Millions of tourism dollars at risk if government hacks Moore Park golf course in half
Popular with interstate and international visitors, Moore Park golf course provides millions of dollars in tourism benefits that will be at risk if the government closes down half the 18-hole layout.
NSW
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The NSW Government will put millions of tourism dollars at risk if it proceeds with plans to shred Moore Park golf course.
The consortium attempting to save a championship layout from being hacked in half has told The Daily Telegraph that direct revenue from course operations total around $16 million per annum.
Almost $2 million of that figure could be attributed to intrastate, interstate and international visitors, according to Jared Kendler, a club director and spokesperson for the Moore Park Collective.
The inner-city course, established in 1913, has more than 550,000 people utilising its facilities each year, with more than 80 per cent living within 10km.
Around 12 per cent of Moore Park visitors fall into the tourist category.
But the course remains under threat from government plans to slash nine of its 18 holes to create 20 hectares of additional parkland.
The Moore Park Collective has submitted alternative plans to government that would retain the course as 18 holes while also handing back 15 hectares for other recreational use.
Mr Kendler said Moore Park’s current design was an established attraction for serious and social golfers holidaying in Sydney, encouraging them to spend additional dollars within the leisure sector.
He warned reducing the course and potentially its accessibility would have a flow on effect to tourism.
“Moore Park Golf Course is a vital asset to Sydney’s visitor economy,” he said.
“Its proximity to the city’s leading hotels makes it the top choice, and often the only accessible option, for visitors who want to play golf while in Sydney.
“As one of the few public courses in the area, Moore Park offers accessibility that private clubs do not, while its championship layout attracts golfers seeking a serious challenge.
“Even high-profile visitors like Mark Wahlberg and Alice Cooper rely on Moore Park for its convenience, openness, and world-class experience.”
Andre Katashev, who moved to Australia from Russia three years ago and brought Moscow resident Igor Tkachev to the course on Tuesday, was against the plans to demolish half the layout.
“I bring a lot of my overseas friends here,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “People from Japan and China, they’re shocked to see a golf club in the middle of the city.
“This is Sydney’s pearl. This course isn’t land, it is gold. Australia is paradise and I don’t understand why people would want to affect the history, the culture, the heritage of this place.
“Look around, there are kids here, schools coming in the middle of the day and people from all sorts of backgrounds. If you lose Moore Park, what’s next – Centennial Park?”
Brisbane-based investor Sam Nguyen plays golf five times a week and teed it up at Moore Park during a visit to Sydney.
“I play courses all around Australia and I find this one of the very best,” he said. “I stay in the CBD so this is easy to get to and there’s plenty of parking.
“But important to me is how welcome I feel here. It’s so multicultural, a true representation of Australia. I find a lot of other courses so conservative. Don’t change anything about Moore Park.”
Mr Kendler has played a key role in designing the Moore Park Collective’s alternative plans and said with strategic changes the government could increase tourism revenue.
“This is a government-owned asset that is currently under-utilised,” he said.
“With our alternative proposal, we can increase revenue for the state, enhance public recreation space, and boost tourism, without the taxpayer burden of repurposing over half the site, which would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Instead of destroying a thriving, revenue-generating attraction, we propose maximising its potential to benefit both the local community and visitors.”
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Originally published as Millions of tourism dollars at risk if government hacks Moore Park golf course in half
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