Committee For Lorne: Lorne Country Club Needs Your Help

The Lorne Country Club has been a vital part of the framework and amenities that go to make Lorne such a special place. The course has been praised, cursed and even had songs written about it!

There is an active community of golf and tennis players and in summer, for manner spending their holidays in Lorne it is an integral part of the holiday activities, bringing permanent aand part time residents together. If you’re not sports minded, it offers the best view in town for a drink and a meal. It’s a wonderful asset for our town and community but now it needs your support.

The Lorne Country Club was established in 1982 following the amalgamation of the Lorne Golf Club and the Lorne Tennis Club however both sections of the Country Club have been in Lorne for a much longer period.

The Tennis section was first established on the foreshore not far from the existing Surf Life Saving Club, then relocated to Erskine House and ultimately to its current site at the Country Club. The Golf Club was originally located at Allenvale in 1954 and began relocation to its present site in 1969 thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers of the Club who began the building of the course and Clubhouse. A number of these volunteers are still members of the club today.

The devastating Ash Wednesday fires in 1983 destroyed the clubhouse and other property at the club. Much of the history and records of the club were destroyed and a part of Lorne’s identity has been lost. Once again volunteer club members rose to the challenge and rebuilt the present clubhouse and tennis facilities. At this time the Lorne Country Club was established creating a private not-for-profit organisation for the benefit of the broader Lorne community. The club has more than 360 members although all facilities are available for public subject to any golf or tennis competitions being held.

The club has two part-time employees and relies heavily on a dedicated team of volunteers to maintain the clubhouse golf course and tennis facilities. It is imperative that we maintain our facilities to standards that are compliant with council and building regulations and provide safe and enjoyable facilities for all members and guests.

The committee has received expert advise from a structural engineer identifying a number of structural issues in regard to the clubhouse. There is also a need to upgrade two tennis courts from red porous to synthetic grass courts. The club does not qualify for any council or government grants, so it is the responsibility of our community to band together to provide financial support for our club

The club is now seeking member and community financial support for these important improvements. Both projects have been registered with the Australian Sports Foundation, our fundraising partners, which means that all donations are tax deductible.

The details of both projects are as follows:

Project 1: Lorne Country Club Tennis Court Surface Upgrade.
The club is seeking to raise $50,000 to upgrade courts 1 and 2 to synthetic grass courts. Upgrading the court surface will increase participation for players of all ages and abilities, increase court usage and club membership.

Project 2: Lorne Country Club Clubhouse Structural Repairs
Seeking to raise $100,000 to remediate and replace structural supports damaged by termites and replace the skylight windows at the rear of clubhouse damaged by the weather. This is necessary to extend the life of our clubhouse.

All donations will be recognised by the club and can be made by clicking on the following links or by contacting the club.

https://tinyurl.com/LCC-Tennis
https://tinyurl.com/LCC-Clubhouse

Should you have any questions, or would like to further discuss the above, kindly contact – Greg Matthews, Dale Ridgeway, Clive Goldsworthy or the club on [email protected]

Clive Goldsworthy
President