Key points

• The City of Darebin has voted to open up 5.72 hectares of space at Northcote golf course and to investigate restricting golfers from accessing the greens after 3pm.
• Other golf courses were used heavily by the public during lockdowns, including Royal Park, Burnley, Yarra Bend and Malvern Valley.
• Elsternwick Park Golf Course is being partially transformed into a nature reserve and the City of Stonnington is investigating requests for community access to Malvern Valley Golf Course.

A council decision to turn part of a golf course into park space has triggered a turf war in Melbourne’s inner north, as golfers voice concerns the move to reclaim green space could spell the beginning of the end for public fairways across the city.

The City of Darebin voted on Monday to open up 5.72 hectares of space at Northcote golf course and to investigate restricting golfers from accessing the greens after 3pm.

Mark Farrelly and Ben Richards at Northcote golf course on Tuesday. Credit:Darrian Traynor

Residents have been campaigning to reclaim the green space since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, when Northcote and many other Melbourne golf courses were opened up for public access.

Elsternwick Park Golf Course is being partially transformed into a nature reserve and the City of Stonnington is investigating requests for community access to Malvern Valley Golf Course.

Peak body Golf Australia was so concerned by the move to open up Northcote last year that chief executive James Sutherland sent a “call to action” to golfers to respond to the council’s survey on course use.

“At Golf Australia we don’t have a problem with people enjoying their green space. Who would have an issue with that?” the letter said. “But we take exception to the notion that golf courses, pristinely presented and maintained with the help of golfers’ money, should give up their space permanently.”

Locals enjoying the Northcote golf course during lockdowns in 2020. Credit:Wayne Taylor

But community organiser and Northcote resident Ruth Liston said the course was uniquely placed to be shared because it was on public land and the course had operated at a loss for the past 10 years.

“For us, it makes sense,” she said. “That doesn’t mean that every other golf course should be turned into a park.”

Liston, who is an administrator of the almost 3000-strong Facebook group Community to Unlock Northcote Golf Club, said she was confident the community could share the space.

“We’ve managed space flight and to get to the moon, so we can certainly manage to share a piece of land in a way that means that golf can still be played and the community can still enjoy it,” she said.

Ruth Liston and other supporters of sharing green space at the Northcote golf course.Credit:Darrian Traynor

Northcote golfer Mark Farrelly played a round at the course on Tuesday and said golfers were happy to concede a hole, but he was worried it would lead to community groups taking the whole course.

“It will be a complete takeover because the more they cut the hours and cut the holes out, golfers won’t come here,” he said.

Bill Jennings, spokesperson for the Northcote Community & Golf Hub, said it was “death by a thousand cuts” for the course.

“We were prepared to accept the reduction of some size of the golf course, but to then start to bring in shared time is a step too far for us,” he said. “It’s not a crime to play golf.”

Jennings said golfers had been characterised as elitist but Northcote was a diverse public course with low fees.

“They are using the stereotyping of golfers to demonise them as humans,” he said.

Jennings said if the golf course was open for community use after 3pm each day, the council would lose significant revenue from green fees that would no longer be paid by golfers.

“Are the park users prepared to pay $21.50 to spend time on the land when the golfers have paid that?” he said.

“We are extremely disappointed but we are not without hope that if the councillors explore the viability as the mayor has requested, it would be incredibly creative accounting that says that is viable financially.”

Other golf courses were used heavily by the public during lockdowns, including Royal Park, Burnley, Yarra Bend and Malvern Valley.

City of Stonnington Mayor Jami Klisaris said the Malvern Valley course had been an important source of open space for the community during the pandemic.

“Recent community feedback has indicated interest in increased access to the area in the future. This builds on similar requests received during and after COVID lockdowns,” she said.

“In the coming months, a report will be brought to council for consideration that will provide an opportunity for the community to help shape the future of Malvern Valley Golf Course.”

Sutherland said Golf Australia was pleased Northcote would be retained as a nine hole course but more discussions needed to be had on the proposal.

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