ABOVE left: Open daily for all meals, Spike Restaurant offers modern cuisine, featuring fresh local produce through its seasonal a la carte menus. ABOVE right: All rooms of the resort have a balcony featuring golf course views. ABOVE: The new entry to the multi-million dollar clubhouse and resort.

What sounded like a smart, progressive and even ingenious plan naturally met with resistance in the form of the members. Watson recalls there was a lot of contention at the start as some members were concerned about the club falling heavily in to debt (the upshot is the club now has little if any debt). At the time of voting, the support of 70 percent of the Portsea members was needed for the plan to be adopted, a proportion surpassed by just five or six percent. However, no one is disappointed now.

“Phenomenal,” says Watson of the member reaction to the new facilities since they opened on June 1. “The members are all very, very happy. I’ve never seen so much excitement in my life around the club, so that’s good. We’ve had enormous interest from passers-by. There’s been hundreds and hundreds of people coming in and driving in and, even though they’re not members, having a look.”

The entire clubhouse now runs like a hotel, open virtually 24/7. Social and golfing members drop in for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just quiet drinks. And they are free to bring as many friends as they like. There’s now a waiting list for social members and instantly the new facilities made Portsea Golf Club a more attractive and more viable location for weddings and similar functions.

“For a club run by volunteers, it’s a pretty amazing outcome,” says Duncan Mars, the new hotel general manager.

The new building’s position takes full advantage of its lofty location. Panoramic views make 13 of the 18 holes visible from inside the clubhouse and the surrounding terrace, as well as across to Port Phillip Bay – all views not previously seen as this part of the site was formerly covered in scrub. Wedding bookings have increased dramatically and will likely continue to as blushing brides-to-be see the vistas and the facilities. The clubhouse layout is entirely functional and separates the members’ lounge from the large but compartmentalised function rooms. The hotel reception forms one end of the main floor with the pro shop, bar and lounge at the other.

Downstairs, the king rooms and suites feature a king-sized bed, large LCD television with pay-per-view movies, Wi-Fi access, a work desk and a balcony with great views of the golf course. The king twin rooms are the same except for the layout including two single beds. The initial plan called for 20 rooms but in negotiating with Accor, the company required a minimum of 24 rooms to be interested in managing the accommodation. Accor is now there as part of a ten-year arrangement, as Mercure Portsea Golf Club & Resort becomes the 39th Mercure hotel in Australia.

“By partnering with Portsea Golf Club, it has enabled us to add to Portsea’s tourism offering and cater to the growing demand for premium accommodation by leisure travellers,” said Mars. “The Mercure will also provide new opportunities to build the meetings and events market in the region, which is already on the rise with a number of weddings and conferences booked at the hotel before it opened, which is very encouraging.”