By Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
Members of some of Melbourne’s most prestigious golf clubs are kicking up the sand in the “sand belt”, as the strip of high-end clubs are known.
Members of the Metropolitan Golf Club and Huntingdale Golf Club in Oakleigh South were surprised this week to receive a joint communique from Campbell MacKintosh, captain of the Metropolitan, and Greg Smith, captain of the Huntingdale, telling them something they didn’t know: that both clubs were in merger discussions.
The Metropolitan Golf Club.Credit: AP
“The board recognises that this announcement may have come as a surprise to our members,” MacKintosh wrote with considerable understatement to Metropolitan members, which has included former cricket great Ricky Ponting.
Later the clubs told CBD they were “in discussions” about a “potential amalgamation” and they had both signed a “non-binding terms sheet”.
Regular CBD readers will recall back in 2019 that Huntingdale flirted with a merger with The National down on Mornington Peninsula, but talks were called off. And Huntingdale, popular with some AFL greats including Jason Dunstall, merged with Cranbourne Golf Club in 2022, an agreement which would need to be redrawn.
Both boards are worried about the future of the clubs with “ever-increasing” member expectations, as they put it.
But the fine print of the joint statement to members reveals who would really wear the plus fours if the amalgamation went ahead.
The new club would operate two neighbouring 18-hole golf courses but would be called The Metropolitan Golf Club.
The holding company board would have five Met club members but only four Huntingdale members. Oh, and the chair of the holding company would be appointed by The Metropolitan. But all of that is years and several member votes away.
As one club member harrumphed to CBD down the phone line: “Members are feeling ambushed – this has obviously been going on for some time.”
KING OF THE EVEREST
NSW 2 – Victoria nil. That’s the apparent scorecard as far as the news of the royal visit filters out. The visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla in October is now official, but the itinerary isn’t yet.
But it is reported that Victoria will miss out on the truncated tour.
Regular readers will recall that our editors have banned us from undertaking victory laps, but it was to us that Tom Parker-Bowles, son of Queen Camilla, let the cat out of the bag last December about a royal visit this October.
Now, we can’t imagine anybody more thrilled about this news than Racing NSW boss, NRL head honcho and unofficial premier of NSW Peter “Showbags” V’landys, who’s been lobbying hard to get the King to attend his Everest race in October. He’s even introduced the $5 million King Charles Stakes to the carnival. What do you know, Everest Day, October 19, lines up perfectly with when we’d expect Charles to be in town.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot.Credit: Getty Images
“We haven’t had confirmation, but we’re still pretty confident he’s going to be there,” Showbags told CBD, noting that Racing NSW was the first jurisdiction to name a race after His Majesty, before Royal Ascot followed suit.
“Myself and [then Racing NSW CEO] Russell Balding personally invited him and he was very keen at the time.”
Whatever transpires, it is a physical impossibility for His Majesty to attend this year’s Melbourne Cup, which will be staged after CHOGM on November 5. Which must really sting the chair Neil Wilson and the board of the Victoria Racing Club.
DUTY CALLS
Who said life in the Australian Public Service couldn’t be glamorous?
Pretty much everyone, so it’s great to note that Australia’s High Commissioner in India Philip Green, and consul-general Paul Murphy found themselves among a confluence of global stars who had jetted in from all corners to attend the wedding of Anant Ambani, the nepo-baby son of Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, when he finally tied the knot with big pharma heiress Radhika Merchant in Mumbai last weekend.
The marriage of the century, which followed months of “pre-wedding” events that included an Italian cruise, and Rihanna’s first public performance since 2016, boasted a celebrity guest list more bloated than Ambani junior’s waistline.
Kim and Khloe Kardashian, former British leaders Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, wrestler John Cena, and pretty much every Bollywood star and top Indian cricketer worth their salt showed up to support the energy, telecommunications and media squillionaire family. Justin Bieber played a set a few days earlier, while David Beckham, Drake, Adele and Lana Del Rey were all reportedly on the guest list.
Decked out in a staid black Nehru jacket, Green said on X: “It was also an opportunity to connect with a range of friends from India’s political & economic leadership.” Talk about always on duty.
POLITICS UPDATE
News from the world of Vic politics: Lyndel Feery has been appointed as the new state director of the Vic Nationals.
Lyndel was assistant state director and before that worked as an electorate officer for Steph Ryan, the Nats former deputy.
Feery came through a field of about 15 applicants, we hear. And before that, according to her LinkedIn, she was a waitress at the Brewers Table in Seymour, where she no doubt acquired skills that will stand her in good stead when dealing with the inherent dysfunction of Coalition partner, the Victorian Liberals.
The appointment is due to be ratified by the Nats state council on Monday. Ferry will replace previous Nationals state director Matthew Harris, who has already jumped ship to government relations mob Barton Deakin.
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