FAIRWAY LIVING

We showcase some of Australia’s best retirement villages for golfers.

We’re lucky in Australia to enjoy one of the highest life expectancies on the planet. But did you know, that in 2017, more than 15 percent of us (nearly four million) were aged 65 and over? That’s nearly one in six Australians.

It makes sense, therefore, that more and more retirement villages are beginning to pop up around the nation. It also makes sense that these developments, designed for people aged over 55, are attempting to develop relationships with golf clubs, given the amount of golf older Australians are playing.

Golf Australia (organising body) released its annual National Competition Rounds report in August last year, illustrating that approximately 60 percent of rounds (three million of nearly five million) were played by people aged 60 or over.

“Golf throughout most of Australia during COVID-19 has seen an explosion in popularity. This has also been similar for other social-distancing sport like cycling, tennis and surfing. Any sport without close body contact has grown exponentially,” Ian Cottle, general manager of Burleigh Golf Club on the Gold Coast, told Golf Australia magazine.

This wasn’t necessarily the case before the coronavirus pandemic, however, with golf memberships in Australia dwindling since the early 2000s. Memberships in Australia peaked in 1998 at approximately 500,000 – according to Golf Australia’s Participation Report – partly due to the impact of Greg Norman’s dominance. But they had fallen to a 40-year low (roughly 375,000) in 2019.

“Prior to COVID-19, there had been an annual decline in golfing memberships across Australia for the past two decades. Australian golf clubs have wanted to maintain their size, service level and expenditure on members, but some have been facing decreasing membership revenues,” Cottle explained.

That’s why, in 2016, Burleigh GC decided to take action and struck up a partnership with RetireAustralia to create The Verge at Burleigh GC Retirement Village (featured in the following advertorial special).

“Our deal with RetireAustralia has been very beneficial for Burleigh Golf Club. It helped us clear significant debt and invest in course management assets. Over the term of the lease, it will serve as another source of income that really has no negative impact on our golf course,” Cottle said.

“I think there’s a natural synergy between aged living and golf courses. It’s just important that the golf clubs are doing their own due diligence in ensuring that the organisation they’re entering into an agreement with is a quality organisation.

“We’ve got several members who live within the Miami area who are considering downsizing and moving into The Verge. They love the golf club and have been members here for decades. So, why not sell, downsize and come out of the whole thing cash-positive? It’s certainly got plenty of benefits.”

Those sentiments can be applied throughout Australia at many of the established and upcoming retirement villages, some of which have been featured on the following pages.

Most of the housing developments we have showcased boast an array of facilities – such as pools, gymnasiums, wellness centres and function rooms – are conveniently located and have been built, or are being built, with great attention to detail to include all of the essentials you would expect.

“I mean, what a great lifestyle,” Cottle said. “Just put the clubs on your shoulder and go and play golf next door. How good’s that?”

We concur.