Driving range, mini golf and hospitality function space proposal for Hobart golf course

A greater Hobart golf course that currently sits idle would be transformed into a driving range, mini golf and function centre, while retaining most of the land for community use. DETAILS >>

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A DRIVING range, mini golf course and a bar, cafe and function space would be built on the site of the Rosny golf course under a proposed permanent vision for the council-owned land.

The Mercury can reveal details of the proposal, backed by Golf Australia, Avid Sports and developers Mulpha Group, which was presented to Clarence City Council earlier this year.

It is separate to a council tender process under way to find an interim operator to continue golf on the site, where the sport has been played for more than 100 years.

But that would only be in place until council decides on how the land will be used in the long-term under its City Heart project.

Under the long-term vision, 70 per cent of the existing golf course land would be available for council and community uses.

Golf Central driving range in Brisbane, which is operated by Avid Sports. Avid Sports wants to run a similar centre at Rosny.

Avid Sports run Golf Central in Brisbane which attracts about 230,000 people each year, while it has another development under construction, Swing City in Sydney.

The Rosny facility would include up to 30 undercover driving bays with latest ball tracking technology, an 18-hole mini golf course and would host Golf Australia coaching programs.

There would be hospitality in the driving range bays, while golfers of all skill levels and school and community groups would be encouraged to visit.

An artist impression of the driving range bays at Swing City golf development.

The centre would also be able to accommodate occasions such as birthdays, Christmas and end-of-year break-up events.

Avid Sports said the proposal would create dozens of construction and ongoing jobs, and would also see:seventy per cent of the existing golf course land to be returned to the community, revenue generated for the council, theproject come to fruition within six months from approval and support to the growth of the sport in Hobart.

Last week it was revealed the process to return golf to the site, separate to the long-term vision outlined above, had progressed to the tender stage.

A shortlist of potential operators has been identified by the council following an expressions of interest process which started in May.

Tender documentation was distributed to the successful proponents late last month, and they have until August 13 to submit a final application to the council.

Clarence City Council Mayor Doug Chipman said no long-term decisions had yet been made by council about the use of the site.

“Any long term future use will need to comply with the ‘community use’ requirement for the land, and will be part of a separate community consultation process,’’ he said.

“Council has undertaken an expression of interest process for the management of the Rosny Golf Course and subsequently issued documentation for a formal tender to successful EOI applicants, which closes this Friday, 13 August.

“Following this, tender submissions will be assessed by a panel with a recommendation then to be made for council to consider at a future meeting. This is the usual process for tenders.”

The course, next to Eastlands shopping centre, closed on April 24 as the YMCA’s agreement to operate the council-owned asset finished at the end of that month.

No golf has been played there since.

But at a council meeting in April, a motion by Alderman Luke Edmunds to keep the sport operating there was passed by aldermen in a vote of 6-5.

A groundswell of public support — including a gathering of more than 100 people just days before the council meeting — had urged that golf continue on the site.

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