Planned Changes

Landscape Rehabilitation and Course Renovation

Central to the proposal is the bold, forward-thinking concept to return the course to its original coastal heathland environment; restoring the natural ‘sense of place’ and connecting with the growing broader community concern for high quality environmental management.

There will be significant long term gains with the planting of 2,187 new trees of a variety of ages and diverse native species – resulting in an increase of 1,592 trees on the course in addition to the planting of 500,000 native landscape plants.

Why is Change Needed?
The Championship Course has evolved over the past 100 years, but never with a single design vision to guide its development. It is now demonstrating the inevitable consequences of the lack of a cohesive long-term philosophy and land management strategy and is in a state of slow but steady decline.
Dense and congested areas of ageing trees restrict sunlight and airflow in many areas throughout the property, severely inhibiting growth of the critical understorey landscape and protection of wildlife habitats.
The Championship Course also suffers from a general lack of flora and fauna biodiversity, as well as failing drainage and irrigation systems, poor sand quality and safety issues related to golf course design.
This has promoted infestation by grass diseases, as well as an increasing number of tree failures – in fact, more than 300 trees have been lost in the past 5 years alone.
Construction Plans

This diagram shows the proposed layout of the new golf course. Click to enlarge.

This diagram illustrates all trees currently existing on the property. Click to enlarge.

This diagram illustrates the trees proposed to be removed from the property. Click to enlarge.

This diagram illustrates all new trees to be planted. Click to enlarge.

This diagram illustrates all trees on the property at the completion of the project. Click to enlarge.

Before and After
Some Key Facts
The principles in the new design feature improved biodiversity, control of aggressive and invasive flora species, provision of wildlife corridors, restored bushland, a contribution to the broader community’s understanding and valuing of biodiversity and providing habitat for birds, insects and other fauna species.
Currently, there are 30 different species of trees, plants, shrubs and grasses across the course. This will be increased to 94 different native species (some rare and endangered), featuring different hues, textures and year-round flowering – which will more than triple the flora biodiversity on the site. Importantly, it will bring back the ecological connectivity that has been lost due to the decline in the critical understorey planting.
The trees removed will be replaced by Australian natives, including species such as Sydney Peppermint, Scribbly Gum, Red Bloodwood, Angophora, Coastal Banksia and Old Man Banksia.
The project provides an opportunity, at no cost to the public, to implement approaches to the restoration and maintenance of coastal heathland environments in urban Sydney – including seed collection and natural regeneration experiments.