$10 fees under new golf plans

Andrew Mathieson
DEVELOPERS are promising a nine-hole public golf course with $10 green fees at North Geelong to avoid handing the land back to council.
Links Living said its proposed $50 million redevelopment of the former Geelong Golf Club would deliver a PGA endorsed par-three course, a driving range, a golfing academy and Geelong’s first indoor bowls club.
Links Living managing director Stephen Head said the proposed golf centre would provide an affordable golfing experience on the par-three course.
“The Geelong region is already well catered for with many fine tournament-standard golf courses and we’re focussed on creating a quality nine-hole course with excellent teaching facilities for school groups, corporate groups, ladies’ groups, learner golfers of all ages, children and older golfers,” he said.
Mr Head said buyers of residential lots bordering the course would pay $160,000 in annual subsidies for the course.
Links’ revised golf course plans include less than 200 residential allotments, a retirement village, a general store, a full-service clubhouse with indoor and outdoor bowls facilities, public parks, bike paths and walking trails.
Mr Head said Links Living was ready to commence the project immediately on council approval.
Councillors have threatened to force Links Living into handing back 22 hectares of the golf course land if the company reneges on an agreement to develop a full-size nine-hole course.
The company has placed a two-page advertisement in this week’s Independent in response to criticism of its proposal.
But Greening Geelong West president Guenter Sahr rejected the latest plans.
“No one is saying please put in a nine-hole golf course. The golfers have had their day, so that’s history,” he said.
“We’re all in agreement that since the developer couldn’t make the nine-hole course viable it was to revert back to the city council for public use.
“That’s what we want and it is quite clear the developer cannot make it a viable proposition because it’s clawing back more of the 22 hectares that we want for a public park.”