Long-time Wanaka residents Linton Allison (35), Arne Gawn (34) and Greg Richards (32), the directors of Lake Wanaka Investments Limited, spent two years searching for the perfect place to establish a mini-golf business.
They recently secured a minimum 15-month lease over a prime 1000sq m commercial site at 67 Brownston St and plan to open "Pembroke Putt" there at the end of June, in time for the school holidays.
The site has a capital value of $1,375,000 and is owned by Whangarei company Pipiwai Investments Limited.
The men are combining their professional skills - Mr Allison is the owner of a graphic design business, Mr Gawn has a landscaping company and Mr Richards is an electrician - to transform the site during the next five weeks, working weekends and evenings to get the job done.
The course will feature 18 Kiwiana and Lake Wanaka-themed holes, and an old house on the section will be renovated into an office.
Mobile pizza company Francesca's is also on the lease and will take up a permanent station next to the mini golf course.
The men liaised with Lakes Environmental planners to ensure planned site alterations fell within the parameters of the commercial zone, meaning no resource consent was required.
They said they were undeterred by competition from Wanaka's existing mini golf course at the Have A Shot shooting complex near the airport, or the possibility of a third mini golf development at the Wanaka Golf Course on the corner of Ballantyne Rd and Stratford Tce.
The Wanaka Golf Club is seeking Queenstown Lakes District Council approval as lessor to grant a sub-lease to Wanaka Fun Park Limited for the mini golf development to raise additional income for the club.
Pembroke Putt's central location next to Base Backpackers and across the road from Cinema Paradiso would be an advantage and "we're going to be probably a completely different sort of operation to [the others]," Mr Gawn said.
However, Have a Shot owner Wayne Palmer believed there were "too many down months in the year" for three mini golf courses in Wanaka.
"If they all wanted to do their sums and have a look at the business that's around for three months of the year there's no way that three mini-putts can survive.
"I know what returns come off them," Mr Palmer said.
"As far as having one on a stand-alone situation, it's not easy ...
"I've got other strings to my bow and we will counteract in other ways."
Mr Palmer predicted strong community opposition to the mini golf business proposed for the golf course.
"I'm very unimpressed with council allowing recreation reserve land to be used for private business ... maybe we might build a fourth one [mini golf course] in the middle of Pembroke Park if recreation reserve land is now available for private enterprise."
Council property manager Joanne Conroy said that under the Reserves Act, the council could grant leases to commercial developments on recreation reserve "so long as there's essentially some kind of recreational elements to it".
She had received one submission so far on the Wanaka Fun Park proposal, which objected to recreation reserve being used for private commercial purposes.
Submissions on the proposal close on May 30.
If the sub-lease is approved, Wanaka Fun Park will still need building and resource consents.
