Otago had a gold rush. Now it has a "golf rush" and Wanaka should be part of it, says Golf Otago executive member John Roche of Alexandra.
Mr Roche has been asked by the Wanaka Golf Club and Golf Otago to give evidence this week at the Environment Court resource consent hearing for the Parkins Bay golf course and resort near Wanaka.
His evidence has been included in several statements supplied by the golf club to Judge Jon Jackson and the commissioners Di Menzies and Charles Manning.
All the club evidence has been "taken as read" and the lawyers for the three appellants have indicated they do not wish to cross-examine the witnesses, so they are not expected to appear during the two-week hearing.
The Wanaka Golf Club supports the creation of the Parkins Bay 18-hole championship course on Glendhu Station farmland owned by the McRae family.
However, it has not expressed an opinion on other aspects of the resort development, which include residential and accommodation proposals and walking and biking trails.
Mr Roche said the Wanaka Golf Club had been "stretched" by the population influx during the last 20 years and struggles to provide golfing opportunities to members and visitors.
Three days a week are set aside for club competitions, depriving visitors from access on those days.
The maximum number playing golf at Wanaka on any day is restricted to 112 people.
This deters some visitors from even coming to Wanaka, because they cannot play, Mr Roche said.
Another course would reduce pressure, improve playing standards and conditions and encourage competition between greenkeepers.
Better golfers would come to town, visitor numbers and golf club patronage would increase and the club would earn more income.
International examples demonstrated it was good business to have golf resort clusters.
They included the Mornington Peninsula (Melbourne) and the Monterey Peninsula (California).
The Parkins Bay course would also provide employment and create other commercial opportunities.
To attract visitors, it had to be on "the best street".
It could not be "the best house in the worst street", he said.
The hearing is expected to finish next week.
