Barnbougle Golf courses: Richard Sattler builds world-class golf empire

How non-golf player Richard Sattler saw the potential &
seized the opportunity to transform his cattle & potato farm into one of
the best champion links golf courses in the world. The former shearer, who’d
never played golf before, took a massive risk on backing the idea of developing
a top-quality links course amongst the pristine sand dunes of his coastal
stretch of North-East Tasmania, and ended up having to underwrite the 2-year
building project of Barnbougle Links course, The Dunes. But he quickly realised
the concept of building a wilderness experience for golf might mean they could
create a whole new market for themselves in remote Tassy, and that’s exactly
how Barnbougle became not just a local, but a world golf destination.

Years of hard slog battling huge hurdles in his business
journey in the island state of Tasmania – from the devastating Pilots’ strike
of 1989, and the ’91 recession which saw interest rates of 20%  mean
almost crippling debt – equipped Sattler with the experience, tenacity and
passion to go all out on the Barnbougle experiment. But it paid off, and
handsomely. Not only has Sattler expanded his links courses empire, but
Barnbougle sits comfortably in the Top 50 golf courses in the world! And it
remains one of the few courses in Australasia, where those golf enthusiasts who
make the pilgrimage, rarely come away disappointed! 

Hope you enjoy Part 1 of my chat, on the roller coaster
business ride of golfing entrepreneur and empire builder Richard Sattler.

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