped it for the exclusive membership the first time around when STAB kicked off?

STAB is a great course but with the over supply down there you are seriously playing with fire……even if it goes ahead why would you drop massive coin (some on this post a saying $100k) on a new venture (debt on the balance sheet) with one course (STAB) open to the public when you can buy into The National which has already gone through its “pain” and has three private courses with second to none facilities and some of the best reciprocals going around???

Thats why without being privy to the proposed deal I do not understand the logic behind it.

Refund the $50k+ ? No “they” won’t. Because “they” are not “them”.....if you get my muddled drift? Haha. It’s a sold business. They new StAB has zero to go with the previous one.
And $100k for membership? Chinese whispers, garbage.

From the AGCSA newsletter, superintendent appointed for the construction of the new ‘exclusive’ second course at St Andrew Beach.

Personally I think a monkey with a typewriter could have come up with a better name than “St Andrews Private Golf Club”.

Will be interesting to see how much further it progresses. Hopefully, doesn’t end up a half-built wasteland. After all, we REALLY need another course down the Peninsula. The shortage of quality layouts is almost criminal.. :)

Link to the newsletter:
http://www.agcsa.com.au/ene...

Cheers
A

St Andrews Private will be super exclusive with only 281 memberships available. 281 the number chosen as it is the score Peter Thomson shot to win the 1955 Open Championship

Read Ben Hogan’s 5 Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf until your eyes are sore and your head hurts, then read it again and again! It’s ALL there………..

Doomed to failure… Shares at the national only around 7k now with fees of around 3k… Why on earth would you join this place?

At 281 members, they’ll be forking more than double the subs of the sandbelt… And its not like thompson’s courses on the peninsula are fantastic, the ocean and moonah are not really a great advertisement to drop some seriously big cash…

God Thompson is a flog. If this is true what a joke. Sure he has been a great player in his era. However he cannot design a golf course for shit. Can’t imagine anyone with good golfing knowledge wanting to get him in to build a course. I’ll do it for half the cost!

Not doubting that the pick is legit but it looks like minimal earthworks will be required…...they’d want a good showing this time around if it goes ahead

Slightly off topic- Can someone please tell me- Is the current StAB layout and easy(ish) walk, or is it better suited to a cart?

I prefer to walk regardless of the distance, but the guy I’m playing there with doesn’t enjoy a taxing walk. As a guide, Growling Frog is right at his walking threshold. How does StAB stack up?

It can be walked TDM….....but if your mate struggles this is a course where a cart is the best option. The last walk back to the “club house” from the 18th green is a killer.

Definitely not an easy walk and quite long.

Slightly off topic- Can someone please tell me- Is the current StAB layout and easy(ish) walk, or is it better suited to a cart?

I prefer to walk regardless of the distance, but the guy I’m playing there with doesn’t enjoy a taxing walk. As a guide, Growling Frog is right at his walking threshold. How does StAB stack up?

STAB is a lot harder to walk TDM. As Francie said, the walk from the 18th to the c’house is very difficult. Also, the walk from the c’house to the 1st is lengthy.

Fantastic course though.

History will repeat, financial failure is all but assured.

History will repeat, financial failure is all but assured.

John Huggan on the passing of Seve – “Sadly for all who love golf as the art form it is meant to be and not the science it has become, we may never see his like again.”

Yeah it seems like a MASSIVE punt…

Playing there over the break, noticed there is some light earthmoving equipment on site visible from the club house and some flags in locations for what looks like green sites so things look like they are moving.

History will repeat, financial failure is all but assured.

John Huggan on the passing of Seve – “Sadly for all who love golf as the art form it is meant to be and not the science it has become, we may never see his like again.”

Agree, makes zero sense.

Slightly off topic- Can someone please tell me- Is the current StAB layout and easy(ish) walk, or is it better suited to a cart?

I prefer to walk regardless of the distance, but the guy I’m playing there with doesn’t enjoy a taxing walk. As a guide, Growling Frog is right at his walking threshold. How does StAB stack up?

