Flagstaff Hill Golf Club has officially reopened its doors, marking the culmination of an ambitious, multi-year redevelopment.
What began as a strategic partnership in 2017 with retirement living provider Living Choice Australia has now delivered a brand-new clubhouse, indoor simulators, outdoor mini golf, and upgraded dining facilities, integrated within a growing on-site residential community.
“The club wasn’t in the greatest position back then financially,” general manager Chris Coulter said.
“But independent retirement living company, Living Choice, always had the idea of integrating with a golf course … and that’s where those talks started.”
The redevelopment was enabled through a land swap that gave Living Choice access to the club’s former driving range, now home to 40 villas and multiple apartment buildings, while Flagstaff Hill secured a fully funded, state-of-the-art clubhouse.
“The way all the finishing has been done is absolutely five-star,” Coulter said.
“Everyone from the golf industry who has come through is very impressed with what they’ve seen.”
Initially, the plan was to refurbish the existing clubhouse across three levels, but rising costs led to a new design: a single-level clubhouse incorporated into one of the apartment buildings. The result is a more efficient and integrated layout, both operationally and experientially, Coulter said.
“All of our golf staff know the basics of hospitality and all of our hospitality staff need to know the basics of golf,” he said.
“It makes it a lot more efficient than having staff separated all throughout the building.”
The new venue includes dining space for up to 250 guests, a function room for 120, and an alfresco deck overlooking the club’s short-game facility and mini golf course. For a club that spent the past two-and-a-half years operating out of temporary facilities, the new offering marks a major leap forward.
“Considering we had pies, pasties, and pre-made sandwiches, that was as gourmet as we got,” Coulter said.
“Now we’ve got a full restaurant doing elevated pub-bistro food. There are a few fine dining dishes, but it covers the bistro standards.”
When it comes to entertainment, the club also features two TrackMan golf simulators, used for coaching, events and casual play, especially when the weather turns.
“It’s very interactive and even the kids love it,” Coulter said.
The club has also introduced a mini golf course, aimed at families and non-golfers.
“The quality and level of the mini golf we’ve built will bring people from all over Adelaide to Flagstaff Hill, and hopefully they stay on and enjoy our dining experiences,” Coulter said.
Coulter is clear that public visitation is essential to the financial sustainability for clubs like Flagstaff Hill.
“You can’t rely on membership alone,” he said.
“You need the public. You need those extra revenue areas like mini golf and simulators to make sure that you’ve got the funds to invest into the maintenance and improvement of your course.”
The club has rebranded its food and beverage offering as simply “The Club” in an effort to position itself more as a community destination than a private facility.
“We’re trying to break down those barriers … we want people thinking, ‘What are we doing Friday night? We’re going to The Club,” Coulter explained.
To round out the club’s redevelopment, final landscaping and short-game works are due for completion by mid-September.