Fun-focused driving range a stroke of genius as City of Stirling unveils $20 million Hamersley Public Golf Course redevelopment

A fully licensed entertainment-focused driving range is the star attraction of the City of Stirling's $20 million redevelopment of Hamersley Public Golf Course. 

Stirling Leisure – Hamersley Public Golf Course will reopen to the public on Monday 16 December, featuring a variety of new facilities and upgrades that have transformed it into a leading family-friendly public golf and hospitality destination. 

The traditional driving range experience has been given a shake-up, with advanced ball-tracking technology, digital simulation gaming options, lounge seating, and food and drink service throughout the venue. 

Food and drinks will be served to all 30 bays in the two-storey driving range from an on-site bar and kiosk called Caddy’s, with licensed service from 12noon to 9.00pm. 

Each bay will have two viewing screens and seating, allowing groups of up to eight to make the most of the options offered by the Inrange ball-tracking technology, from playing an assortment of mini games to testing their skills on some of the world’s most famous courses. 

Bays will be allocated by time, rather than balls or buckets, and are now available for booking online ahead of the 16 December opening. 

While the driving range will get a lot of the attention, the redevelopment has introduced plenty of other new features to a venue that was due for a revamp, including a new bar and restaurant, a new pro shop with a putting simulator, and the City’s biggest ever public art project. 

“This is the start of an exciting new era for the Stirling Leisure - Hamersley Public Golf Course,” City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin said. 

“The new driving range and pavilion, in particular, are going to transform this venue and make it more attractive to more members of our community. 

“This is the only public golf course in the City of Stirling and I’m proud to say it’s now one of the best public golf courses in WA.” 

Stirling Leisure - Hamersley Public Golf Course opened in 1968, with the old Gleneagles Bar and Reception Centre added in 1983. 

The course has remained popular, with about 100,000 visits a year, but there have been limited capital upgrades in recent decades and the old facilities had fallen behind contemporary standards and community expectations. 

City of Stirling Council approved the redevelopment in April 2023 and awarded the construction tender to Perth builder Cooper and Oxley in August 2023. 

Another major feature of the redevelopment is a stylish new pavilion that is home to a 500-person venue called Sunny Social, with a bar, restaurant, function room, kiosk and al fresco seating. 

The aim of Sunny Social is to create an entertainment destination for all ages, including families, so a children’s play area has been incorporated into the design. 

The venue will be open from 6.30am to late, and like the driving range, it is already open for online bookings. 

An open-air events space called Tuart Estate will be the setting for engagement parties, jazz concerts, awards nights, outdoor cinemas and more. 

Sunny Social, Tuart Estate and Caddy’s will be managed by Perth hospitality company Tuart Tree Estate Pty Ltd, with more than 35 years of specialist experience in the group. 

The course’s prominent tuart trees are a theme throughout the redevelopment and the inspiration behind the public art created by Perth’s Pamela Gaunt in collaboration with Apparatus. 

Ms Gaunt designed a series of four interconnected public art pieces that run from the pavilion to the driving range, using different mediums and techniques to foster an appreciation of the tuart tree. 

One of the public art pieces spans 43m, showcasing the flowering cycle of the tuart tree through laser-cut and printed aluminium, acrylic and lighting. 

New golf carts will enhance the experience on the 18-hole course, offering golfers high-resolution touch screens with 3D hole flyovers, distance measurements and digital scorecards. 

The redevelopment has also added more than 70 new parking bays and reduced carbon emissions through more efficient lighting and equipment.