Catalina Club has been recognised as one of the state's best country clubs after being named a Club of the Year finalist in the 2023 New South Wales Golf Industry Awards.
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Club general manager Guy Chapman said the 100-year-old club also received nominations for Junior Club of the Year while Director of Golf Rodney Booth was nominated as PGA Pro of the Year.
Mr Chapman said it was "fantastic" that the club was gaining recognition on a prestigious stage.
"It's a nice reward to be a finalist given all the hard work everyone's been putting in," he said.
"There has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes from the board to continually be progressive and finetuning at all times.
"We're always reinvesting and making sure we're front and centre and up to date."
Other finalists include Moama's Rich River Golf Club and Charlestown Golf Club in Newcastle.
"We're up against some heavy competition."
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The historic club has seen plenty of changes since December 2019, when the restaurant, lounge and bar were fully renovated.
"We were planning to [continue] refurbishments in 2020 and 2021 but they were put on hold due to COVID."
Since then, the club has seen the addition of a café, indoor kids area and even a rebrand in October 2023, with a new logo and name to boot.
"It was time we had a bit of a relaunch of who we are."
Mr Chapman said the team would be "chuffed" to learn of the club's success in so many divisions of the Industry Awards.
During the 2022/23 financial year, the club has seen its membership base soar. Mr Chapman said that the club is still riding the coattails of success that it saw when many people took up golf in 2020 and 2021 because it was one of the few sports allowed during the statewide lockdowns.
Currently, the club has just under 9500 social members and has seen a 25 per cent increase in total memberships since 2022.
"Our goal [this year] was to get to 1000 golfing members, and we've done that through the course of the year."
Mr Chapman said improvements to the 27-hole course and clubhouse have helped drive the club's annual growth.
"[Our members] appreciate the changes and improvements we've made. The main reason for them is the members: they're here for a good time and they get along well, whether it's in the golf course or clubhouse."
He said he welcomes the developments popping up in Catalina and Batemans Bay, particularly the proposed construction of a luxury 71-room Sebel hotel on the corner of Beach Road and Dolphin Avenue which would provide high-end accommodation for golfers visiting the club.
"There's a fair bit of development happening and I embrace that - it shows there is confidence in the area."
The club will continue to focus on refurbishments and fostering the growth of cadet and junior members in the new year.
Mr Chapman, club president Cathie Flynn and assistant general manager Mitchell Judd will be attending the 2023 New South Wales Golf Industry Awards at the Crown in Sydney on Monday, November 6.
Megan McClelland
Twice weekly
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