by Cliff
2. August 2009 22:10
The fairways of the Eastern Golf Club in Doncaster will make way for development
when the club moves out to its new site in Wonga Park. Photo: John Woudstra
Greg Norman to design 27 holes in the Yarra Valley
The demand for urban land has impacted on metropolitan golf clubs everywhere and it was a very emotional decision, 12 months ago, for The Eastern Golf Club to accept the developer’s money and plan to move some 15 kilometres further out to Wonga Park in the Yarra Valley.
The club which goes back 111 years and can trace its roots all the way to 1886, has been located at Doncaster in Melbourne’s east since 1924 and has a lot of memories. However, the rising cost of maintaining a golf course together with falling membership made continued operation at that location unviable.
A time span of five years was set for the move.
Greg Norman has now accepted the challenge to design 27 holes for The Eastern G.C., creating a big step in the club’s modern history, especially environmentally. The three new nines will not only offer 360-degree views of the nearby mountains and the Yarra River, but it will also be designed by a trustee of the Environmental Institute for Golf – that’s Norman; the EIC has been a favorite among his many projects. Both Greg and the Board of Management promise a course that follows natural contours.
Eastern is unabashed in its ambition to be one of the leading courses in Melbourne, if not in Australia. Norman’s intention is to provide a golf course playable for the average amateur as well as a testing challenge for the more advanced golfer. With 27 holes the possibilities are endless.
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