CALL IT a makeover … a bit of nip-and-tuck to a Nineties classic.
Even those closest to Cypress Lakes Resort knew something had to be done to slow down, or better yet, reverse the aging process.
Considered one of the finest golf resorts in the country during its heyday, Cypress Lakes had begun to show visible signs of wear and tear, looking every bit of its 20 years after opening for play in 1992. Patchy greens, uprooted paths and bunkering that was very much hit-and-miss were just three telltale signs of a course feeling the pinch. Amplifying its slide was the continued rise of nearby golf resorts The Vintage and Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley.
“We had dropped off the Hunter Valley golf radar there for a while, no doubt about it,” says Cypress Lakes Resort operations manager James Harris. “It was important we addressed that quickly so people coming to the Hunter Valley put Cypress Lakes at the top of their to-do list.”
As fate would have it, that’s when Thai hotel group Minor International came to the party, purchasing the resort for $10 million in 2013 along with the management rights to 140 strata-titled villas through its Australian entity, Oaks Hotels & Resorts.
A refurbishment program immediately followed and new superintendent Craig Malloy was given the green light to get the Pokolbin-based layout – designed by American Steve Smyers – back into the shape people came to expect from a course that had hosted several professional tournaments.
Three years on, Malloy and his team have delivered. Playing numbers at the resort are up and the secret is out of the bag: Cypress Lakes is back.
“The feedback we’ve been getting is that the course has never looked better,” says Harris. “Numbers are flooding in and it’s a credit to the hard work Craig and his team have put in. While there are still more improvements to come, we feel we’ve got the course back to where we want it. More than $2.5 million has been poured into refurbishments to date, including a new cart shed and a bunker rejuvenation program. And I’m pleased to say our greens have been restored to their former glory.”
Did you know… Feeling confident? Try playing the new-look Cypress Lakes Resort off the championship tees. With a course rating of 150, every facet of your game will be tested. “We’re actually rated the hardest course in Australia off our back tees,” says Harris. “So the challenge is there for those who are brave enough.”
No Expense Spared
Away from the course, the rebirth of Cypress Lakes Resort continues.
Already boasting the popular Bodega restaurant and bar, spacious one, two, three and four-bedroom villas, two swimming pools, tennis courts, 16 different conference spaces and a purpose-built marquee catering up to 1,600 delegates, the Oaks Hotels Group wasn’t satisfied.
“The 140 resort villas managed by Oaks are being extensively refurbished throughout 2016,” says Cypress Lakes Resort business development manager Michelle Borkowski. “On top of this, we are launching our new seafood restaurant, Fish to Fork, mid-September as a second dining option on peak days. We also have extensive capital upgrades to our conference facilities due for completion in October, while we have fitted our entire fleet of Club Car golf carts with the award-winning Visage GPS system to further enhance the playing experience.”
Continuing the momentum, next month Cypress Lakes will host the Srixon International Junior Classic tournament for a second time, an opportunity Harris hopes will act as an audition to attract a top-tier professional tournament in the not-too-distant future.
“We hope to get some big events back here,” he says. “Obviously there’s been a significant financial investment put into the resort to make it a world-class play-and-stay golf destination and that’s our No.1 priority. But we also have one of the best corporate golf day facilities anywhere and that’s an area we will specialise in, moving forward. Everything is here – once people come through our gates they don’t have to leave.”
That’s the Cypress Lakes we remember.
Mix Business With Pleasure
Cypress Lakes specialises in hosting corporate golf events of all sizes and formats. Their professional team will help you select and tailor one of their exclusive corporate golf packages to suit your special event.
Visage GPS enriches your corporate golf experience by feeding you live measurement and layout data on your personal in cart display. Electronic scoring is bonus feature of the Visage system and when linked together with other carts and a live leaderboard, offers that extra special touch and dimension tor your corporate or social group outing.
For more information, contact the corporate golf and events coordinator on (02) 4993 1555 or email [email protected].
Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
Address: Cnr McDonalds and Thompsons Rd, Pokolbin, NSW 2320
Phone: +61 (02) 4993 1555
Email: [email protected]
