The immaculate Monash Country Club will play host to the Australian Senior Amateur tournament in October with Golf Australia confirming the venue recently.

The best senior (50 and over women, 55 and over men) amateurs in the country will venture to Sydney’s Northern Beaches for this year’s championship from October 14-16, around 45 minutes’ drive north of the CBD.

Monash (pictured right), which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary after being established in 1942, is nestled high on the hills above Narabeen and features panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, with the acclaimed 18-hole par 72 championship course presenting challenging yet superb greens. 

Club superintendent Rob Sain said his crew was thrilled to showcase the course to the country once again after putting in a mountain of work in recent years while also contending with months of wet weather in Sydney.

“I’ve been here for 10 years now and we’ve done a lot of work and I think it’s a good time to show off some of the stuff we’ve done to the course,” he said. “We’re looking forward to getting back on the map. 

“We’ve done a lot of infrastructure stuff, improved all the turf surfaces from an agronomic point of view, put in a whole new irrigation system, redone the course bunkers, and rebuilt two greens recently. We’re known for our surfaces at Monash, how we produce our kikuyu fairways, couch tees and mixed greens.

“There’s been a lot of work we’ve also been doing with our drainage. It’s probably not been the most ideal lead-in to winter with the amount of rain in Sydney, it’s destroyed us after six weeks of consistent rainfall from the 22nd of April until the end of May.”

For the fifth year running, the Australian Senior Amateur will be played with men and women competing on the same course for separate championships over 54 holes with the 2025 event to introduce prize money with the top five finishers in each field sharing in a minimum pool of $4000.

Acting general manager Daniel Paton said it was a thrill to host the event in an important year in the club’s proud history.

“We are honoured to be hosting the Australian Senior Amateur this October at Monash Country Club,” Paton said.“With panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and a layout that rewards strategy and precision, we believe Monash will offer a true test of championship golf.

“The timing of the event is particularly special, as it coincides with our 75th anniversary, a significant milestone in the club’s proud history. Our members are equally excited to see the course presented at its best and to be part of such a significant occasion."

Winners of the 2024 Australian Senior Amateur tournament at Links Lady Bay in South Australia, Mark Allen (Drouin) and Gemma Dooley (New South Wales) will be hoping to defend their respective titles.

Story by Nick Creely/Pictures via Monash Country Club Facebook