It was always going to be an interesting journey, transitioning from one of Australia’s oldest 18-hole private clubs to a public-access nine-holer.

With no shortage of golf across the Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast regions, Geelong Golf Club — who are managed by Belgravia Leisure — has navigated the past 10 years extremely successfully by consciously providing a point of difference.

PGA Professional and Venue Manager — and former Geelong junior — Paul Christie says that the club’s willingness to trial new initiatives has gone a long way in identifying what the Geelong community wants from a golf facility.

“A lot of the members really appreciate the blend that we offer,” said Christie.

“We have kept the traditions such as the club championships and pennant which really make the members feel a part of what we’re building.

“We’re also living in the world of 2025 where the landscape is completely different, so we cater to the modern golfer just as much.

“It is that blend that continues to grow the membership, that we are quite traditional with our members but also open to the 2025 movement of golf.”

In the non-member space, Geelong has created a community hub in the 11 years since it re-opened, welcoming in several groups and helping hundreds of locals hit their first golf balls.

In partnership with Leisure Networks, Geelong has been able to provide employment opportunities to those who may struggle to find a job, including one employee with a disability who has obtained his driver’s licence fuelled by the confidence his job has given him.

The club is also heavily involved in Soldier On, an organisation that assists war veterans in involvement and reintegration to the community, and also Recycle4Change, who employ a workforce largely of individuals who would otherwise struggle to enter the work force and use the funds generated by donations to put back into community programs.

As part of the Belgravia Foundation, Geelong has also established a scholarship program with nearby Northern Bay P-12 College, making it easier for local juniors to play golf.

As Christie explains, it is through the more traditional aspects of the golf club, the attitude of the members and aforementioned fundraising that allows the club to engage in so many community-minded activities.

“The members like the tradition, but they also like to see the kids that come through the programs,” he added.

“It means they really get behind things like our Pro-Am, our club-fitting, our lessons and participation programs, which help to fund our other initiatives.”

Christie also has a strong team around him, with three other PGA Professionals in Darrell Brown, Storm Ord and Jack Lakin, as well as Christie’s son Max, who is undertaking the PGA Membership Pathway Program. Scratch-marker Emma also works in the pro shop, the entire staff sharing the vision for a unique golf experience.

“We don’t have men’s and women’s tees, we’re gender friendly,” Christie explains.

“We’ve got bell cups here, so we don’t have a standard cup in a hole, so it makes a different noise, and we have tee signage that helps golfers play the hole correctly.

“It’s the little things that we seem to do here that people really enjoy.

“We are not trying to compete with the bigger clubs in the area. We are just trying to provide what we can, and what we can do, we do really well.

“We’re just trying to be the best Geelong that we can be with the facilities we have.”

With nine courses under Belgravia Leisure’s management, Geelong has become a hero club of sorts, where successful programs are then adopted across the country.

“Paul’s (Christie) Get Into Golf Programs have been really successful and that’s been rolled out nationally across all of our facilities,” said Belgravia Leisure’s National Golf Programs Manager, Jack McDonald.

“Geelong was also the first of our facilities to host a Pro-Am, and now Yarrambat is now hosting a Pro-Am annually based off the model Geelong provides.”

Geelong was also the first facility to host open and junior amateur events, as well as TeeMates programming and events that paved the way for the Western Australia Belgravia TeeMates series that was a huge hit.

With Belgravia Leisure becoming just the second management company in Australia to sign the R&A Women in Golf Charter this year, Geelong, alongside all of the venues, will have an increased focus on improving participation and leadership opportunities for women and girls.

“Belgravia Leisure have a national action plan as part of our commitment to the Women in Golf Charter. In addition to this, Geelong has signed the charter and has a site-specific action plan that is linked to our national charter goals.” said McDonald.

Since re-opening in 2014, Geelong has been open to trying a multitude of new things to find its niche, but Christie assures they also remain true to its core.

“Nine holes in 90 minutes has always been our motto. The more people we can get in for that, the better,” he said.