In exciting news for racegoers, the Toompang Racecourse clubhouse has undergone a facelift just in time for this year’s Burrangong Picnic Races.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The outdated building has been transformed into an appealing venue in which the Burrangong Picnic Race Club committee hopes will be utilised for a range of functions.
Between several local businesses and a handful of volunteers, the renovations were completed on the weekend, and it’s hardly recognisable.
Renovations include a new kitchen, removal of the old brick bar, a new two metre verandah, and sliding doors have been installed along the face of the clubhouse.
“Before it was really closed up but now you’ve got all that natural light there and you can see out onto the racecourse, it makes it feel more like you’d want to be in there,” club president Tom Wills said.
“It’s all really free flowing and people who enjoy sitting in there will be able to look out on the racecourse now with all the doors open and be more involved in the atmosphere rather than being stuck in a shed.”
The club took a “spend money to make money” approach to the facility which they recognised holds great potential.
And while renovations have been completed for the year, more plans are in the making for 2016, including a new bar, and a permanent members bar structure.
“It’s such a good facility that’s not being used as much as it should be, so that’s the major thing. We want people to know it’s there and what can be done with it,” Wills said.
“That’s the whole plan of the committee’s, to make it known people can have their 21st, a fundraiser or a wedding out there.”
In saying that, they already have a wedding booked in for April.
But for now the focus remains on the Burrangong Picnic Races to be held on Saturday, October 10.
“Everything looks on track to have what we hope to be a bigger crowd than last year,” Wills said.
“We’re one of the bigger crowds in the central west, so we hope to continue improving on that.”
This year will see the club host a fundraiser after the last race on the day.
One thousand golf balls at the price of $20 each will be sold, before being loaded into a crane bucket and tipped onto the course with the closest three balls winning a prize.
First prize is worth $7000, second is $2000 and third $1000.
The balls will be available to buy at the General Store and on the day. You can also buy them when you do your membership online.
Funds raised will be split between the club and charities.