By Michael Davis
GreenSpace is fast becoming a force of nature in the golf industry.
The company’s passion and enthusiasm is infectious.
GreenSpace are pushing hard for industry change, they are driving genuine community outcomes within the public access facility that they are now responsible for.
Their newest edition to the stable is one that has the GreenSpace team very excited….
‘The company has recently partnered with the City of Salisbury to make Adelaide’s stunning landmark par-3, Little Para, the fourth member of its rapidly growing stable. It already has successful partnerships to run Freeway Golf and Royal Park in Melbourne and Regency Park in Adelaide.
“The company was formed by experts in golf to provide market leading, innovative solutions that are benchmarked globally and community focused,” Vlahandreas explains.
He is particularly excited about being handed the reins to Little Para Golf Course which for decades has been a much-loved community asset for the City of Salisbury and beyond.
“Little Para is ready to embark on its next journey,” he says.
The philosophy driving the City of Salisbury’s decision to partner with GreenSpace was the council’s commitment to providing “a welcoming and livable city”.
“GreenSpace has partnered with the City of Salisbury to deliver an outstanding golfing experience, as well as a raft of non-golf community focused programs,” he says.
This includes the soon to be completed SHANX Mini Golf @ Little Para, an enhanced technology focused driving range and modern amenities designed to welcome all members of the community.
“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Salisbury and to deliver a long-term strategic plan for the facility that will engage our community through the creation of modern and entertainment focused golf experiences.”
He believes Little Para, just 30 minutes from Adelaide’s CBD, will be the blueprint for community focused, public access golf facilities throughout the country.
Salisbury mayor Gillian Aldridge, OAM, said the City of Salisbury was proud of the Little Para Golf Course as an outstanding community asset.
“It has always been a great place to learn the game or for the more experienced to hone their skills,” Aldridge said. “We’re excited about the possibilities that are created by our agreement with Greenspace Management and look forward to the future developments.
“The addition of SHANX and upgrades to the driving range will further improve a valuable community asset and we encourage golfers and non-golfers to keep an eye on Little Para as the changes roll out.”
Vlahandreas says Little Para is a community recreation facility with golfing amenities at its core.
“But it will be so much more in the next few years. It’s a facility that welcomes everyone to ‘turn up and hit a ball’. It’s a community asset that has a new lease on life, a renewed vision – a vision that has always probably been there but never allowed to flourish because the traditions of the game held it back from being who it needs to be for our game,” he says. “It’s a facility that is all about fun and playing your way.
“Our first few weeks (the company took over on July 1) behind the counter have reinforced our love of Little Para. The number of families, under 30s, women and girls already at Little Para is incredible. The foundations are there as they are at many public access facilities across the country. That’s why we love this course so much and that’s why we’re committed to making it the best facility it can be. That’s why we’ve partnered with the City of Salisbury and that’s why we’re committed to a long-term strategy at Little Para. It’s a genuine grassroots public access facility.”
Research by golf bodies reveals there is a significant demand for casual play. Younger golfers (under 40) and those new to golf golfers (women, men, and children) play more when you remove all the red tape (rules) associated with golf courses. But this in no way diminishes their respect for the golf course or their fellow golfers.
GreenSpace believes people are also looking for a no-frills approach to playing golf.
“People want to just play golf and that’s it,” Vlahandreas said. “They aren’t bothered with tradition, rules and competitions in public access golf. I have always said, ‘when a golf course knows who it is and what it wants to be’ [when it grows up], then it can set about being the best it possibly can be. Public access golf courses are not pseudo ‘private golf courses’, they are certainly not ‘championship’ golf and they are definitely not stuffy and unwelcoming.
“Public golf courses are just that, public access recreation. All are welcome. They are not reserved for member groups who dominate peak tee-times. They are not for a select few.
“They are public access sporting facilities for everyone in the community. With cultural change and committed partners in local councils, we are seeing more families, women and girls enjoying our facilities.”
Revolutionary changes GreenSpace has already made to the way in which the game is played at its four venues will raise eyebrows among the golf establishment.
They include the abolition of dress codes; playing in groups of up to six players as long as they keep up with the group in front; allowing music on course with Bluetooth speakers; sharing clubs; children can hire clubs for free; non-golfers and non-golf groups welcome to use the facilities; a friendly, welcoming environment for the community to learn the sport and get into the game; and the welcoming of dogs on course. Above all, the emphasis is on having fun.
These simple changes are genuinely making a contribution to the growing of the game of golf among everybody in the community.
Little Para also has genuine claims to being the best par3 course in Australia.
It is a top-notch layout of its type and features green grass tees, spectacular green complexes and bunkering.
The Little Para River runs throughout the property and is complemented by stunning River Red Gums.
The course meanders through the stunning landscape of the Little Para Linear Park in Paralowie.
Vlahandreas says: “There simply isn’t a golfing experience like it in Australia. Little Para is a must play for all golfers.”
He emphasises Little Para Golf Course is a public access facility and everybody is welcome seven days a week to the beautiful little course and its surrounds.
The nine-hole, configuration is designed to be fun and encourages a range of shot making from grass tees into large, target orientated greens. Little Para is perfect for beginners, social golfers and professionals alike.
All skill levels are welcome and the emphasis, no matter how good a player you are, is on having fun while you are out there.
There’s been a complete re-brand of the facility too… like all GreenSpace sites their branding and marketing in on-point and aimed to drive a new message to the market. They are doing some super-cool stuff in this space and the Little Para branding is no exception.
Cue the Pixel Duck. Originating from the local Blue-Billed Duck that calls the Little Para wetlands home, GreenSpace created a very cool logo and brand around the Little Para local.
Their merchandise is seriously cool too, and as you’d expect, not traditional at all with a range of Hoodies, T-Shirts and snap-back caps selling like hotcakes for them in-store and online.
On top of all of this, they have three PGA Professionals and a collection of Community Coaches driving game development programming for the facility throughout the course and driving range.
The significance of golf facilities like Little Para have never been more important for golf, and GreenSpace is the company bringing them back to the forefront of Golf Australia, Councils and State Governments to ensure their viability long-term for our communities. Bravo Peter V and the GreenSpace Team.
For more information visit:
www.greenspacemanagement.com.au
www.littleparagolf.com.au
www.salisbury.sa.gov.au
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