Council group to run golf course

The Frankton golf course will be managed by the Queenstown Lakes District Council-controlled organisation Lakes Leisure from March 22.

In a statement released yesterday, Lakes Leisure said it would assume full management of the course and intended developing it into a golf learning centre to attract younger players, particularly teenagers.

Lakes Leisure chief executive Ruth Stokes said the timing worked well for the Queenstown Golf Club, which had been managing the centre under contract. The Queenstown club intended to shift its full focus to the Kelvin Heights course.

Last July, the Frankton Golf Centre became part of Lakes Leisure's portfolio of council-owned facilities when the Queenstown club's lease expired.

Golf pro Jamie McIsaac would continue to work for the Frankton centre and it would be ''business as usual'' for members, Ms Stokes said. The council intends to include funding in its 2015 long-term plan to develop a further 9-hole course, possibly on Remarkables Park Ltd-owned land.

The Queenstown Airport, which borders the golf course, partly owns the course and has indicated it is likely to require the land for its expanding aviation activities in about 2020.