Heritage Golf and Country Club facing member revolt

A grassroots revolt is brewing at one of Victoria’s most exclusive golf clubs amid allegations of mismanagement and bitter fighting between members and staff and its new owner.

The Heritage Golf and Country Club, in Melbourne’s north-east, is owned by Xiaoyan (Kylie) Bao, who took control of the club last year as part of a separation arrangement with her husband, Chinese billionaire-turned-Australian investor Wang Hua.

Members are reportedly upset over a decline in service, cleanliness and management standards at the sprawling $20 million resort-style complex in Chirnside Park since the change over.

A representative of Heritage’s management said the club had been experiencing “teething” problems that were now largely resolved, although members and creditors are still preparing to take action.

Documents obtained by The Sunday Age show members have been complaining club toilets are not being cleaned, the driving range was closed due to lack of petrol for the ball machines, no clean towels were in the locker room, and air conditioning in the lounge and heating for the pool had been shut off for a time.

The mounting problems have led the club’s membership committee to call a special meeting on Tuesday night amid a growing move by members to quit the club in protest at the conditions.

The Sunday Age understands some members are planning to move a motion of “no confidence” in the club’s management.

Committee president Kevin Rose said that some of the problems had been rectified in the last week but members remained “very concerned” about the running of the club.

“Until the club changed hands (late last year) things had been running perfectly. But during the transition things have slipped a bit and we’ve been pretty upset about what has been happening.”

A spokesman for Heritage’s management, Craig Binnie, acknowledged that a number of legitimate complaints had been made.

“There were some teething problems when the club changed hands but they been resolved or are in the process of being resolved,” he said. “The club will have money pumped into it and it’s future has never been brighter.”

One of the most pressing problems facing Heritage is a bid by one disgruntled tradie to have the club declared insolvent by the Supreme Court of Victoria over an unpaid $9300 debt for painting work.

Mr Binnie said negotiations were underway to resolve the dispute. “A $20 million business that has no debt is not about to go under over a relatively small bill.”

Heritage has been declared insolvent on two previous occasions before it was bought by Wang Hua last year.

SOURCE: The Age