DEVELOPMENT: CLUB HELENSVALE

Renovation rescue

Amid its own long-term renovation plans, the Gold Coast’s Club Helensvale also decided to come to the rescue of a financially troubled bowlo up the road. Brian Crisp signs in to check out what has been going on.

CLUB HELENSVALE IS mid-way through a $13 million renovation project that will signal the completion of a major comeback campaign for the northern Gold Coast club. Just three years ago, Club Helensvale was in a very difficult financial position thanks to covid shutdowns.

Since then, general manager Wayne Moffatt and his board have embarked on three separate renovation projects that have not only completely rebuilt the club but have reinvigorated its membership.

The club’s 17,000 members have already given a huge thumbs up to the new café, lounge area and sports bar designed by BSPN. By the end of November, members will have access to a new two-storey bowler’s lounge, 200-person function room and world class undercover bowling green.

When Club Management visited on a recent Friday at lunchtime, both the men’s and women’s Australian Bowls squads were at the club training on the greens, and the café area was teeming with people enjoying excellent, well-priced food.

“A covered green is essential, especially in the Queensland heat,” Moffatt said of the MakMax shade installation. “We have more than 500 bowlers here and they need a room that they can call their own, so that was an important part of the renovation plans.

“At capacity the function room will cater for about 180-200 people. It will be used to host weddings, conferences, training meetings and our regular bingo games.”

Moffatt said the management team hit the reset button following Covid.

“We (the management team) saw Covid as the chance to make a fresh start. We looked at our business with a whole new mindset – a clean slate – and made decisions that were good for the business, not traditional decisions.

“Like many clubs, we used to serve two-for-one meals in bain-maries and hot boxes. We stopped that. We now serve $40 steaks – really good steaks – and members love it. They pair the steak with a good bottle of red. If you serve good food, people will come, and the club will benefit in other areas.

“Because of social distancing, we had to take 30 machines out of our games room. It gave our members more space. It surprised us, but our revenue is up. Sometimes less is better.

“The only thing we had to back track on was the courtesy bus. We stopped it for 12 months, but the members were adamant that they wanted it back. We listened.”

A bowl here, a bowl there

The club’s financial turnaround post-Covid has been so dramatic that late last year the Club Helensvale Board approved the purchase of Robina Bowls Club – now called Club Robina – a venue that was struggling and looked like closing. For $5 per year, members can now access both clubs.

Like many other club venues, Robina Bowls Club was in a dire financial situation post-Covid and looked like having to close its doors before the intervention from Club Helensvale, a 27-minute drive away up the M1.

“It was a big decision for us,” Club Helensvale general manager Wayne Moffatt said. “Robina was in serious trouble. Unless you were playing bowls, there was no reason to visit the club. The TAB had closed, the club had stopped serving food.

“Robina is a high-density residential area, but the club wasn’t giving locals a reason to step in the door.”

Moffatt said that with all the work happening at Club Helensvale, taking on the task of re-inventing Club Robina, had been a challenge.

“We have been very careful not to take our eye off the mother ship. It has been a delicate balancing act to make sure the interests of both clubs are served equally.”

Club Robina is now once again serving good quality food Thursday to Fridays and new, and existing, members have been given reciprocal rights at Club Helensvale.

“Every month our bowlers now travel to Club Robina to play. Members can visit either club. We want to make this as seamless as possible for members,” Moffatt said.

“In the long term, we want people to be able to get the same dining and gaming experience at both clubs. The menu at Club Robina is not the same as Club Helensvale yet, but eventually we hope it will be the same.

“The TAB will return in the second half of the year and by then we hope to have Club Robina chugging along nicely.

“As a not-for-profit community bowls club, we felt it was within our charter to help out, providing a brighter future for the Robina community and adding another great facility for our members residing to the south to enjoy.

“Our first priority will be to improve the standard of the bowling greens that support the 180-strong bowling membership. We’ll then turn our attention to the club facilities.”