STAB is a lot harder to walk TDM. As Francie said, the walk from the 18th to the c’house is very difficult. Also, the walk from the c’house to the 1st is lengthy.

Fantastic course though.

Thanks Mofo, and thanks Francie.

I’ll give my buddy the feedback and let him decide if he wants to leg it or drive it.

The owner of the new course is apparently LOADED with a capital L. I personally know 2 guys who have left their current positions on golf courses to go and work there. Guaranteed wages, annual leave, super, straight away. Money won’t be an issue with this place

Read Ben Hogan’s 5 Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf until your eyes are sore and your head hurts, then read it again and again! It’s ALL there………..

I hope you are right but a marriage made on money…usually a question of how long.

He will need very deep pockets, he won’t find 281 members at $100K given the other cheaper and probably better offers down that way and in Melbourne.

Is there a housing component to the development?

If you we’re seriously trying to make it work why wouldn’t you lower your margin and get someone of real note like Tom Fazio to design it?

His work is amazing and it would be unique here on Oz

Because Ross Perret is a co-owner and he is a serious golf course architect…

His work at the Legends course at Moonah Links is reason enough to know this course will never reach great heights.

Slightly off topic- Can someone please tell me- Is the current StAB layout and easy(ish) walk, or is it better suited to a cart?

I prefer to walk regardless of the distance, but the guy I’m playing there with doesn’t enjoy a taxing walk. As a guide, Growling Frog is right at his walking threshold. How does StAB stack up?

I prefer to walk all courses possible but St Andrews is a cart job. Walks between some greens and tees can be very taxing and you would be feeling the pinch come the finish.

Slightly off topic- Can someone please tell me- Is the current StAB layout and easy(ish) walk, or is it better suited to a cart?

I prefer to walk regardless of the distance, but the guy I’m playing there with doesn’t enjoy a taxing walk. As a guide, Growling Frog is right at his walking threshold. How does StAB stack up?

I prefer to walk all courses possible but St Andrews is a cart job. Walks between some greens and tees can be very taxing and you would be feeling the pinch come the finish.

“Golf is played between the ears”

Played it yesterday, walking.
We were both knackered after it, but not as bad as I was expecting. A couple of the hills took the wind out of our sails for a couple of minutes, but nothing terminal
Clocked up over 11kms. First beer tasted amazing.

Glad I walked it, felt like I got to a better feel for the course than if I was zipping around it in a cart.

Heard a very strong rumour today.
250 members, 94-98K first year.
Nominal fee after that

Heard a very strong rumour today.
250 members, 94-98K first year.
Nominal fee after that

2011 C Grade Champion Vic ISG Round #4 OOM Keysborough Golf Club
2012 B Grade Champion Paterson River ISG OOM Round #3
2012 ISG Matchplay Champion

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

Yet they can go next door for 10k plus 3.5 per year and be at one of the best golf facilites in the southern hemisphere.

The mind boggles, too many dollars and not enough cents…

Heard a very strong rumour today.
250 members, 94-98K first year.
Nominal fee after that

2011 C Grade Champion Vic ISG Round #4 OOM Keysborough Golf Club
2012 B Grade Champion Paterson River ISG OOM Round #3
2012 ISG Matchplay Champion

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

Can’t see that happening after 1) people have already been burnt there before, 2) the current economic climate and 3) the affordability and quality of the golf nearby.

I cant see it happening either, but they are moving dirt down there at the moment, so something is happening.

It would have to be mostly corporate membership, surely?

I would be at the National in a heartbeat if i had that sort of coin.

I cant see it happening either, but they are moving dirt down there at the moment, so something is happening.

It would have to be mostly corporate membership, surely?

I would be at the National in a heartbeat if i had that sort of coin.

2011 C Grade Champion Vic ISG Round #4 OOM Keysborough Golf Club
2012 B Grade Champion Paterson River ISG OOM Round #3
2012 ISG Matchplay Champion

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

agreed… and latest I’ve heard, some friends of mine bought into the national for $6.5k… the $10k quote going around seems to include the first years subs (if that makes it more in reach for everyone!)