Romsey Golf Club seeking financial support after $70,000 fire
A regional Victorian golf club is desperate for support after a fire left it with a $70,000 damage bill and uncertain future. Here’s how you can help.
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A regional Victorian golf club is desperate for support after a fire left it facing an uncertain future.
The Romsey Golf Club saw over $70,000 worth of its equipment and machinery damaged during a shed fire on October 6 and admits maintaining the course could be a challenge in future.
It’s believed a battery in one of the fairway mowers caused the fire.
Now, club officials have started a fundraiser as they look to bounce back as quickly as possible.
“We lost all the machinery things, the mowers for the fairway and other things,” Romsey Golf Club secretary Elaine Scanlan said.
“Green rollers (as well). It’s the kind of equipment to maintain the course.
“We also lost sprinkler heads, lost poly piping and incidental stuff, but it all accumulates.
“We anticipate it is over $70,000 in damage.”
While the club was insured, the payout won’t be enough to help cover the damages.
Money is still needed to replace the equipment.
“It’s been (our) equipment for years and to replace it, it will be with escalating costs, it has gone up significantly with Covid and lack of supplies,” Scanlan said.
“We’re hit with these risen costs in the last couple of years.
“So because of the rising costs, this is why we have created (a GoFundMe) page.”
The club has set up a GoFundMe page looking for $15,000 to cover the extra costs required to replace the equipment.
In the meantime the clubs is trying to get by on what they have.
“We’re very fortunate that our greens mower wasn’t damaged,” Scanlan said.
“It was machinery in the south side in the shed. Everything is not completely gone, which is good.
“We do have an old fairway mower and we have managed to scrounge to get the fairway mower going.
“But it’s not sustainable in the future.”
Scanlan said the equipment, and lack of it, also hurts its volunteer network as it now takes longer to maintain the course for use.
In the long run she said the course won’t be able to be maintained if new equipment is not purchased.
The area is used by several sporting bodies and the community.
If you can help, you can donate to the page here.
The club is also holding a fundraiser event at Soltan Pepper on November 26.
Finally, if other clubs in the region has equipment to lend in the short term, you can get in touch with the club here.
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