The background:
Woollahra Golf Club, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, is a public access 9-hole golf course with a history dating back to 1927. In late 2020 the club sought to update its lockers and General Manager, Guy Gibson, who manages all facilities at Woollahra Golf Club, was charged with sourcing 153 new lockers for the club.
The new lockers would replace well-used steel lockers that had been in use for well over two decades. Gibson reached out to Premier Lockers, which offers the most comprehensive range of lockers in Australia, to discuss the club’s new locker requirements.
Project challenges
One of the key challenges for the project that Premier Lockers needed to solve was fitting all 153 lockers into the confined space of Woollahra Golf Club’s members locker room. Each individual locker needed to be large enough to comfortably house both a full golf bag and a golf push buggy – both quite bulky items – while also being compact enough to fit all 153 lockers into the limited space available in the locker room.
On top of this, Premier Lockers needed to deliver a locker storage solution that was durable and long-lasting while also being pleasing to the eye. The lockers needed to be able to withstand the presence of moisture and grass/dirt debris from golf equipment, while also delivering an aesthetic that would match the storied history of the club and the expectations of its membership.
“Premier Lockers needed to deliver a locker storage solution that was durable and long-lasting while also being pleasing to the eye.”
“The problem was the room available in the locker room for the number of lockers they wanted to put in,” explains Premier Lockers. “They had existing old steel lockers; they were stacked on top of each other, which wasn’t ideal.”
Part of the Premier Lockers’ service for Woollahra Golf Club involved carefully disassembling and removing the existing lockers from the locker room.”
The Premier Lockers solution
To deliver on the expectations set by Woollahra Golf Club’s facility manager, Premier Lockers created a custom-designed locker solution that would tick all the boxes for the client. During the onsite consult, Premier Lockers listened and learned from the client about what the club’s membership wanted from their new lockers.
A core part of the consultation process focused on material selection for the new lockers. The need for durability needed to be balanced against the need for a high-end look and feel. Steel lockers were a big part of the discussion due to the durable nature of steel and its waterproof properties.
However, to deliver the look and feel the facility manager and club members wanted, laminate lockers with an aesthetically pleasing wood grain finish were selected. While not as durable as steel lockers, it’s important to note that modern laminate lockers from Premier Lockers do offer durability for facility managers who are looking for a softer and classier aesthetic than steel provides.
Over our many years in business we have developed great working relationships with clients through collaborating to deliver the precise result each client seeks. And that was certainly the case with Woollahra Golf Club. The club hires their lockers out to individual members for a fee, so it was important that their new lockers offered a plush and visually appealing aesthetic that would entice members to hire and use them.
As such, laminate lockers were the best solution. To complement the introduction of the new lockers for members, Gibson had the locker room repainted and recarpeted.
New lockers delight Woollahra Golf Club membership
The bespoke lockers were made to custom dimensions – extending the height and narrowing the width – in order to comfortably accommodate all 153 lockers into the space available. Each locker featured a removable shelf and key locks, and each individual locker came with two keys.
“We have developed great working relationships with clients through collaborating to deliver the precise result each client seeks.”
Premier Lockers made multiple visits to Woollahra Golf Club, during which sample lockers were showcased to the facility manager.
“We listened to all their wants and came up with a specification drawing. There were a few things to discuss with Guy [Gibson, General Manager, Woollahra Golf Club]. It’s not easy for him because he’s got members with opinions about what would work best. And the job looked exceptional in the end – a very pleasing job.”
Are you a facility manager looking to refresh your premises in 2021 by introducing new lockers?
Call Premier Lockers on 0800 146 199, or email sales@premier-lockers.co.nz, and let’s work together to find the best solution for your organisation and customers.