THE birth of Burleigh Golf Club, which next month celebrates its 75th anniversary, is a remarkable story.
Since the great community project became a reality in 1950, the club is thriving beyond the dreams of its founders.
A few years ago, the club secured its long-term financial future when RetireAustralia agreed to build a retirement village (The Verge) on the golf course.
“We are now debt-free and can spend more money on the facilities to make Burleigh the best members club on the Gold Coast,” general manager Ian Cottle said.
“We are choosing to invest our money on the golf course, which is why people want to join the club.”
Club president Michael McMullen added: “All the work on the course has been funded without any borrowing and principally from the operating profits of the club.
“Being able to fund the club’s future requirements from our operating performance and our investment income is foundational to the long-term flourishing of Burleigh Golf Club.”
The club must be doing something right with more than 1300 playing members and a lengthy waiting list for membership.
And more than 70,000 member and visitor rounds of golf are played there annually.
The challenging par-3 17th presents a real test.
Located just 900m from Miami’s golden beach, Burleigh GC attracts golfers for three important reasons – the interesting and challenging layout, the excellent condition of the course and the clubhouse experience which is well-nigh perfect.
Michael echoed his general manager’s comments about wanting to be the best member-club on the glitter strip.
“As a club you want to figure out who you are and, most importantly, what best suits the members,” he said. “What makes Burleigh great is its good design, its good condition and the enjoyable members experience.
“We don’t pretend to be a resort or a championship course. We want a course that provides an interesting challenge to all levels of players but is not unnecessarily penal to the point where it slows down play and enjoyment.
“We need to be mindful that we are a busy course and that keeping play moving enhances the enjoyment for the field.”
The golf course offers a diverse player experience with an undulating parkland-style front nine and a sandbelt-inspired back nine.
When you walk off the 18th green, you’ll remember all the thrilling holes you’ve experienced.
“Visitors really enjoy coming to play the course,” Ian said. “And when people come off the 18th green they want to come back and play the course again.”
For the record, visiting golfers must have a GolfLink number.
Perhaps the course rating of 71 from the back tees of 5935m is too low. There is something to stir the excitement on just about every hole, though a few might rattle the nerves.
Mind you, the course can exact a toll for its early favours as it builds slowly but surely into stronger challenges and interest.
The second nine is a much stiffer test.
One example is the signature 17th, recently redesigned by renowned course architect Graham Marsh.
It’s a lovely par-3 (158m for men and 126m for women) that can be cause for alarm. There is water short left and front that features a picturesque sandstone wall. The green is large with significant undulation so take care putting downhill or you’ll have a lengthy putt coming back.
Furthermore, members and visitors are spoilt when it comes to practice facilities with a decent length warm-up driving range, excellent practice bunker, chipping and putting areas.
With members in mind, the club is currently building another buggy shed to house another 22 golf carts, which will take the number of privately-owned carts to more than 200.
The marvellous and welcoming Burleigh clubhouse.
Meanwhile, the conditioning of the golf course continues without interrupting the players’ experience.
In recent years, the club has renovated and improved 31 bunkers, levelled 13 tee boxes, replaced two greens, cut out and replaced encroachment on all 22 greens and beautified numerous gardens.
Bunker refurbishments continue under Marsh’s guidance with the use of capillary concrete bases to facilitate drainage.
“We are proud of our conditioning and always receive good feedback from visitors, pro-am players and other course superintendents when they come to have a look at what we have to offer,” said Michael, who honed his skills alongside John Senden and Chris McCourt at Keperra CGC and now plays off a tidy 3.3 handicap.
“We focus on the quality of the playing surfaces and on good greens that roll true. Our fairways are good and we have thought deeply about the mowing height, so we have the right combination of coverage.”
At the end of the round – irrespective of a birdie, par or bogey – it is time to sample the offerings of the clubhouse that has done so much to enhance Burleigh’s fortunes.
Golfers can enjoy a drink and a bite to eat on the sizeable balcony that offers views over the course.
If you are poking around Burleigh’s clubhouse you will also discover the poker machines have vanished and been replaced by a pool and memorabilia room for the enjoyment of members and visitors.
“We have thought a lot about the (clubhouse) layout, how we have an indoor-outdoor transition to the balcony, attractive furniture on the balcony to enhance the views,” Michael said. “We like the vibrancy of a clubhouse with good patronage.”
One of the positives about Burleigh is it attracts members from all walks of life.
“We have members right through the spectrum … our model allows that,” Michael added.
“Our aim is to make it an environment where people can come and enjoy the club without it being exorbitantly priced and where people can enjoy each other’s company.”
And the club regularly host live music for everyone’s enjoyment.
Speaking of entertainment, plans for the 75th anniversary activities on Sunday, September 14 are well advanced.
“We certainly want to celebrate the occasion,” Michael said. “We want members to feel proud about their club, so we are trying to make sure its noted and commemorated.
“We are having shirts designed with a 75th emblem on them and we are planning an open-house event rather than a sit-down
dinner.
“We want to do something more open and casual to accommodate more people so the first tee will be converted into a sound stage and there’ll be a band playing.”
The occasion will be a great opportunity for past and present members to gather, rekindle friendships and swap stories about a remarkable club.
“We are a club with a 75-year history and we are proud of our standing as one of the premier member clubs,” Michael added.
Over the decades, Burleigh Golf Club has overcome many challenges that has given it a strong identity – and cemented its strong membership.
The club is now firmly on the golfing map and is a favourite of local, interstate and international visitors.
But the success doesn’t seem to have gone to anyone’s head.
Burleigh Golf Club
114 Albion Ave, Miami Qld 4220
Phone: (07) 5572 8266
office@burleighgolfclub.com.au
www.burleighgolfclub.com.au
THE HISTORY – 75 years on and going strong
THE future has never been brighter for Burleigh Golf Club, which started with a casual meeting 75 years ago and has grown into a remarkable club.
Turning back the clock, the idea of the golf club at beachside Miami was born in the second half of 1950 when Duncan McCrae, Dr Tony Golden and Kevin Snee, who ran the Hotel Burleigh on The Esplanade, met and formed the golf club.
At the time, Burleigh Heads was a quiet seaside town boasting only a bowls club and two tennis courts.
They didn’t even have a site for the golf course, finances were virtually non-existent, and they had to sell the dream to the local community.
Three potential sites were inspected before they settled on the current 110-acre site, which the club purchased from Messrs Firth and Cupit at $20 per acre along with 25 surveyed house blocks at $20 per block.
Work soon started on the course when a group of dedicated “hackers”, along with their wives and families transformed the bushland using their bare hands, axes, shovels and even dynamite.
Course architect James Scott was recommended to the club by George Shambrook then president of Coolangatta Tweed GC. Scott was employed to design some of the first holes. His fee to shape and form a green was $6.60.
In 1952, Chatfield and Morrison agreed to build two greens that would cost $57.
On January 1, 1954, the first green staff were employed – three permanents and one casual. Their first job was to plant Queensland blue couch.
And in that year the first vehicle was purchased – a 1935 two-ton dual wheel Dodge.
The work took time, but in the spring of 1955 the first official game of golf was played over five holes and a year later the first nine was completed.
Burleigh’s second nine holes is in most respects the work of designer Bill Patterson and the layout was opened for play in October 1960. Now course architect Graham Marsh is weaving his magic that will see the golf course reach another level.
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