Marion Council to explore Marion Park Golf Course upgrades

Despite attracting thousands of keen golfers every year, a southern council may have to dig deep to save their club from ruin.

A popular nine-hole course in Adelaide’s south could become a golfing hub if a council decides to fork out $2.7m to upgrade its current rundown facilities.

The Marion Park Golf Club has served the City of Marion and surrounding councils for the past 40 years, however, most of the key course infrastructure has reached the end of its life.

Concept images for the new $2.7m Marion Park Golf Club. Pic: INTRO

“The MPGC’s original clubroom was demolished approximately 15 years ago, since this time, the club has operated from a converted transportable building, which has presented a significant barrier to being able to grow its membership, increase visitations at the course and build in sustainable club operations,” a Marion council report states.

“The course operations and maintenance are currently undertaken by an external management company whose opportunities to grow the business have been constrained by the site’s facilities.”

Concept images for the new $2.7m Marion Park Golf Club. Pic: INTRO

The City of Marion has exhausted almost every option to receive funds to upgrade the amenity, with concepts showing a new clubhouse would include a multifunctional clubroom, a pro shop building and potential future activation areas including a minigolf course and driving range.

However, after a grant application was submitted to the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing seeking $1.5 million in funding support, council were informed their submission was unsuccessful in January of this year.

Council may need to dig deep to save the club from ruin. Pic: INTRO

“Unfortunately, after months of exploring the alternate investment option it has not reached a point where there are sufficient outcomes to indicate that it would result in a suitable solution for the necessary upgrade of the golf course buildings,” the report states.

“Council is now at a point where the $200,000 Federal grant provided to create an improved

clubhouse solution for the Marion Park Golf Club needs to be acquitted in the next seven months (by March 2023).

“It should be noted that the acquittal period for this grant has been extended twice since council received the funding after the 2018 Federal election.”

It is proposed that Council commit to investing in a staged approach to deliver the new Marion Park Golf Course clubhouse, car park, green keeping facility and signage with a focus on delivering a new clubhouse over the next two financial years.

Council will explore endorsing the $2.7m upgrades on Tuesday night.