Trading Hours over Christmas 2019 and New Year

Just a reminder that we are open every day over the holiday period – including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

So if you’d like to try out those new clubs left by Santa, or just need some fresh air and exercise after Christmas lunch, why not pop up to the club and play a few holes? The volunteers on duty would love to see you.

Our Clouds Retreats PGA Legends ProAm, (won by Lucien Tinkler with a score of -4) ran very smoothly with feedback, supporting the view that it was a big success and reflection of the great organization and leadership shown by Jillian Jones, aided by her hard working committee.

Special thanks also to Rob Bailo and his Greens Committee and Superintendent Mick McCombe and his staff for the high standard our golf course was presented, in conditions we all know have been very trying over the past 6-8 weeks.
Jeff Kruse
MGC President

Maleny Golf Club Vice President Max Whitten supplied a photo of the two new mowers delivered yesterday morning. One mower, driven in the photo by course Superintendent Mick McCombe, is for the rough and the other, driven in the photo by Rob Bailo, is for the greens. With the number of holes in play soon to increase from 12 to 18, the MGC need the extra equipment for the course staff and volunteers to manage the regular maintenance. The new equipment will also provide some level of backup should we have a breakage on existing equipment.

Max also sent a photo of the same two gentlemen, Mick and Rob, in July 2014 (just 5 years ago) standing on what is now the green for the par 5, fifth hole. In the photo, Mick and Rob are using the only greens shaping equipment MGC owned at the time, two lawn levellers. It just goes to show what years of hard work and dedication can achieve.

The six new greens are progressing well despite some damage from heavy rain and an indiscretion with a golf cart. A very “theme appropriate” bridge from the new first tee to the first green is now in place thanks to several weeks very hard work involving a handful of very dedicated volunteers including Rob, Don, Steve and Doug. If things weren’t busy enough, a new championship tee was built largely by Don on the 8th (it will be the 5th hole on the new layout) and should be ready to use during the pro-am next month.

Thinking he might become bored in the future, I asked Mick last week what he would do when all 18 holes are built. His answer started off “There’s always something to do on a golf course” and then he became enthusiastic; “Let’s make it awesome”. I’m with Mick, let’s make it awesome !!!

Leading Sunshine Coast hinterland get-away accommodation and hospitality specialist Clouds Retreats has committed to be the naming rights sponsor for the 2019 Ladbrokes PGA Legends Pro-Am at Maleny Golf Club with an increased prize purse of $20,000.

The tournament, being hosted for a third year at Maleny’s picturesque hinterland course on Saturday 7 December 2019, is expected to attract more marquee players chasing the extra prize money, while amateurs could win a new car from Pacific Ford by scoring a Hole-in-One.

More than 60 tour regulars are expected to play, including golfing icon Peter Senior (who has already confirmed his entry), with other big names like Peter Lonard and Craig Parry potentially joining the field along with defending title holder Ben Jackson.

Club President Jeff Kruse said it was fantastic to be teaming up with Clouds Retreats to bring the Legends Tour back to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland for a third year to coincide with the official opening of the final 6 holes of Maleny’s quality 18-hole course.

“Last year we received great feedback from the players, the PGA and our sponsors and it’s very encouraging to enjoy such strong continuing headline support from Clouds Retreats so we can keep developing this tournament as a premier annual fixture on the region’s golfing and event calendar,” he said.

Clouds Retreats’ food and beverages manager Greg Guilford welcomed the opportunity to proudly partner with Maleny Golf Club again following the significant expansion of the group’s quality accommodation, dining and catering business within the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

“This local event provides an ideal platform for us to showcase the wonderful visitor experiences and venues we have on offer, including our unique space “The Barrel at Clouds Vineyard” & accommodation Clouds Montville and Clouds Africa,” he said.

“Within these unique hospitality spaces we have brought together a host of products from South East Queensland and offer a seasonal menu of food, boutique wines and craft beer as well as a range of regionally-sourced craft products and produce.”

There is no admission cost for tournament spectators and the course offers some excellent elevated vantage points from which to follow the progress of the players as well as sample on-course food and beverages being supplied by The Barrel at Clouds Vineyard.

In December 2001 Dr Max Whitten found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Consequently, the retired scientist and former hockey player was elected as President of the newly formed and aspirational Maleny Golf Club which had no land on which to build its dream golf course.

Fast forward to December 2019 – four years after the first 9 Holes were built – and one of the finest 18-hole golf courses in South-East Queensland will be completed and open for business.  Dr Whitten said the course covers around 25 per cent of the Maleny Community Precinct – the rest being devoted to other sports, effluent disposal, heritage, walking paths, rainforest and wetlands.

“Superintendent Mick McCombe has worked miracles with volunteers and contractors to oversee the transformation of dairy pastures and some dense weedy patches into a quality course. In the process he won two national and one state award for excellence.” Dr Whitten said.

In November 2015, Max was announced as the winner of the annual Sports Volunteer of the Year award at the Queensland Sports Federation’s 21st Sports Awards & Hall of Fame Presentation at a gala black-tie dinner in Brisbane.

After almost two decades at the helm and with the mission finally accomplished, Max decided the time was right at the recent AGM to stand down, but serve for one more year as deputy to the club’s newly elected President Jeff Kruse to facilitate a seamless transition.

The quality course, serviced by a top-drawer maintenance facility, was largely constructed by volunteers supported by local contractors, Bernie Porter and David Lowden, together with strategic input from professional golf course shapers. In fact Max won the Queensland Government’s 2016 Sports Volunteer Award in recognition of the volunteer engagement.

Dr Whitten said the course covers around 25 per cent of the Maleny Community Precinct – the rest being devoted to other sports, effluent disposal, heritage, walking paths, rainforest and wetlands.

“After extensive community consultation over the precinct, construction started in 2014 with a total budget of around $1.6 million,” Dr Whitten said.

“Superintendent Mick McCombe has worked miracles with volunteers and contractors to oversee the transformation of dairy pastures and some dense weedy patches into a quality course. In the process he won two national and one state award for excellence.”

Businessman and former chartered accountant, David Killeen as the club’s treasurer during the club’s growth period, led a team developing our office and governance systems, ensuring that we stayed out of debt during the construction phase.

“The young club is now well placed to generate sufficient revenue from members and visitors to meet the operating expenses for maintaining a quality course,” Dr Whitten said.

“Former journalist and business editor of The Courier-Mail, Richard Owen, served as the club’s first golf shop manager from June 2015 to October 2017 with a remit to establish and raise the new club’s public profile by generating regular news stories in the local media and golfing magazines.

“Last December, the club recruited former tour golfer and PGA Professional, Wayne Perske as the Club’s pro to continue this work in putting the club on Queensland’s golfing map, developing its profile and attracting visitors.”

Golf Australia largely agrees with Max in recognising that the future of golf lies in quality community golf courses located in regions with mild climates, abundant water supply and proximity to urban areas free from the severe land-use pressures being experienced in our larger cities.

Maleny scores well on all these criteria. Max and his wife, Dr Penny Edwards, worked closely towards creating this great vision and now look forward to a tad more free time for other pursuits.