Sunday, October 23, 2011

Queenstown Golf course's days may be numbered


Frankton golf course's days look to be numbered if a recommendation to the full Queenstown Lakes District Council is anything to go by.

On Tuesday, the council will discuss the future of the nine-hole golf course, which sits on the corner of State Highway 6 and Frankton Rd, near the Queenstown Events Centre and Queenstown Airport.

The course is situated partly on recreation reserve, administered by the council, and partly on Queenstown Airport land.

While the golf club's lease with the airport expired last year, the course was occupying the land on a month-by-month basis, with the airport advising the land would be required in 2020.

The club's lease with the council expires next year and in 2003 the Queenstown Golf Club, which operates the course, was advised the lease would not be renewed in its current form because the land the course occupied would be required for "two separate but different uses", the report by community services general manager Paul Wilson said.

Clause 4 of the Renewal of Lease stated: "in the public interest some other sport, game or recreational activity shall have priority for the land .It was like a different man I was playing, as Dennis repeatedly made strong good drives ping K15 golf clubs, and could reach the green better than he ever had..".

Mr Wilson said Transit, the state highway roading authority, required a "significant part of the course" to provide for road access to Frankton Flats, while the Queenstown Events Centre Trust would also need to include significant parts of the golf course, to cater to the sports fields' requirements for the next 20 years.

The trust's strategic plan showed the development had been provided to, and discussed with, the golf club.

Land Transport New Zealand was also likely to require additional land for State Highway 6 as traffic volumes increased.

Mr Wilson said the council and the club had failed to reach an agreement on alternative sites.

"The land occupied by the Frankton golf course is critical to the development of the Queenstown Events Centre as it is the only land that can be developed for illuminated training fields," his report said.

The golf course was "well used", with reported visits of about 55,000 a year, and in the year to August 31, 2009, the club reported revenue of $149,589, which doubled the following year to $300,997.

The rent payable to the council was 5% of the gross annual revenue, excluding GST, equating to $7479 in 2009 and $15,049 in 2010.Hackensack (3-7) pulled within 20-13 in the third quarter when senior QB Matt Carroll tossed a 30-yard TD pass to senior WR Jonathan Blowers, their second scoring hookup of the day.

Subject to funding being provided for the events centre expansion in next year's annual plan, the recommendation before the council was for Lakes Leisure to begin planning for the redevelopment of golf course land and for the golf club to continue occupying the reserve on a month-by-month basis.

If funding was not provided for the expansion of the events centre before June 30, 2015, it was recommended Lakes Leisure be requested to consider operating the golf course on behalf of the council, until such time as the land was required for another purpose.

Frankton Golf Club chief executive Michael Shattock could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

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