The Graham Papworth-designed nine-hole course, which is on the site of the former Geelong Golf Club, in Victoria, Australia, will be open to the public in early 2014.

Developer Links Living, who is working on the 45-hectare Geelong Golf Club Residential Estate, and announced that the course would will be open for play before the entire housing project had has been completed.

One of the oldest courses in Australia, Geelong Golf Club opened in 1892, but hit a particularly rough period in the early 2000s. Links Living took over Geelong in 2002, acquiring the club’s AUS $2.2 million debt, but was forced to close the club in 2004.

Plans for a housing development and golf course were approved in 2011 following a lengthy process, and the re-designed course will re-open almost a decade after its initial closure.

As part of the re-design, Papworth, who is the current president of the Society of Australian Golf Course Architects, was able to use some of the existing features of the former course and maintain the extensive and mature vegetation.

“Our primary objective was to plan a good good-quality golf course that would offer an enjoyable challenge to all standards of golfer,” said Papworth. “The resulting nine nine-hole golf course is a par-33 of 2,179 metres in length which should have a regular playing time of about 90 minutes, which is very appropriate in today’s time time-poor society.”

When completed, the Geelong Golf Club will also host an academy and driving range.