Sporting hub set for Mount Xavier

AS the Sisters of Mercy Ballarat East prepare to sell the land they own on Mount Xavier, their tenant of more than 70 years, Mount Xavier Golf and Bowls Club, is needing to do some problem solving.

The club is not able to buy the land the course and greens are on, and need to move operations further down the hill, but a new development committee is aiming to make Mount Xavier an even better place to play sport.

“By May 2029, we hopefully will have moved the clubhouse down to the Fortune and Fussell street corner to a brand-new community-based facility,” said development committee member Dave McBain.

“Our goal is to give people access to a whole myriad of activities, and make it a hub for community sport, not only for Ballarat East but Ballarat in general.

“We’ll go from an 18-hole golf course down to a 12-hole golf course in the short-to-medium term, and in the long term, we’ve got enough land to create an 18-hole course, but that won’t happen overnight.

“We will incorporate Ballarat Disc Golf into our design so they can build some holes and base themselves there, we want to build a community-accessible driving range, and a mini golf course.

“We want to get as many community clubs involved as we can. There’ll be opportunities for juniors, and something all the family can do.”

Ballarat Disc Golf president Leah Cushion said partnering with other clubs has always been a goal of their sporting group.

“To be able to build these communications with Mount Xavier has been fantastic for us,” she said.

“It works for our needs that they need another user group, and as a club, we’ve been looking to create a second course to develop our players and run bigger tournaments.

“We’re already seeing a steady growth of extra players in disc golf but having a second course in Ballarat is going to make it the disc golf central of Victoria.

“Dave and the team have been more than welcoming to us as a club with no home. We’re very excited to be welcomed so warmly.”

Mount Xavier Golf and Bowls Club’s lease with the sisters was due to expire in May of this year, but an extension of five more years has been negotiated, giving the club time to move onto some City of Ballarat-owned land.

“The nuns have made their decision and we’re not disgruntled about that. We’ve had a great relationship with them,” Ms McBain said.

One of the most challenging aspects of the move, however, will be the loss of their lawn bowls infrastructure.

“We’ll lose our clubhouse and bowls green, which is a bit sad,” Mr McBain said. “Our green has been considered one of the best in Ballarat and was rated the highest last year, I believe.

“A lot of time, effort, volunteer and employee work has gone into it, and unfortunately we can’t pick it up and transplant it but it opens the door to create a synthetic option at the new facility.

“That way, people could bowl 365 days a year, and it would be a lot more accessible to the community.”

Mr McBain said it’s “time for a change” in many aspects, although some things won’t be different at all.

“We’re the blue-collar, working man’s club,” he said. “I love the club and want to see it run for another 75 years.

“We’ve got people who walk their dogs here, birdwatchers wander around the course, and we want to maintain that, not shut it off. We want to open it up to the public.

“We’re trying to push this wagon and give the community access to other sports in Ballarat East.”

As well as with the City of Ballarat, the development committee is “working closely” with Golf Australia and Sport and Recreation Victoria in the transition.

“They see the benefit of what we’re trying to do,” Mr McBain said.

Mount Xavier Golf and Bowls Club has roughly 220 members, and those who would like to support the development committee can contact the club.