Elite Royal Sydney golfers go to water to avoid Covid travel bunker

Members of Sydney’s most exclusive golf club cut off from the green by the city’s 5km limit advised to come in water taxi.

Royal Sydney golf course.

Members of Sydney’s most exclusive golf club cut off from the green by the city’s 5km travel rule have been told to consider taking a water taxi to avoid the restriction.

In novel advice, management of the Royal Sydney Golf Club in the eastern suburbs has suggested members from the well-heeled north shore suburb of Mosman could travel by boat for a round.

“Under these restrictions,” the club wrote in a circular, “you can come to the club if the whole of the Royal Sydney property is within a radius of five kilometres of your home and provided you do not travel outside the five-kilometre radius during your travel.

“A Mosman member does not breach the rule if he or she came to the club via water taxi, but would breach the rule if he or she drove,” the note continues.

Under NSW Health rules, outdoor recreation is permitted only in the local government area of residence or within 5km of home.

That’s created some difficulties for member of the notoriously private club, which charges almost $20,000 to join and has an annual fee of more than $5000.

A drive from Mosman, across the Harbour Bridge, would take residents outside the acceptable 5km radius. A water taxi, however, could directly reach Rose Bay.

That won’t entirely solve the problem for some north shore visitors. With a course spanning about 1.2km, some members may have to resign themselves to playing the first five holes before they reach the southern end of the course and exceeding the 5km limit.

Royal Sydney Golf Course in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Picture: Supplied

The club, with a long membership list said to include Ros and Gretel Packer, has several prominent members on the north shore including former president Graeme Bailey, once chief operating officer of KPMG Asia Pacific.

Others, according to filings with the corporate regulator, include former Woods Bagot managing director David Tregoning and even the club’s general manager, Michael Solomons.

The suggestion to take to the water – fares start at $65 – will not help the club’s current president, ex-Australian Communications and Media Authority chair Chris Chapman, whose place of residence according to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission is Palm Beach.

The new travel restrictions may have an upside for nearer members, however. With public health orders restricting the number of members on the course, bookings – which open two days in advance – are filling fast. Some members privately complain that a small number of people have perfected the bookings system, leaving ­others unable to hit the green.

But Royal Sydney’s suggestion was retracted almost as soon as it was made. In a follow-up statement, Mr Chapman told members he wanted to make it “crystal clear” the club was not urging members to break any rules.

“Some members have expressed the opinion that the club is taking a very literal, and over-conservative, reading to this aspect (of the health orders) but no apology is made for doing so,” he wrote in a second circular issued on Monday.

“The club’s reputation and its regard for the spirit of compliance will always come first.”

Royal Sydney had already been criticised for accepting $2.8m in JobKeeper payments despite a profitable year.