The Sands’ new owners promise a better future

ONE of the new owners of The Sands golf course, hotel and resort in Torquay has promised residents in the surrounding estate and club members that the next four years for them will be better than the previous four.

Destination Leisure Holdings, a consortium of Surf Coast and Melbourne investors, acquired the land and its buildings in Torquay for nearly $13 million in mid-February, following the previous owners of the business entering voluntary administration and receivers being appointed midway through last year.

Paul Fielding, one of two Torquay residents in the consortium, spoke and took questions for more than 40 minutes in the “information hour” event held at The Sands on Friday night.

“It’s incredibly important that The Sands resort returns to what it was in its first four years of its existence,” he told the crowd of more than 100 people. “My personal opinion is that it’s been mismanaged. I think the past four years in particular haven’t been a very good experience for Torquay in particular and certainly the residents, the members and the whole club – there’s been virtually no money spent on this place.

“If I say one thing tonight, Keegan (golf course superintendent Keegan Powell) and his team should be given a round of applause for what he’s been able to do.”

Mr Fielding gave out his mobile phone number three times during his remarks and urged people to contact him directly if they had questions.

“This is not the last time you’ll see me around the place – I commit to everybody in this room that this is about engagement as much as it is about anything else,” he said.

“We won’t be silent, we won’t be invisible, and I don’t want you to be silent, I don’t want you to be invisible.

“Whatever your experience up here has been in the last four years, the next four years will be better.”

Some of the first works in the renovations will be to create a new colour scheme on the outside of the resort and hotel.

Future works include a new restaurant with its own dedicated and larger kitchen, and redesigned conference facilities.

“We won’t invest $1.5 million in a restaurant if no-one comes to it,” Mr Fielding said.

“If I don’t do this in a way that you come here and interact with the venue, then I’ve got it wrong.”

Renders produced by Geelong and Melbourne-based firm Select Architects were on display during the information hour.

“Our brief has been to reinvigorate the facilities here and to bring it back to where it once was … and bring it into 2021,” Select Architects’ Peter Serra said.

The consortium has contracted Belgravia Leisure to manage The Sands, which includes an 18-hole golf course designed by Stuart Appleby, the 112-room hotel and resort, a 25-metre indoor pool, tennis courts, and restaurant.

Belgravia Leisure general manager of tourism and wellness Karen Golden said the new owners had “a vision and a passion for this property probably like nothing I’ve ever seen as a partner that we work with”.

“We’re very excited, we’re honoured and thrilled to be part of this project.”