Established in 1904, Sandy Creek Golf Club is one of the Barossa Valley’s oldest clubs, however just a few years ago, it looked as if its long and proud history may draw to a close.

Falling to under 200 members, and subsequently feeling the financial pinch, Sandy Creek made the tough decision to get rid of all paid employee roles at the club.

Becoming fully volunteer run was a brave call, and relied on the members all pitching in to help fill jobs to keep the club afloat.

"Quite simply, we wouldn’t still have a club without our volunteers," said Sandy Creek Golf Club President Sue Keylock.

"We have been able to utilise the skillset of our members in many different areas but most critically in course maintenance and clubhouse management."

Since becoming fully volunteer run, Sandy Creek, located just west of Lyndoch, has been able to increase its membership back over 300 and have enjoyed multiple profitable years in a row.

"We embraced the support of Golf Australia, who assisted us in a number of ways," said Keylock. "Most importantly with course maintenance, providing us with expert guidance which formed the basis of our strategy.

"There was more buy-in and engagement from members who volunteered since they were involved in the decision making and understood the reasons why."

While the willingness to volunteer from members was integral, Keylock explains that regaining a strong financial position has set the club for future sustainability and more golfers are hearing about the club, leading to more visitors.

"We improved our financial relationship with our suppliers and helped them understand our journey which improved our reputation and led to an increase in our number of sponsors, which has grown from four to 47," said Keylock.

"The expert guidance, many hands on deck and the improved financial position led to an improvement in course condition, which attracted more visitors and led to an increase in membership.

"We’re still seeing that positive feedback loop as more players leads to an increase in revenue that we can spend on improving course and club facilities."

Sandy Creek is also making strides in diversifying the club, and making sure that everyone is welcome, whether they just want to play nine holes, or be involved on the committee.

"I imagine there wouldn’t be too many clubs that have a woman captain and a woman president, but it isn’t something that we targeted," said Keylock.

"We made an effort to encourage female membership on the committee when we moved away from having a separate women’s committee.

"I think it is so important to have diversity on the committee and we have made positive steps in that direction."

The club has also forged a strong relationship with nearby Trinity College, which has introduced countless students to golf who may have never thought that golf is a game for them, and has helped Sandy Creek produce a number of South Australian state representatives, a trend Keylock is keen to continue.

Now back on its feet, Keylock is keen for Sandy Creek and its dedicated members to continue the upwards trajectory.

"We’re now financially stable, with four consecutive years of good profits," she said. "Membership is growing, sponsorship is growing and the vibe around the club is great.

"We want to continue the upgrade of our clubhouse both internally and externally, and explore how our facilities can be used more extensively by our community."