Golf back at Airlie Beach

Since the closure of the Whitsundays Country Golf Club more than a decade ago, Airlie Beach residents have had to travel if they wanted to play golf. Nearby are Proserpine Golf Club, Bowen Golf Club and Hamilton Island Golf Club.

But today, a golf driving range will officially open at Regatta Waters as part of the first stage of bringing the game back to the Whitsundays.

When complete, Regatta Waters Whitsundays’ golf course will be Airlie Beach’s only golf course and will be open not only to residents of the estate but also to the public and tourists.

Regatta Waters Whitsundays project marketing manager Steve Marks said the area occupied by the driving range would be the second and fifth holes when the golf course was complete.

“But rather than having two holes complete and no-one able to use them, we’ve turned this into a temporary range,” he said.

“As an iconic tourist destination, the Whitsundays has been in need of more land-based recreational pursuits for some time.”

Whitsunday golf pro Andrew Farrow is just one of the many residents excited about what is ahead. Mr Farrow described the driving range as a “desperately needed” sporting option for the region.

“Not only are we going to be able to use the range to introduce kids and school groups to the game, but also people who do know how to play golf can come and take advantage of the facilities.”

A practice green is under construction and will be complete in 6-8 weeks.