Tender search for golf club draws a blank
THE future of a Gold Coast golf club remains in limbo after fresh efforts to find a new operator fell flat.
The 18-hole, par-70 course at Helensvale Golf Club – which is owned by the Gold Coast Council – closed suddenly in March last year when the previous leaseholder, Jigsaw Community Services, went into liquidation.
Golfers were caught off guard as liquidators changed the locks.
The 43-year-old club is the only council-owned golf course on the Coast after it was taken into ownership in 2013 when the club fell on hard times.
Council launched a public tender campaign last April to find a new operator but it failed to attract any interest.
A second tender was opened in November in the hopes of attracting new management.
However, Councillor William Owen-Jones said yesterday the latest attempt to find new blood for the club had also fallen through.
“Basically, there isn’t an operator that’s come out of the second round of tenders so we’ve just got to evaluate and there’ll be a report to council in due time,” he said.
Cr Owen-Jones said nine submissions were made to council, all seeking the land remain as a golf course.
However, just how the 16ha course can stay operational without council spending big money remains to be seen.
There are also limited other uses for the land, which is not zoned for residential development and is widely subject to flooding.
Previous suggestions include using the grounds as a potential new home for the Gold Coast Show, the Queens Park Tennis Club and a pony club.
“There was no residential support for the Show, there was no support for an equestrian club or a tennis club,” Cr Owen-Jones said.
“Their preference was to see if we could obtain somebody to operate it as a golf course.”
The grounds are being maintained by the council and will continue to be used as open space for the 700 homes surrounding the golf course until a decision is made.
It is expected the report will not be presented to the council for at least two months.
Residents took to social media yesterday to express their ideas for the site. Suggestions includes making it the new home of NightQuarter, a koala sanctuary or park.