As Parkes Golf Club gears up to send two of its best golfers to this year's Men's NSW Country Championship, it's also thrilled that it will host next year's tournament.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And it's all thanks to a new reconfigured golf course that's now made it a United States Golf Association (USGA) certified greens and given it a par 72 rating, opening doors for the club to host higher level competitions such as the Country Championships.
It's a renowned golfing event that draws very talented participants from across the state.
Aaron Wilkie and Jack Elliott from Parkes have been selected on the Lachlan Valley team for 2023, which also includes four golfers from Forbes and manager in Parkes club member Paul Thomas.
The championship, held at South West Rocks Golf Club on November 11 and 12 and only open to amateurs, is played over 36-holes, 18 each day.
While Wilkie is familiar with the level of competition they're up against having attended several times over different years, it will be Elliott's country debut.
"I'm looking forward to going and playing against some of the best golfers in the state," Elliott said.
The pair's goal is "just to play well".
"Then everything else will take care of itself," Wilkie said.
"A lot of these players are younger who are likely to turn pro in the years ahead," Elliott added.
"The level is pretty high so we've still got to play out of our skin," Wilkie said.
The 2024 hosting duties of the Country Championship will come as a great opportunity for Parkes.
Golf NSW approached the club and Parkes Shire Council offering them the job and at council's August monthly meeting, councillors showed they are equally as excited over the opportunity.
The two-day championship is expected to attract 120 players, plus their supporters, which council's Director of Customer, Corporate Services and Economy Anthony McGrath calculated would require on average three bed nights per person.
"Hosting this event presents an opportunity to showcase the Parkes Shire's natural beauty, amenities, and community spirit. It also will deliver positive impacts to the local visitor economy," he wrote in his report that was tabled at the council meeting.
The new Parkes bypass that's currently under construction, runs directly adjacent to the western boundary of the Parkes Golf Club. There were significant safety concerns about golf balls potentially landing on the road, so the club's board worked closely with Transport for NSW to address this risk together and come up with a solution.
The parties resolved to redesign the course so that all holes would hit away from the bypass.
"As part of the bypass construction the golf course was redesigned so that the balls didn't stray onto the road, so the beneficiary of that has been a golf course that's now R rated 72, previously it was 71. Basically it means it's harder to play," Mr McGrath said.
"And another big win for the golf club was the greens are now USGA certified - I should point out not all the greens but about 10 new holes have been developed.
"The golf club invited some NSW Golf representatives out there and they were quite impressed with the new facility, so much so it's opened the door for some regional NSW Country Championships.
"...So [it's a] pretty good win for the local economy."
At the meeting Cr Ken Keith OAM added, "One of the comments that's been made is it's actually the best golf course or will become the best golf course west of Pennant Hills, which is a pretty fair wrap for our golf course".
Cr Kenny McGrath recalled it wasn't too long ago the town almost lost its golf course and the struggles it had. He was thrilled to hear it's now considered among the best.
Cr Glenn Wilson said the changes made to the Parkes Golf Course were well deserved.
"Good luck to the club to be able to advance in the way it has on the back of the bypass situation," he said.
As part of its hosting partnership, council has agreed to provide $5000 in financial assistance to Golf NSW to support the delivery of the 2024 Men's NSW Country Championship at the Parkes Golf Club, which will come from the town's Events Budget.
"To have 120 players come to Parkes and play on a wonderful course and then go home and tell people about it, you can't put a value on that," Cr Neil Westcott said in support of the recommendation.
"It's a lovely thing to have a bypass built up against a golf course and the offshoot of that is a better golf course."
READ ALSO:
Christine Little
I love sharing people's stories, particularly local stories that are special and important to the people of Parkes. If there is one thing I have learnt in my 10 years of community journalism, it's that stories are everywhere. All it takes is a good story teller to make it worth reading. Email: christine.little@parkeschampionpost.com.au
I love sharing people's stories, particularly local stories that are special and important to the people of Parkes. If there is one thing I have learnt in my 10 years of community journalism, it's that stories are everywhere. All it takes is a good story teller to make it worth reading. Email: christine.little@parkeschampionpost.com.au
