An internationally renowned golf school that produced former world number one Jason Day will soon lose its golf course.
All current members of the championship-standard Hills Golf Course have been promised the return of pro-rata fees, staff will be paid out until the course closure, and all equipment is expected to be sold off.
Hills International College’s use of the course will end in June when the land is developed into a housing estate, but management of the course will stop during the first week of April.
The course has long been one of the most affordable in the area.
The Hills Education Foundation, which operates independently from the school and is owned by a group of foreign investors, started a bid to sell the land several years ago.
The golf course has been given until June to operate, but it will likely close beforehand in April, according to the club and college.
Hills College principal Kevin Lynch said they have known about the development for some time, but were not expecting the full course to close so soon.
“We knew it was going to occur at some point, but the announcement we got from the course operator said they are going to close the first week of April, so it’s come a little quicker than we first imagined,” he said.
Last Thursday, the college board met to discuss backup plans. Mr Lynch said their number one priority is ensuring the current academy students are able to finish the program.
“We are trying to work on a situation that will mean we can run the academy with at least some of the facilities, like the short game and driving range, until we get a long term solution,” he said.
Their options could also include finding another course to play from in the future.
Hills Golf Club operator Robert McNamara has leased the course for the past 14 years.
He said running the course has been an uphill battle lately.
“I leased this place in 2009, but I can’t fight it any longer,” he said.
“The last couple of years, with Covid and three floods in 12 months has made it really hard.”
He notified his 10 staff and community of the news last Thursday, and he is working to finalise a closure date.
They will have to vacate by June 30, but Mr McNamara will likely bring that forward.
“I will shut up before that because I’ve got insurance, fees, and a lot of outgoings,” he said.
Mr McNamara questioned the positioning of the development because some of the land is in a flood plain.
Cr Scott Bannan said the houses will be constructed off the floodplain.
“People are saying it will be underwater, but there’s no houses going on the land that was flooded,” he said.
“It wasn’t flooded two weeks ago – the part where they are going doesn’t flood.”
He said the decision to shut the course was disappointing, but that council cannot intervene given it was privately owned land.
“For me to stop it, I’d have to jump in a time machine, turn back time and alter the planning scheme, get the state government to change the urban footprint, which I can’t do anyway, and stop the foundation from selling the land,” he said.
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