Sea View Golf Club in Cottesloe planning works to take clubhouse above par

The Sea View Golf Club is taking a swing at improving its entry and accessibility. It is planning a new entry canopy, doors, and landscaping at its heritage-listed clubhouse, as well as an entry ramp and stairs to its upper level and a walkway from its carpark to its lower levels to improve its appearance and offer protection from the weather. The foyer floor finish will be replaced, and the male and staff toilet areas will be refurbished to provide a unisex bathroom and WC. The club must undergo multiple approval processes as the golf course and clubhouse are heritage-listed and on crown land. It needs support from the Town of Cottesloe, as the land is vested in it, and from the Heritage Council before it can seek approval from the WA Planning Commission. The buildings and facilities at the course are owned by the town but maintained by the club. Town staff have recommended the council support the club’s plans. “The proposed external works will visually and functionally improve the southern facade of the clubhouse, providing a new covered entry and better access arrangements,” a staff report said. “The proposed internal refurbishment of the existing toilets and finishes should also be an improvement on current conditions and bring the facilities following current building and health regulations.” The town is developing a redevelopment strategy for the Sea View Golf Club, and the report warned that the works could have to be removed once the town’s vision for the site is established. “The club has acknowledged that there may be a future redevelopment of the site but notes that in its view, the expected time frame for these works is still 5-10 or more years away and the provision of the proposed works allows the club to meet the members’ immediate needs and concerns in the interim,” its application from Walton Architects said. A survey of what the community wants to see happen to the club as part of work on the strategy closed on September 16. The club’s lease of the site expires on June 30, 2026. The site has been used as a golf course since 1909, and as Sea View Golf Club since 1931. It is advertised on the town’s website as a “premier destination for all golf-lovers” with “meticulously maintained fairways and greens” and “incredible ocean views”. The proposal is scheduled to be considered by the council at its September 24 meeting.