Golf club members back $1m plan to help cover clubroom project shortfall

The project, which was initially expected to be $4.8 million, was hit by a 30 per cent jump in construction costs sending the final price tag closer to $7.5 million.

Club manager Ashlee Scott said more than 75 per cent of members backed the plan with just a handful voting against it during a special meeting held on Tuesday night.

The vote allows the club to dip into money it had in reserve from the sale of neighbouring Mervue Estate land, which amounts to about $970,000.

Ms Scott said it was one of the biggest turnouts for a golf club meeting with about 120 people casting their votes.

"We needed about five per cent to turn up of our eligible voting members, and we had almost 15 per cent," she said.

"We needed more than 75 per cent to vote in favour of the motion which got through very easily.

"It means that we're still about $1 million short of our building contract."

The building contact amounts to $6.5 million but with contingencies, extras and furnishings the whole redevelopment would cost no more than $7.5 million.

Being able to access the money from the fund would put the club in a "much better position" to be able to get to the end of the project, Ms Scott said.

"We've been in a fortunate position where we've been able to invest our own money which is about $3.5 million of the club's own capital. That's a huge achievement," she said.

The federal government has also chipped in $2 million towards the project, but it has still come up short.

"Our overall goal is to raise $2 million which means then we would be completely debt free, and finish off everything that we need to," Ms Scott said.

The project, which has been under construction for the past 18 weeks, is due to be completed mid-January next year and is tracking on schedule.

Ms Scott said the club had discussions with Warrnambool professional golfer Marc Leishman, and there were plans have a memorabilia display in the new clubrooms.

"We really hope that his next visit home might align with some sort of opening of the clubhouse, but they'e all to be determined," she said.

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