Dan Andrews in the rough with some of his Chinese business contacts over latest golf club bid
The Chinese owners of Moonah Links Golf Resort were circling the wagons this week to put an end to Dan Andrews’ quest to join a coastal golf club — which is an issue given the former Victorian premier now makes a quid from work with Chinese businessmen.
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Former Premier Dan Andrews makes a quid these days from helping make connections and networking with Chinese businessmen get a footing in the state he once ran.
But it seems not all of China is enamoured with his work given it was the Chinese owners of Moonah Links Golf Resort who were circling the wagons this week to put an end to his latest quest to find a coastal golf club to call home.
Page 13 can reveal there have been several crisis meetings called by the Chinese bosses after the outrage and vitriol from golfers which had flooded the Moonah Links social pages when news broke that Andrews had been “snuck in the back door” and had become a member of the Mornington Peninsula golf club.
Hell hath no fury like a golfer scorned.
The club — which boasts the largest golf tourism development in recent Victorian history and consists of two world class courses — copped a litany of abusive phone calls and emails from members and those in the golfing community quivering in rage at the revelation that Andrews had got in through his good friend, rich lister Max Beck.
Beck – a property developer and co-owner of Essendon Fields and a Foundation Member at Moonah Links – is one of the club’s 60 shareholders who have two nominated members. To get Andrews in, Beck swapped out his wife, Lorraine, and added the former politician.
Page 13 understands Mrs Beck was none too pleased when she found out about the move and even though she’s not a regular golfer, she wanted her membership reinstated which meant Dan was struck off.
To say the club was very pleased with this development this week is putting it mildly with one telling Page 13: “They don’t want anything to do with him, if anything they are trying to work out a potential ‘Dan Ban’ into their rules and conditions that would vet who comes in under their code of conduct.”
On Thursday they issued a statement on their social media page saying: “Moonah Links Golf Resort wishes to address recent public speculation regarding former Premier Daniel Andrews.
“We can confirm that Mr Daniel Andrews is not a member of Moonah Links Golf Resort.
“Moonah Links continues to focus on providing a world class golfing experience and supporting events that promote sport, tourism and community development.”
Moonah Links joins a growing list of ‘Dan Ban’ courses where the ex-Premier had been trying to get a membership at several other of Victoria’s most prestigious clubs only to meet fierce opposition.
Last year there was a revolt against any attempt for him to join the National Golf Club on Cape Schanck and then an uprising to stop his admission to the nearby Portsea course.
Andrews is a longstanding member of the exclusive Kingston Heath Golf Club, in Heatherton, where he has also faced strong hostility from some fellow members. They have been known to exit when he turns up at the driving range and he is never sighted at the 19th hole after a round, preferring to scurry away after a round.
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