I am pleased to announce that The Royal Sydney Golf Club’s new Bay Course has now reopened.
There has been a major transformation over the past 15 months since work began. I want to first express my sincere gratitude to our local community for the patience and understanding they have shown as the redevelopment has taken place.
We are proud of the work that has been completed on the project. Not just in building a new, world-class golf course that we hope one day welcomes major events here in Rose Bay, but in better utilising our green space to create a more biodiverse and sustainable landscape.
At the beginning of this project, we set out to make our grounds “one of the most significant sanctuaries of native flora and fauna in Sydney’s eastern suburbs”. It is a goal I feel we have achieved and one that will act as a legacy for future generations of Royal Sydney members and our wider community.
The project has resulted in a net increase of 1,592 trees and 250,000 native Australian understory plants (so far). We will continue planting of a further 250,000 in the months ahead to make that total half a million. We have quadrupled our floral diversity, adding new species ranging from the large-scale red bloodwoods to delicate heathland flora such as fuchsia heath – not to mention a number of rare and endangered plant species.
With this new native landscape, and our recently created Paperbark Wetland wildlife sanctuary, we are already seeing a range of bird, insect, reptile and amphibian life returning to the course. As the landscape flourishes, we hope to see even greater numbers of animals calling Royal Sydney home. We have also been working with local animal services, such as WIRES, to provide opportunity for injured wildlife to find sanctuary in spaces such as the Paperbark Wetland.
Similarly, we will be exploring opportunities for seed-banking our flora – especially some of the rare and endangered species that now inhabit our landscape. It is hoped that such a program can help in conservation efforts across the wider community in the years ahead.
As activity returns back to normality at Royal Sydney, I hope that you remain interested and engaged with the ongoing story of our Bay Course. If you wish to do so, you can continue to follow its progress and our exploration of various social and environmental initiatives via this website.
In the months and years ahead, we look forward to bringing you updates via the website and we hope you enjoy watching on as the landscape continues to grow and flourish.
Lucy Regan
President
2nd May 2025
