Kialla Golf Club’s clubhouse renovation nears completion

By Marcus Beeck

May 9, 2024

We are the champions: Kialla Golf Club vice-president Brian Reiners and his squad during the Presidents versus Captains Day. Photo by Contributed

For some, the floods that devastated parts of the region 18 months ago are fast becoming a distant memory.

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But at Kialla Golf Club, the long-lasting damage to its clubhouse is still very much front of mind.

The waters may have died down and the rooms stripped of their damage, but the renovations have remained ongoing.

However, in some welcome news for the club, the clubhouse is set to finish its redevelopment in the next month or so.

Vice-president Brian Reiners wanted to thank the loyal members who remained part of the club over the past 18 months, with the club recently running its annual Presidents versus Captains Day event.

“We had 26 people play with two teams of 13 and it was perfect conditions on the course, so it was a great day, and everyone was very happy,” Reiners said.

“(During the floods) the water came through the clubhouse.

“The plaster has come off the walls, the clubhouse has been stripped back bare, the toilets are all stripped, so we are in the slow process (of rebuilding).

“We would really like to be in before it starts to get cold because although we have portable heaters at the moment to keep us warm, in the summer, it was better, but in the winter, it is too bloody cold.”

For Kialla Golf Club, feeling the chill in the winter while waiting to hit the links is only part of the problem, as Reiners said that the club hadn’t been able to run any events since the floods, which was having an impact on the purse strings.

“We are losing the social atmosphere and social revenue,” he said.

“Consequently, we haven’t been able to have an opening day and invite people in.

“We have a big mixed event in honour of one of our past members called Frank Bush; we haven’t had Bushy’s day.

“We can’t cater and the women have a big event they call the Salver and all these events bring money in, so we haven’t had money from those events come in since the floods.”

As Kialla Golf Club get closer to cutting the ribbon to open the newly renovated clubhouse, Reiners and his golfing colleagues can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The vice-president believes prospective members will love the social atmosphere and quality of the course provided at the Kialla Golf Club.

“They (new members) will have the new clubhouse,” he said.

“The condition of the course is impeccable and everyone is commenting about how, because of the season we have had, we are playing in perfect golfing conditions.”