Members of an 84-year-old golf club fear a sports hub proposal to chop their course in half could result in them closing down completely.
Gisborne Park Golf Club members are opposed to the idea of chopping their course in half. Photo: Paul Rickard / The Gisborne Herald / LDR
Gisborne Park Golf Club made its case at a Gisborne District Council meeting on Thursday in response to plans to "reinvigorate" sports and recreation facilities in Tairāwhiti.
Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti, Trust Tairāwhiti and Gisborne District Council have partnered to put a $150 million business case to central government.
The case proposes building four sports "hubs" to provide shared facilities for several clubs and codes.
Part of the Park golf course is the recommended site for one of the hubs.
Planners have acknowledged the disruption this could pose to the golf club and put forward two potential solutions - cut the course in half or reorientate it over neighbouring airport land at a cost of up to $4.5m.
Shirley Paku has been a member of Gisborne Park Golf Club for 53 years. Photo: LDR / Supplied
Club members oppose losing half their course and at Thursday's meeting, Park representatives bolstered their submission with stories of its history and members, including life member and club patron Shirley Paku.
Paku, a member of the club for 53 years, said it brings her "fun, exercise, social contact and competition".
"I am not a spring chicken any more. I am no longer young enough to play soccer or netball or tennis ... my body will not allow it," the 82-year-old said.
"But golf allows me to still be a part of competitive sport. The golf club keeps my life active. There is always something to do - games to play, people to meet."
Club members pictured in 1937. Photo: LDR / Supplied
Another senior member Evan Parkin, who is the club's veterans convener, said if the Park was to close, he would not continue to play at all.
"Most of our vets have stated they too would not continue to play. It doesn't seem fair that we may have to give up what we love and what keeps us active."
In a business case presentation to the council in December, consultant Kent Duston said Golf NZ had advised them there was increasing participation in nine-hole golf because people were time-constrained.
Official opening of the "new" clubhouse on 16 April 1955. Photo: LDR / Supplied
The club's submission shot that down, saying conversion to a nine-hole course would result in a "huge drop in membership".
Of the Park's 140 members, 84 percent are 18-hole members.
"If nine holes was the way of golf in this district it would show in the nine-hole membership already available to our members," the submission said.
If they converted to nine holes, they would have to lower subscription and green fee charges.
This would result in a dramatic reduction in revenue and could mean having to let go their greenkeeper.
This was likely to lessen the quality of the course, further impacting players' desire to play.
Without an 18-hole course, they would not be eligible to host district or national tournaments, would lose their "district level status" and would not be able to host open tournaments.
"The financial impact to the club will be major and could see the Park cease operations and close."
Club member Tina Karaitiana, who presented on behalf of the Park, said the ideal outcome was no change to the lease arrangements and a continuation of the lease when it came up for renewal in August 2022.
If there was a move to redevelop and reconfigure the course, she asked that the club be involved in that decision-making, and that the council take on leadership to source finances to support the project.
"The ideal is that the status quo remains, but as I said, they are community people and are open to other suggestions ... as long as that includes an 18-hole golf course."
Councillor Kerry Worsnop asked if the club saw any opportunity for partnering with a sports hub.
"Would proximity to other codes and potentially younger demographics and the increased vibrancy and funding that would (bring), is there potentially some benefit for membership?"
Karaitiana said she did not think the club would be "averse" to looking at that.
The business case recommends an indoor and court hub on Childers Rod Reserve, an outdoor and field sports hub which would take up part of the Park golf course, a river sports hub at Anzac Park and Marina Reserve, and an East Coast regional hub at Whakarua Park in Ruatoria.
Local Democracy Reporting is a public interest news service supported by RNZ, the News Publishers' Association and NZ On Air.
