By Editor in Golf on 7th Oct 2008 6:00
For a town the size of Forbes to be without a golf course is really unthinkable. How could we possibly sell our town when you consider all towns our size have golf courses? There would have to be a special reason for anyone to relocate to our town after learning of the lack of sporting facilities such as the closure of the local golf course.
Over the weekend wherever I went the conversation was on the Forbes Golf Club. As one gentleman, who said he hates the game of golf, commented to us while enjoying an after work refresher, “What are they thinking? A town the size of Forbes without a sporting facility like golf, that’s rubbish.” He was joined on Saturday morning by another who commented, “I don’t play golf, I don’t play sport full stop. I don’t have time so they can pull out the cricket pitches, netball courts, bowling greens, the lot. But I do have a mother who enjoys a social hit of golf, I have grand children who play cricket, touch, netball, swim, so we need the lot including a golf course. Surely the ‘RSL’ with their pokies can support a golf course.”
At the fashion parade on Saturday a lady who has just moved to Forbes after selling the family farm said her husband commented he was going to put the family home on the market. “We came here to retire as Mark wanted to play golf, if there is no course why stay?”
Everyone who owns real estate will feel the affect. Really, who would want to come to Forbes if sporting facilities like golf are not available. I’m sure I wouldn’t. As a result I feel our real estate will lose value. On the other side of the coin if the Services Memorial Club with all their poker machines cannot afford to run a golf course what chance any other business interests without the clubhouse facility. Even with the clubhouse which has been stripped of its poker machines, except for six, the battle to survive alone would be huge.
