LIV Golf Host Responds After Disgruntled Members Slate Damage To Courses

The general manager at the Grange Golf Club, venue for the LIV Golf Australia debut, says that there has been "minimal damage" to the courses after claims from members that the event's infrastructure, and the 77,000 spectators, left a huge mess and that members were paying the price.

"Damage to Grange Golf Club by LIV Golf means it’s out of action for six months – and furious members say they don’t want the international tournament back," the Adelaide Advertiser wrote on social media along with its story quoting unhappy members.

One disgruntled member at the told the Adelaide Advertiser that members were forced to deal with damage following the 54-hole tournament, with one saying: "We’re going to have a mess for six months and then it’s going to be back again."

The same member said the club hadn't been compensated adequately, while another said: “A profit-making circus has come to town and the people paying the price are the members.”

The club is home to two courses, the East and the West, and reportedly has a $7,500 joining fee with annual subs of $4,000 per year. It's set to host LIV again next year, with a real prospect of a second Aussie event after calls from Cam Smith and Marc Leishman.

The negative views of the members made headlines around the world, despite a Grange GC survey showing that 86% were “satisfied or very satisfied” with LIV Golf coming to town, 7% percent were neutral and 7% were “dissatisfied or very dissatisfied”.

The club's general manager Barry Linke has confirmed that both courses are back in play and the club is working to "remedy the minimal damage to the course" caused by the grandstands and infrastructure, particularly around the stadium-style 'watering hole'.

“We are pleased with how the course has recovered following such a fantastic event, which showcased Grange to a global audience,” Linke told Golf Digest Australia.

“Both courses are now back in play, with members enjoying excellent playing surfaces. This is a credit to our ground staff, who have worked tirelessly. We will work with the LIV team to remedy the minimal damage to the course caused by the infrastructure, which has not affected playing areas, and look forward to planning the next event.”

“Members missed eight days of play and received free tickets to LIV Golf on four of those days. Tee times at other clubs were arranged for members to play during the eight-day closure,” the club's president Nicolle Rantanen Reynolds said.

“From the perspective of the Grange Golf Club members and all golfers, the event provided the opportunity to see the world’s best in Australia. It was also fantastic for our state.

"As a golfer it was amazing – all golfers love to see great golf – and we got to see the best in the world! This was reflected in our member survey, with 86 percent of members being satisfied or very satisfied with the event.   

“There were no temporary greens in use at any time. Our members were overwhelming positive, with more than 200 members per day now enjoying playing on both courses.”