Award winning Barossa golf club taps into youth market

The Sandy Creek Golf Club, which is experiencing unprecedented growth in youth membership, has been named one of South Australia’s best clubs.

Located 50 kilometres north east of Adelaide, the former Gawler Golf Club, an 18-hole, par-72 course based in the eastern Barossa, was named Club of the Year - Small Regional at the Clubs SA Awards for Excellence earlier this month for the second year in a row.

In a night of celebration for the Club, long standing Sandy Creek Golf Club volunteer Gail Sweet was also named Volunteer of the Year at the awards.

Sandy Creek Golf Club, which was named by Golf Australia magazine as one of Australia’s best courses with a green fee under $50, has grown its membership by more than 3% since 2015 with a concerted focus on attracting and retaining young members.

The Club’s General Manager, David Rice, said a notable membership increase in the 18 to 26-year-old category was particularly pronounced and boded well for the Club’s future.

Rice explained “our aim is 10% membership growth this financial year. Golf Australia has put in place some fantastic initiatives at a national level to grow membership and we are working locally to seize on the interest from younger participants in the sport,” he said.

“The Sandy Creek Golf Club community has turned around its fortunes by proactively marketing to the wider Barossa and northern suburbs regions, and by seeking out opportunities to bring in more income and cut costs.

“For example, 2016/17 saw us increase our function income by almost 600 per cent, while also decreasing total kitchen operating expenses by more than 53%.”

The Clubs SA Awards for Excellence recognise licensed clubs of all sizes throughout the State. 

Rice added “winning the award once, in 2016, was a fantastic boost for members and our committee after a period of hard work, diversification and change.

“To win small club of the year for the second time, coupled with milestones that include membership growth, a steady increase in Saturday competition fields, improvements to the Clubhouse and an increase in sponsorship income, all show Sandy Creek Golf Club is one of the strongest, most sociable and most playable courses in SA.”

For more information on Sandy Creek Golf Club go to sandycreekgolf.com.au

Images of the Sandy Creek Golf Club courtesy of Qantas Golf. 

20th October 2017 - ASIAN GOLF SUMMIT TO LOOK AT INCREASING FEMALE PARTICIPATION

24th July 2017 - LADIES PROFESSIONAL GOLF ASSOCIATION SETS STRICT NEW DRESS CODE REGULATIONS FOR PLAYERS

23rd March 2017 - MASSIVE DECLINE IN AUSTRALIANS’ PARTICIPATION IN RUGBY, SQUASH AND TENPIN BOWLING 

8th December 2016 - LANDMARK STUDY FINDS SPORT STRUGGLING TO KEEP YOUTH ENGAGED 

5th December 2016 - GOLF INDUSTRY DETERMINED TO BUILD ON OLYMPICS MOMENTUM AND ENGAGE WITH YOUTH 

28th November 2016 - GOLF AUSTRALIA REGAINS COMMERCIAL CONTROL OF GOLF LINK

13th October 2016 - SANDY CREEK GOLF CLUB NAMED SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S BEST SMALL REGIONAL COURSE

12th August 2016 - INAUGURAL GOLF BUSINESS FORUM ATTRACTS OVER 200 INDUSTRY LEADERS 

22nd July 2016 - LATEST COMPETITION GOLF ROUNDS CONTINUE POSITIVE GROWTH TREND 

11th July 2016 - GROUND BREAKING RESEARCH POINTS TO POSITIVE FUTURE FOR AUSTRALIAN GOLF INDUSTRY

29th June 2016 - NEW RESEARCH SHOWS WOMEN WANT FASHION AND FUNCTION IN ACTIVE WEAR 

31st May 2016 - FUTURE OF GOLF PARTICIPATION BASED ON FAN ENGAGEMENT

24th July 2014 - SWING FIT AIMS TO BOOST FEMALE GOLF PARTICIPATION THROUGH SOCIAL AND WELLNESS ENGAGEMENT