Wet weather handicap

Course superintendent Keith Johnson.

THE Keperra Country Golf Club’s financial books are in the rough and golfers are almost non-existent following six weeks of flooding and perpetual wet weather.
General manager Gavin Lawrence said the club was already down $220,000 since September the start of its financial year and flooding to a quarter of its course had cost hundreds of thousands in lost revenue and damage.
The club’s 27 holes have been transformed in to a wetland, which has forced complete closure on six days since Christmas.
``Christmas should be the peak period for a club like ours because people are on holidays,’’ Mr Lawrence said.
``We’re approaching our 80th year. As a club we’ve faced many challenges prior to this and we’re confident there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. But it impacts our cash flow, it impacts our ability to maintain the facility because we don’t have the cash for the upkeep.’‘
Mr Lawrence said in a good month the club would recover $60,000 in green fees and cart rental revenue but last month it made less than half of that.
Without visiting golfers,  bar and restaurant sales had free-falled, which Mr Lawrence said had impacted contract caterers as well as about 10 employees whose hours had been cut.
Course superintendent Keith Johnson said 660mm since December caused unprecedented flooding.
The Kedron Brook, which runs through their private property, has caused ongoing and significant flooding as well as damage from the speed of the travelling water and debris.
He said each day the greenkeeping team worked to restore flooded bunkers and fix bridges to make some areas playable only to have their work destroyed in the next downpour.

Source: whereilive