AFTER three months of uncertainty, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Blue Lake Golf Club following the signing of a lease agreement with Mount Gambier City Council.
The announcement of a new relationship between the club and council comes as good news for both club representative Gary Stevens and Golf Links Bar and Bistro owner Bill Burley, whose future was also clouded.
Council recently safeguarded the golf course’s short-term future with its proposal of a one year lease with four one-year right of renewals to
follow.
The newly brokered deal comes just weeks after the Queen Elizabeth Park Trust passed control of the site to council amid financial uncertainty.
Mr Stevens said despite the “tenuous and stressful” process over the previous months, the club is ready for the future.
“We have had to create working parties who have been meeting once or twice a week,” he said.
“We needed a plan to present to council which was a lot of work including hiring staff, operational and many other things.”
With the aim of keeping the golf course as a self funded model, Mr Stevens said the club is focusing on a handful of small things before considering the long-term lease agreement with council.
“There are a lot of ideas being thrown around, but the focus is on being a club and being a family club,” Mr Stevens said.
“We want to be a club that includes the families of golf players and do some work on the driving range for those who are not too confident on the course just yet.”
Mr Stevens said the golf club is currently in negotiations with Mr Burley on the future of his business.
“We expect the Burleys to continue with their role here at the golf course,” Mr Stevens said.
Mr Burley conceded while the business and the club were likely to face challenges moving forward, the club is positive and intent on retaining the course as a community base.
“There are a lot of ideas and passionate people who want to give the course a shot and make it work,” Mr Burley said.
“I will try and work alongside the club to ensure it happens.”
Mr Burley will soon present a proposal towards the golf club, which they will then take into consideration.
“I want to give the club every opportunity to succeed,” he said.
“They have the lease so they need to succeed because I cannot be here if they do not, so it will need to be a good outcome and we will need to work together.”
