Sheargold’s Sussex Inlet Golf Village project is a boon for the South Coast region of New South Wales
Sheargold celebrated its diamond anniversary last year, marking 60 years since its founder Roy Sheargold turned a fledgling home-renovation business into a property-development company in 1963.
Through early partnerships with the Tieck and Cornock families of supermarket chain Franklins, Sheargold worked on several large housing subdivisions, apartment buildings and shopping centres. By the late 1980s, Sheargold was investing and managing industrial, commercial and residential property while also undertaking major residential projects.
Today, Sheargold boasts a remarkable history, having worked on more than 70 projects in areas of New South Wales from Sydney, Newcastle and Taree, the Central Coast, Nowra, Ulladulla and Wollongong. It has built an investment portfolio spanning all property sectors from industrial to office, retail to residential.
Sheargold’s first residential golf project is Sussex Inlet Golf Village in the Shoalhaven on the NSW South Coast, famous for pure white sandy beaches along 125 kilometres of coastline. A course architect will be engaged to upgrade and incorporate the existing nine-hole layout into the residential development three-hour’s drive from Sydney (two-and-a-half hours from Canberra) and 35 minutes from Jervis Bay National Park.
Sussex Inlet Golf Village will eventually comprise more than 700 dwellings in three precincts (Jacob’s Range, Badgee’s Reach and Northwood). Sheargold’s sales & marketing manager Jackie Atchison provided an insight into the progress of the project.
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How did Sheargold become involved in the development at Sussex Inlet Golf Village?
The Sussex Inlet Golf Village site has been owned by Ralph Lucas of Lucas Property Group for 40 years. Ralph is a well-respected developer of property throughout coastal NSW, particularly the Sussex Inlet area. Sheargold joined with Lucas Property Group in 2016 to develop the site. The first home sites were released for sale in 2020.
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How many blocks are currently available for sale? What is the size of the blocks?
We currently have 11 homesites for sale. The blocks range in size from 501m2 to 813m2. About half of the available homesites have golf-course frontage, giving owners direct views of the course from their backyard.
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What are the distinctive features of Sussex Inlet Golf Village?
The golf course and natural surroundings are the most visually distinctive features. However Sheargold know that ultimately, it’s the people that live in Sussex Inlet Golf Village that will make it a great place to live. We’ve taken steps to nurture and grow the community through communal events, regular newsletter updates and social media. We held the inaugural Sussex Inlet Golf Village Christmas Party at the golf club last year. It was a great success with residents enjoying a relaxed dinner and drinks while the younger residents had the opportunity to sit in the Sussex Inlet Rural Fire Service trucks.
Sheargold is passionate about creating inspiring spaces for residents and tenants alike, leaving a legacy of which its communities can be proud. To that end, Sheargold developed ‘Design Guidelines’ to promote high-quality home designs and streetscapes, rewarding owners that follow those guidelines with ‘Streetscape Incentives’ totalling $5,000.
Sussex Inlet Golf Village has been awarded 6-leaf Certification from EnviroDevelopment, an initiative of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA). EnviroDevelopment assesses projects on sustainability measures in six key areas – ecosystems, waste, energy, materials, water and community.
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What changes are being made to Sussex Inlet’s nine-hole golf course by James Wilcher?
The existing nine-hole golf course is undergoing significant changes, particularly to the seventh, eighth, and ninth holes. The seventh hole is being extended into a long par 4 with the tee positioned in a treelined chute reminiscent of the 18th hole at Augusta National. This aims to enhance the challenge and aesthetic appeal of the hole. The eighth hole is being converted to a par 3, while the ninth hole remains a par 3 but will see improvements to its current design. There are also preliminary plans to expand the course by adding three more holes, potentially making it a 12-hole layout (3,012 metres, par 43), though this is dependent on the approval of a planning proposal.
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How does a refurbished golf course appeal to prospective homeowners?
All buyers receive a complimentary Sussex Inlet Golf Village Gold Level Membership package entitling them to two 12-month memberships or a single two-year membership. For keen golfers, having a golf course on their doorstep and free membership are drawcards. However we’ve found that even those buyers who were casual players, or rarely played at all, have taken up the complimentary membership as a way to make connections within the village and Sussex Inlet neighbourhood.
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Is the clubhouse envisioned to be a centrepiece of the village?
While the clubhouse is currently the central hub of the golf course, it doesn’t hold the same significance within the broader village context. However, there are ongoing discussions and explorations of opportunities to enhance the clubhouse, with the aim of transforming it into a more integral part of the village.
The goal is to make the clubhouse a focal point for golfers and a central gathering space for the entire community, thereby increasing its importance within the village. We’re also looking to incorporate a commercial hub with retail facilities and elements like a childcare centre, which will act as the hub of the overall development.
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What is the entry price point to purchase land at Sussex Inlet Golf Village?
At present, homesites start from $410,000 for a 501m2 homesite. We have also partnered with Hotondo Homes, G.J. Gardner and New Living Homes to provide house-and-land packages, which start from about $750,000 for a three-bedroom/two-bathroom home.
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