Beers for $1.70, lunch deals for under $5 and a dusty trophy cabinet: Inside a bowls club that hasn’t been touched in 10 years as it hits the market
- Second-oldest bowls club on the Gold Coast back on the market after two years
- Surfers Paradise Bowls Club has stood empty after closing its doors in 2010
- Deal struck by previous owner Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate fell through last year
- Sentimental locals remember club’s cheap beers and barefoot bowling greens
An old club that stood empty for more than a decade is back on the market, as locals remember the venue for its cheap beers and barefoot bowls.
The old Surfers Paradise Bowls Club is for sale for the first time in two years, after a deal struck by the previous owner Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate fell through.
The nearly 5000 square metre property sits on Remembrance Drive in Surfers Paradise, positioned in the middle of the busy Gold Coast strip.
The nearly 5000 square metre property sits on Remembrance Drive in Surfers Paradise, positioned in the middle of the busy Gold Coast strip
Mayor Tate bought the venue back in the mid 2000s, planning to rescue the local club from financial ruin with the help of two other business partners.
However after several years of the modest club making little profit, he and his partners decided to close its doors for good back in 2010.
At one point the bowling club was set to be remodelled into a 56-storey high rise building, with Mayor Tate heading the development application.
But those plans were abandoned last year and the development was never built.
At one point the bowling club was set to be remodelled into a 56-storey high rise building, with previous owner Mayor Tom Tate launching the development application
However the beloved club’s bar, bowling greens and bistro still remain intact, featuring decor reminiscent of early 2000s bowls clubs and RSLs.
‘We’re relaunching the site, it’s coming back on the market for the first time in two years,’ agent Ben Evans from Canford Estate Agents told 9NEWS.
Mr Evans described the venue, which is the second oldest bowls club on the Gold Coast, as a ‘time portal’ into a rich chapter of the areas history.
‘You look around and you can see all of the old trophies and stuff from the bowls club and you’ve got signage for $4.50 pints and lunches.’
An old poster inside the bowls club is sure to take some locals on a trip down memory lane, who could enjoy beers for just $1.70 and spirits for $4
An old poster promoting the club’s happy hours is sure to take some locals on a trip down memory lane, with beers for as cheap as $1.70 and spirits for $4.
The bowling greens are still maintained, but not to the standard they once were in the club’s glory days.
‘Obviously, there’s a lot of memories here; and seen a lot of people come through its doors,’ Mr Evans said.
‘Sadly, no one will come through as a bowls club again, but the site could be rejuvenated and reutilised for future generations.’
Agent Ben Evans described the venue, which is the second oldest bowls club on the Gold Coast, as a ‘time portal’ into a rich chapter of the areas history
Facebook users responded to the news by sharing their memories of happy days they spent at the iconic Gold Coast venue.
’10 years! Barefoot surfers bowlo sundays,’ one local man remembered.
‘It was our home for a very long while, miss those days,’ another shared.
One man revealed a detail from a boozy night him and mates spent at the club.
‘Remember when you put a trolley through the front door…’, he said, tagging his guilty friend in the comment.
Canford Real Estate Agents is currently running an expressions of interest campaign on their website which will be live until May 20.
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