More than golf: Orange Ex-Services Club president Graham Gentles hopes 'The Wentworth' will be trading by 2024

Board president Graham Gentles, chief executive officer Nathan Whiteside and chief financial officer Evan Webb visited the Ploughman's Lane site earlier this week after the OESC's development application to replace the clubhouse destroyed by fire in 2019 was approved by Orange City Council on Tuesday.

While Wentworth Golf Club was its own entity when the clubhouse was destroyed, it has since amalgamated with the OESC, which has the financial clout to replace it with a building double the size and which it believes will cater for the west Orange population growth.

"This clubhouse is not simply about golf," Mr Gentles said, referring to the new facilities being named 'The Wentworth'.

"Golf will be part of what we do here and an important part, but it's also an opportunity for us, as a club with our hospitality expertise and the management team we've got, to develop this into a recreational club whereby the community can use it in all aspects."

According the DA, the building will cost around $8.3 million but Mr Gentles conceded that figure could blow out when the imposts of COVID and the current shortage of building supplies was taken into account.

"In reality that could double by the time it's finished," he said but added that was the club's motivation to get the building started as soon as it could.

"We're encouraged now to move forward because the longer it takes and the delays that we're trying to overcome, will cost us in the end."

Mr Gentles said the OESC were hoping to start earthworks in a month or so.

"We'd like to see it finished in a year's time but it's going to take 18 months so somewhere round about the end of 2023 early 2024 it will be complete."

The new building will consist of three levels with a number of hospitality areas, seating around 140 people, pro-shop, gaming and an indoor children's play area tipped to be the largest in Orange.

The shed which was fitted out as a temporary clubhouse will remain with Mr Whiteside saying it will be used for functions and sporting groups.

Mr Gentles also hit back at mayor Jason Hamling's 'tin shed' comment, made when speaking in support of the project at council on Tuesday.

"That tin shed you refer to has been an investment by us [of around $1million], it's been developed into a small club and I think in general our golfers have enjoyed that."

Mr Whiteside, who replaced CEO Daniel Perkiss late last year, said a considerable amount of work had been done to get the project to this stage.

"But it was important we didn't rush and we aren't rushing to ensure the facility we are going to build isn't just for now, it's for Orange for a number of years ... it will outlive a fair few of us."

The club has also committed to the course, with over $1m spent on drainage upgrades.

Wentworth Golf Club has a membership of just under 600 players.

"I've already had a couple of calls from golfers asking when they're going to start breaking the soil," Mr Gentles said.

"We've had our hands tied to a degree for many, many reasons and as I said, one of the aspects now we face is increasing costs and the unavailability of building materials so we need to move ahead as quickly as we can."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

HAVE YOUR SAY

Send a letter to the editor using the form below