First look at the $50m plan to slice Moore Park golf course in half for public park, sporting fields
According to the draft plans, the park will include a public sports field, multi-purpose sports fields, playground, walking, jogging and cycling paths, illuminated paths that will increase security on main roads, toilets, picnic areas, outdoor furniture, tree planting and landscaping areas and a car park.
Public feedback will inform other potential features such as an off-leash dog area, outdoor fitness stations, a perimeter loop trail, passive recreation areas and a pump track for bike riders.
The golf club’s lease expires in June 2026, after which the golf course is planned to be expanded from 60 to 90 golf courses.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
Work on the project will begin after Moore Park Golf Course’s current lease expires in June.
According to the plan, the park will open gradually from late 2026, and the work is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
The government has allocated $50 million in this year’s state budget to transform the site, months after allocating $2.6 million for preliminary design and planning studies in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
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Draft plans say changes to the golf facilities will include an 18-hole mini golf course and “alterations to the existing course and adjustments to provide adequate buffers to the parking area.”
“The hole length was designed to benefit tempo of play by avoiding bottlenecks on the existing golf course. Additional holes were retained for operational and maintenance requirements.”
The move to split Minns’ golf course sparked a furious campaign by an alliance of industry bodies – Moore Park Golf Club, Golf NSW, Golf Australia and PGA of Australia – which branded themselves as the Moore Park Golf Collective.
The group lobbied against the plan and responded with a counter proposal to preserve the 18-hole golf course and create a “world-class” sports and recreation precinct.
John Janik, president of Moore Park Golf Club, also stepped in to save the course from what he called “ill-informed people who constantly believe the land and resources could be used better.”
Plans include a floodlit sports area and exercise paths on main routes to improve safety.Credit: NSW government
Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg, an avid golfer, brought the issue further to the fore when he raised the issue during a trip to Sydney, urging the Australian public to “save Moore Park Golf Club”.
Scully said draft plans to transform Moore Park South, on display through Nov. 24, are designed to improve the physical and mental health of the community by improving access to green space.
“We must continue to match homes with investments in our public spaces,” Scully said.
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“The new park will be a place to meet friends, spend time in nature, play games and enjoy community sports in the heart of Sydney.”
As mayor, Moore had long sought to halve the size of the trail to open more parkland for the public.
Former Coalition planning minister Rob Stokes asked the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust to consider narrowing the course in 2020 but later nixed the plan following backlash from golfers and the club. Instead, he came up with the idea of a restructured golf course that would not reduce the number of holes.
