Acclaimed course builder ready to tee off - Newcastle Herald
THE billion-dollar Lovedale Farm development in the Hunter Valley is moving forward after the appointment of its golf course builder.
The 18-hole championship course, which sits within the 600-acre site on Wine Country Drive, is expected to be completed in late 2028 alongside the project’s first 200 homes.
The course has been designed by Darius Oliver, creator of the top-ranked Cape Wickham Golf Links on King Island in Tasmania, with more than half the site dedicated to fairways, open green space and natural bushland.
The British heartland-style course will be delivered by Australian company Programmed Turnpoint, which has constructed more than 17 golf courses across the country and overseas.
Programmed Turnpoint’s other projects include The Cliffs on Kangaroo Island, which is set to open in November, Cape Wickham Golf Links and Magenta Shores on the Central Coast, which was ranked second in Golf Australia Magazine’s Top 100 Golf Courses in Australia 2026.
Capital Corporation managing director Jim Hunter said Programmed Turnpoint’s track record made it the right partner to deliver Lovedale Farm’s golf course.
“Programmed Turnpoint’s experience with courses like Cape Wickham and Magenta Shores gives us real confidence in the calibre of golf course we’ll deliver at Lovedale Farm,” Mr Hunter said.
“This is a significant step in bringing our vision for the Hunter Valley’s finest golf address to life.”
Leading the project for Programmed Turnpoint is Society of Australian Golf Course Architects president Justin Trot, whose career spans golf course design, construction and turf maintenance. He joined the company in 2011 after 16 years as design associate with design firm Thomson Wolveridge & Perrett, where his work included Moonah Links and The National Golf Club, both on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, and Hamilton Island Golf Club.
“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Capital Corporation on a site as special as Lovedale Farm,” Mr Trot said.
“There’s something rewarding about building a course in a region as steeped in golf and wine culture as the Hunter Valley and my background across design, construction and maintenance means I can see this project through every stage, from the first cut of turf to the day members are on it.”
Developed on the site of a former dairy farm, Lovedale Farm will include 500 residential lots, a 300-key resort and day spa and a dining precinct alongside the 18-hole championship course.
About 85 per cent of homes in the first release are already sold. Pricing for land starts at $667,800 for a 504-square-metre block or $1.187 million for house-and-land packages.
The project also includes a clubhouse, a pro shop, a signature restaurant and bar and a members’ lounge.
Article originally published in Newcastle Herald. Written by Jade Lazarevic.