Northcote Golf Course: Darebin Council to push for ‘shared use’ of popular inner Melbourne course

Darebin Council is pushing ahead with plans for Northcote Public Golf Course to be “shared use”.

Northcote golf course appears increasingly set to become a part-time public park after Darebin Council on Monday night moved to begin planning for its “future shared use”.

Local vandals cut holes in fences and gates during lockdown last year, and hundreds of nearby residents began using the 24ha course as a public park.

Some residents have since been pushing for increased public access, going so far as to suggest the course should not be used for golf at all.

The campaign has left golfers furious.

Greens councillor Trent McCarthy on Monday night said the decision to begin consulting for a “shared use” golf course would see the course’s fate decided by March next year.

Northcote golf course has seen a boom in new players, young and old. The course is one of the cheapest in the country. Picture: Jason Edwards

The council will spend just over a month canvassing residents’ views on how the course “might be opened up for broader community use”, and elected representatives will be forced to make an “imminent decision” with the current contract for managing the course due to expire in June.

A final decision on the future of the course will be decided at a meeting early next year.

It is unclear precisely how the golf course could be shared between golfers and non-golfers, but some options which have been informally proposed include closing the course to golfers on certain days, and reducing the course from nine holes to six.

Golfers are resisting a push from Darebin Council Greens members to turn Northcote Golf Course into a park at great expense to ratepayers. Picture: Jason Edwards

Golfers are pushing for the course to remain nine holes, and for it to be open for golf during daylight hours.

Debate around the future of the course has been swirling for more than a year, and a council report says groups are “clear on their position in relation to the golf course and are ready to provide feedback”.

In February, the council caused an uproar when a social media post encouraged people to use the course as a public park, before backtracking, and saying it was “not available for community access”.