Top End’s Palmerston Golf and Country Club, home to the Northern Territory PGA tournament since 2016, has relaunched after 18 months of renovations.
Located in the heart of NT’s second largest city just 20 kilometres from Darwin, Palmerston Golf and Country Club began renovating after realising its small clubhouse was no longer fit for purpose, according to the club’s general manager Matthew Hewer.
“There were temporary buildings and shipping containers used for things such as a kitchen, pro-shop, and golf cart storage. Combined with the population growth in the area, the opportunity to redevelop the site was a no-brainer,” he told Club Management.
Working with BSPN Architecture and local building firm Tailor-Made Building Services, the club’s plan was to redevelop the clubhouse to be more family-friendly.
“We are located in the centre of our city, which is in growth mode and has many young families living here. It was very much our goal to create a family-friendly venue, with great food, stacks of outdoor activities for the kids and families, and a comfortable bar for our members to relax in, have a punt, and a cold beer after playing 18 holes,” Hewer explained.
“The brief was also heavily focused on creating multiple function spaces to cater for anything from corporate golf days to weddings to kids’ birthday parties.”
The renovation was carried out over two stages and involved adding to the existing structure.
“The challenge was to keep the gaming room that had been renovated in 2019, operating and to continue to operate the bistro with a limited menu,” Hewer said.
Stage one, which opened in April 2022, involved building an 18-hole mini-golf course, a kiosk to service the mini-golf area, a new pro shop, and a new bar to service an existing outdoor function area. An indoor function room was also added during this stage.
But it was in stage two that the club saw its biggest transformation. Changes included building a new restaurant to seat 90 people inside and 130 people outside; a new sports bar and TAB, with a beer garden featuring a 5×2 metre LED screen; expanding the gaming room to include a new smoking area and toilets; introducing a new kitchen; a new kids playground; adding a porte-cochere; and expanding the car park by over 100 spaces.
“No part of the club has gone untouched; it was basically a complete rebuild,” Hewer said.
Doors to the clubhouse officially opened on 10 January. Hewer said the new-look clubhouse has been well-received among members and guests.
“The patrons, both our social members and our golf members, love it! The venue is being well supported by the community.”