Golfers at Helensvale Golf Club locked out after club goes into liquidation

MEMBERS at a popular Gold Coast golf club have been locked out after its leaseholder went into liquidation today.

THE future of a popular Gold Coast golf club with a “chequered past” remains uncertain after liquidators changed the locks and turned members away today.

The Helensvale Community Golf Club — which is owned by the Gold Coast City Council — has ceased operating after its leaseholder, Jigsaw Community Services, went into liquidation.

Jigsaw Community Services chairman John Atkinson said in a statement to The Gold Coast Bulletin the club was no longer financially viable to remain open.

“Certainly, it had been our intention to remain until the expiry of our lease in 2019,” Mr Atkinson said.

“However, because from a financial perspective the club was no longer viable, I had no other option open to me but to terminate operations.”

Helensvale Golf Club has put a proposal to Gold Coast City Council to have them take over ownership

The club, which is more than 40 years old, was taken ownership by the Gold Coast City Council in 2013 after it fell into financial debt.

Jigsaw Community Services were assigned the lease of the club the following year and signed a new lease at the end of last year to keep the land as a golf club until 2019.

The land has previously been mooted by council as a potential new home for the Gold Coast Show, The Queens Park Tennis Club and a pony club.

Division 2 Councillor William Owen-Jones, who fought for the land to remain a golf club, said any future plans for the land will now become “a decision for council”.

Helensvale Golf Club has put a proposal to Gold Coast City Council to have them take over ownership

“We’ll need to wait for the liquidators to contact us before we move forward,” Cr Owen-Jones said.

“Already today we have had several people reach out to help keep golf in Helensvale.

“The ideal outcome is that the golf course remains in the heart of Helensvale. That has been a very difficult thing to achieve over the years.”

Club captain Jake O’Donnell, who has been a member at Helensvale for 34 years, said the closure will affect many locals and members alike.

“It’s a sad moment to see the club closed,” Mr O’Donnell said.

“I’ve spoken with a number of members and they are all pretty upset.

“Hopefully the council can sort this out and the club can open back up again but for now it is closed and that is all we know.”