At least 20 couples without a place to marry after Belair Park Country Club put in administration

A WELL-KNOWN Adelaide wedding venue and golf course will be closing, leaving as many as 20 local couples out of pocket and without a place to say “I do”. TELL US: How has this affected your plans?

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A WELL-KNOWN wedding venue and golf course in Belair will close its doors, leaving as many as 20 Adelaide couples planning to marry there without a place to say “I do”.

The Belair Park Country Club was placed into administration on January 16, with its last wedding scheduled to be held next month.

Simon Miller, from administrator Clifton Hall, told The Advertiser the decision to close down the venue, which is located on State Government-owned land, was made on Wednesday after “an urgent review of the financial position”.

DEVASTATED: Bride-to-be Candice Jarrad and fiance Shane Sutton with son Trey, 18 months, at their Seacombe Gardens home, and below, Belair Park Country Club. Picture: Picture: Tom Huntley

He confirmed the Belair National Park Golf Course had also gone into administration, with fairways now closed to the public.

He was unable to confirm the amount of debt owed to creditors of both companies.

“We were looking to trade through to a sale over the next few months but that is not something that we can continue with,” Mr Miller said.

“The golf course will effectively be closed as of the end of today (on Wednesday), and the country club will be servicing a couple of functions in the next couple of days as well as three weddings in February, but beyond that it will be ceasing to trade.”

Mr Miller said he believed as many as 20 weddings would be cancelled, adding that it was “too early to say” if couples who had paid deposits would get their money back.

“All creditors will receive a detailed report in about three weeks, which will set out their position and the work that has been done to that to date,” he said.

The Belair Park Country Club has gone into administration. Picture: Supplied

Mr Miller said the Belair Park Country Club employed five permanent staff and between 20 and 25 casual employees, while Belair National Park Golf Course had three permanent staff and one casual employee.

A Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources spokeswoman said it was “disappointing” that the companies had been placed into voluntary administration.

“DEWNR will co-operate with the voluntary administrator throughout this process, and will seek the best outcome for the site, stakeholders and the community,” she said.

Seacombe Gardens bride-to-be Candice Jarrad, 33, was due to marry her fiance Shane Sutton, 28, at Belair Park Country Club in just nine weeks’ time.

But Ms Jarrad said she was notified on Wednesday that their March 24 wedding would not go ahead.

“(I am) just devastated,” she said.

“About two minutes into the conversation I started crying.”

Belair Park Country Club, with its golf course, has gone into administration. Picture: supplied

Ms Jarrad said she did not expect to get their $1500 deposit back.

“We only just went on Saturday ... to have our final consult with the wedding co-ordinator,” she said.

“We have been googling different venues and trying to see who has the same date free ... we have got people from interstate coming so we really need to have that date. We are just in shock.”

The first creditors’ meeting will be held at 12pm on January 29 at the King William St offices of Clifton Hall.

On Thursday, some couples were relieved as other wedding venues stepped up to provide.