Yamba Golf & Country Club enjoyed a significant boost in tourists patronising the club during the holiday season – a result the club’s general manager Luke Stephenson attributes to the new all-weather deck that overlooks the golf course. “We had record trade through catering,” Mr Stephenson said. “Everyone was happy to sit outside on the deck. “From my perspective, our expectations were met, if not exceeded, during the tourism period.” Mr Stephenson said many patrons made positive comments about the deck and repeat business numbers were high, too. “It can be hard to get people off Coldstream Street; but the deck was often full. Now the members are coming back to golf and utilising it in the morning, when it’s open for coffee and breakfast.” The club also used the deck during the weeks before Christmas to cater for workers’ Christmas parties, those “involved in building the bridge and Pacific Highway – without the facility we would not have been able to cater for them”. While the official opening was held on January 15, Mr Stephenson said last Friday’s ‘tradies’ opening recognised the area’s local input into the project – “a thank you to the tradies involved”. “The club’s board of management wanted to keep everything as local as possible – tradespeople and suppliers: apart from three specialist suppliers, the rest are from the Lower Clarence. “More than 30 tradies and suppliers were involved in the build. “They have all come to the party with their time and support and we’ve come in on budget, which is not always the case when you do builds as a big as that.” The new deck is easily converted from alfresco to a haven from the elements. “We have full protection from the weather; we close the concertina walls when we need to ,” Mr Stephenson said.