ST ANDREWS BEACH, one of Australia’s formerly top ranked golf courses, will reopen on Friday October 2 as a public access pay-to-play venue.
Approximately 18 months after closing as a result of the financial collapse of the Golf Club Properties Group, the Mornington Peninsula course will be open to all golfers seven days a week.
In an announcement today the new operators, Victorian based company Golf Services Management Pty Ltd, said it would reopen as a pay-to-play venue with affordable pricing.
The Tom Doak designed course was ranked # 9 by Golf Australia in 2006 and had a spot in the worlds top 100.
The announcement says the St Andrews Beach course has been maintained throughout its closure with recent developments allowing improved access for motorised golf carts.
The changes come following the appointment Golf Services Management Pty Ltd to operate and manage the facility.
Golf Services Management says they have over 20 years of experience and promise to bring a truly professional management team to St. Andrews Beach.
According to the course website, green fees for Weekends/Public holidays are $69 ($89 with shared cart) and $49 midweek ( $69 shared cart).
Seniors Card holders are offered a $45 midweek green fee.
This course should be boycotted. The facilities are rubbish and the previous members under the old management have been shafted. Simple as that!
Hi Staff at St Andrews…My name’s Darren & i’m a regular on the Peninsula during the period from November-March every year…Myself & friend are keen to have a game at St Andrews but wondered whether you have twilight rates during the week/Daylight saving after 3-4pm..?? The Dunes/Eagle Ridge/Country Club all have cheaper rates for twilight…I olook forward to your response & playing St Andrews course soon…Cheers! Darren :)
I agree with Freddy. Don’t touch this place. The course is still full of weeds and rubbish. It is a great design, but for the current operators to be making money on other people’s losses is wrong. I urge people to boycott this place too. Spend your money at The Dunes of Moonah Links. At least you can get a beer after the round and don’t have to sit in a temporary shed.
Here here!
I agree guys, i played here twice with a friend of mine who was a member and it was a fantastic track. but it hardly seems fair that he and many others are left thousands of dollars out of pocket and these people are able to make a profit. go to the legends course at moonah instead!
Boycott, this place sucks hard, rip off
Guys, the original members made an investment into a stupid concept (no annual subs? come on) and to no surprise the thing went bust. That’s life, do your home work upfront and if it goes wrong suck it up.
I don’t know what the new arrangements are for the old members (hopefully they at least get to play for free) but this thing has no money. So its’ either close the thing for good or open it up to the public. They have done the latter and I for one am pleased as its a great course.
Strike one up for those smart enough, or not rich enough, to get into stupid financial arrnagements previously at this course. Great to see another terrific Peninsula course going. Better than losing it to the sand dunes if it were closed. Not the fault of the current operators that the past managers failed. Build a bridge and get over it!
Very happy this has reopened. Those saying boycott it need heads examined and cannot be fans of golf. Not fault of current owners that past owners and members made tits of themselves.
The public should be happy that someone has taken the brave decision to reopen, I am sure new owners are taking a big risk too as maintaining a golf course of this scale will be a huge undertaking. Green fees are very fair and I look forward to going. far better to be open for golf than left to dog walkers.
I played this course on Jan 15 and it was brilliant – Doak is a master designer and i for one was really privileged to play and experience such a brilliantly designed course. Those who lost money in the deal need a reality check. Life goes on, people won’t boycott a course cos u lost money, golfers love great golf courses and at $69 this is a great course at great value. Unbelievable hole shapes and settings/designs around the greens and surrounds – worth a look for every golfer i reckon!
Wow there are some pretty harsh comments here. I thought it looked nice – anyone got any other information about how the course is now in 2010?
I played the course on Saturday just past and I tell you what, it’s very rare to look at every hole and go ‘wow’. I live in the sandbelt and am lucky enough to play the likes of Metro and Royal Melbourne, but I haven’t played a course like this in a long time.
Boycott it? I don’t quite understand your comments here guys. Obviously the owners before weren’t that smart, yes it seems people lost their money and I feel for you all, but how is that the fault of the new owners or how magnificent the course is. They’re just trying to get it back on the map and accessible for people who aren’t members of 3 or 4 different ‘clubs’. I enjoyed a beer in the ‘shed’ afterwards with 6 mates and no one gave a crap about the club house facilities. All we could talk about was the course.
For all those people whinging about the previous owners and facilities, seriously, get over it. If you want your crappy 4 points of turkey, brie and cranberry sauce, served to you on a platinum platter by a waiter with a vest on, go and play a course where you prefer to talk about your stocks and shares and how you could only manage 4 points for 18 holes off 27.
Amazing course, will be back there for plenty more rounds over the summer!
Played here on Fri 16/12/11, 29 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, with 3 mates….the greatest day of golf i’ve ever had.
The course is spectacular. Great design and forgiving enough for the average player, challenging enough for the better player.
We played with a slight wind (up to 20kmh) and that was enough to make a lot of approaches 1 club longer, something I just couldn’t seem to get into my head!
The greens are brilliant, the bunkering? Wow there are some gnarly ones!
St Andrews immediately exposed my biggest weakness, fairway bunkers. I had an 8 on the first after taking 3 shots to get out. This also happened 2 more times, 3 shots to get out!?!? It just has a knack of having bunkers in perfect driving length!
Even with my lack of ability in fairway bunkers ( I just hit them too thin, smack the into the lip because I’m constantly telling myself, ” all ball, no sand!”) I had an 85. That stings a little because I lost 6 shots in fairway bunkers =(
The course is in outstanding condition, way better than the Dunes which in my opinion is a little worn. It is also a way better design.
A lot of prople in forums have complained about the long 426m par 4, the 13th I think? Well this was one of my favorite holes. We played it into a headwind and I had 215 in. The green compensates for the hole’s length by basically being a giant bowl that funnels your ball. I hit the green in 2 from 215 without much trouble. Loved it!
The slopes, slants and funnels of the greens and surrounds would have to be one of the best things about this course. They are simply so much fun!
Also the vista’s!!! You won’t see a prettier course than this anywhere in Victoria…stunning.
•Great value for money
•Who gives a shit about the clubhouse? They have seats and beer!
•I know former investors who did their cash must be bleeding but hey, what are you gonna do?
•easily the best course on the Peninsula!!