Curlewis Golf Club makes the cut

While COVID-19 created havoc for many local businesses, Curlewis Golf Club decided to get innovative and have since reaped the rewards with national recognition.

Last Thursday Golf Australia announced that the Curlewis Golf Club had skyrocketed up the official Public Access Ranking by as many as 12 spaces.

Now ranked 25th in the nation for design, conditions and aesthetic the golf course used the forced closure to create major upgrades.

General Manager Jamie Brigden has said the result is the silver lining to a difficult year.

“Being a top 25 course in the country is fantastic not only for us but for golf in the region.

“It is good that we can think of ourselves as a golfing destination and that we are catching up with the other side of the bay,” he said.

The Curlewis Golf Club now joins Barwon Heads in the top 25 ranked courses in the nation, paving the way for the region.

“We have steadily risen up the ranks for the last five years but to take such a big leap forward considering the year everyone has had, it is amazing.

“We are absolutely delighted,” he said.

The official ranking takes into account course improvements made over the past 12 months.

“Obviously all the innovations and progresses we have made during lockdown stood us in good stead,” Mr Brigden said.

During lockdown the golf course initially thought they would need to stand down hospitality staff before receiving a lifeline from the government in the shape of Job Keeper payments.

“One of the big bonuses to come out of this was we were able to keep staff and take advantage of the extra pair of hands,” he said.

Upgrades to the course included the development of environmental wetlands which saw the return of indigenous wildlife as well re-shaping bunkers, improving the areas of play and general aesthetic.

Mr Brigden said staff are delighted for the recognition of their work over the year but said it was not their intention.

“It is always something that is nice when it happens, but you don’t set out to do it you just try to prepare as good as a product that you can for members and visitors to the golf course,” he said.