By Lauren Henry 

Horsham Golf Club is working on a concept plan to incorporate a lifestyle living housing development, solar farm, and adventure golf course.

The golf club’s vision is to incorporate its plans to align with a private hotel and accommodation development proposed by Australian Tourism Group.

A draft precinct plan was presented to club members last month, outlining various short, medium and long-term plans to ensure the club prospers in the future.

The club’s board have been ‘consolidating the base’ over the past six years, focusing on leading the club out of significant debt into a $120,000-plus surplus this year.

There has been a focus on golf and various improvements and upgrades to the golf course and driving range, and memberships have increased from 444 in 2018 to 824 in 2024.

President Gerard Bardell said the plans had received positive feedback from members, with lots of discussion about the concept plans.

“We’ve been looking at the whole precinct and looking at what we can do to maximise opportunities with our golf club precinct,” he said.

“The board believes that a well planned and executed project has the potential to set our club up for many, many years into the future.

“It’s very early days, but we are looking at how we can better utilise our existing precinct for revenue raising opportunities.”

Mr Bardell said short-term plans included decommissioning the existing water reservoir and moving irrigation pumps closer to the treatment facility where the club receives its water from.

He said the board had also spoken to other golf clubs who had enjoyed success with co-locating a mini golf facility alongside their golf courses.

“We believe that there’d be a great market, not just in Horsham but the Wimmera, to have that sort of facility,” he said.

“Families that are wanting to come and enjoy golf, they can do it in that informal setting, or visitors that come to the region, they can sort of engage in that activity as well.”

Mr Bardell said the lifestyle living development, made up of medium density housing, would be five to 10 years away.

“If we’ve got ourselves a good plan and it’s done in a proper manner, with the appropriate contractors we could finish up with an asset that would be of great value, not just to Horsham, but the greater Wimmera region where it’s a destination for people,” he said.

“We’re 125 years young, so we’d like to be there for another 125 years – and this just adds an important string to our bow in regards to making us more sustainable in the longer term,” Mr Bardell said

Former president and member Leo Delahunty has worked with Gary Howden on the master plan on behalf of the board. 

The club has been liaising closely with Horsham Rural City Council and Regional Development Victoria about its plans and possible government funding opportunities.

Mr Delahunty said the master plan looked at potential developments that could be built around the golf club to increase visitation and profitability to the club.

“We’ve probably got five or six hectares of potential land there for development, maybe a bit more, that we thought we might be able to get some lifestyle living in place, but that was only one aspect of it,” he said.

“We’re not talking about selling the asset – we’re talking about extended long-term leases, and getting an annuity that way.

“The golf club is quite a significant little business in Horsham and it’s certainly a huge asset to Horsham and our region.

“There’s lots of balls being thrown in the air, but you’ve got to start somewhere.”

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