BLUE Lake Golf Club members have formed a draft business model they hope will get the financially embattled facility back on course.
The draft document will be presented to the Queen Elizabeth Park Trust on Monday night following weeks of uncertainty over the public golf course’s future.
Earlier this year, the Trust announced it would seek an initial 12-month extension to its operating lease with a view to give the first option to the Blue Lake Golf Club as a sub-lessee.
Club vice president Gary Stevens said they “hoped to continue on” with the bistro and bar business as Monday’s meeting nears.
“The meeting on Monday will be an update of where the golf club is sitting with the current situation and will present a draft business model to the Trust,” he said.
“We have engaged with an accountant to write up a business plan for us.
“The golf club has never run at a profit before and was never designed to run at a profit, but hopefully there will not be too much change with a bulk of the change coming from volunteers at the course.”
Mr Stevens said the club hoped to provide a lease to the bar and bistro, with the club solely running the course.
“Taking over the bar and bistro is simply too big of a task for the club,” Mr Stevens said.
“So we are hoping to provide a lease which runs from the club instead of the Trust.”
Blue Lake Golf Club Link Bar and Bistro business owner Bill Burley supported Mr Steven’s comments, adding it would be a challenge for the club to maintain the existing employee levels at the facility.
With lack of future security in the business, Mr Burley said he has already had staff leave.
“The Trust has been offering the club three one-year leases which the club has flat out denied to take,” he said.
“Who wants to operate on a one-year lease, nobody wants that as there is no job security.
“Things do not just turn around in 12 months, they can but not to the extent that it needs to here.
Trust chairperson Colin Martin said they are currently awaiting on the Golf Club’s response to their finances who asked to be given until the end of the month.
