The compact, four green, par 29, 1685m course was designed by Greg Turner's company, Turner Macpherson Golf Design, and is virtually complete.
The course, on the 41.327ha rural general zoned property, is within the Crown Terrace visual amenity landscape, has had earthworks well in excess of restrictions in the Queenstown Lakes District Council's district plan and therefore requires retrospective land-use consent.
The district plan allows a maximum of only 1000cu m a year to be moved without consent.
Describing the course as "just a golf amenity", Mr Turner said in the application the project had grown from its original concept when a pond had to be reinforced and retaining work was done beside a field.
The client had also decided to increase the scope of the project.
Lakes Environmental planning manager Brian Fitzpatrick declined to comment on the application but said it was "not unusual" to receive retrospective applications.
"We thought we had got the message out to the public that they [consents] were needed beforehand, but we're still seeing instances of retrospective consents coming through."
Despite work being completed, there were no guarantees the course could remain there.
In declining other retrospective applications , Lakes Environmental has told people to return land to its original state.
Mr Fitzpatrick said once applications were filed, Lakes Environmental staff were required to treat them as any other.
"We make no judgement . . . we look at what was there and . . . look at the effects."
The private course is on the grounds of Fairview, also known as Barley Station.
Two other applications filed in June related to rebuilding and adding to the property's main house, which was extensively damaged by fire on April 27.
One application seeks to vary the original resource consent by "slightly extending" the new wing and increasing the building's footprint from 348sq m to 354sq m.
However, a second-storey extension over the previously single-storey wing would "add to the bulk" of the house.
Another consent relates to the planned construction of a 100sq m tennis pavilion with a kitchenette and an outdoor barbecue and dining area.
The application states the effects of all additions will be minor.
The applications were filed by Auckland lawyer Derek Dallow and Peter Little, trustees of Barley Station.
Mr Dallow would not comment when contacted, other than to say "we act for 950 trusts and all their affairs are confidential".
